A/N: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. It is the property of Square Enix and the Walt Disney Studios. I also do not own The Dresden Files, which is the property of Jim Butcher.
This is a creative work that I do not profit off of in any way whatsoever.
Greeting, my dearest readers! I hope that you are all doing well.
I hoped you all enjoyed the last chapter. I did enjoy writing it. From my point of view, there's not nearly enough fanfics that have Roxas and Xion meet Sora's parents—or Kairi's for that matter—and I'm glad to have contributed.
We're getting into some new material now—material I have wanted to get into since I started writing this fic. I've had these ideas in my head for almost two years now. It's kind of mind-boggling in its own way.
Some of you may have already guessed what's coming up. If you have, kudos! If you haven't, that's quite alright. I just hope I can do it justice.
Read on, my wonderful readers, read on!
oooo
It was late at night. Xion wasn't sure of the time, exactly. Late enough that she should be asleep. Late enough that she wanted to sleep. But she couldn't. It wasn't that the pillow she'd been lent wasn't soft or the borrowed blanket wasn't cuddly. There are wonderful. It was where she was…she could not sleep here.
The Destiny Islands…this was Sora's world. This was his home. Sora had grown up here. His mom and his dad…his school…his friends…she'd taken all of it away. She'd done it twice, really. She'd stolen all his memories and kept him from being able to wake up and then she'd fought Kairi. Hurt Kairi. Helped Xehanort shatter Kairi and Sora was forced to use the Power of Waking to rescue her. And then he vanished.
It was her fault. Being in this room…the living room. There were so many memories here. Xion could remember Sora's mother reading to him, while she held him in her lap. The rocking of the chair…the feel of the pages under his fingers when he was learning how to read. Sora watching cartoons with his father…and fishing shows…oh!
"Where are you?" Xion whispered, so softly she barely heard it herself. "Sora, please…come home? Your mom and dad miss you."
Amaya and Benjiro. Sora's parents. She called him "Ben," which Axel seemed to find really funny. Amaya had black hair…but her smile. It was just like the smile Sora gave to everyone he met. Warm, opening, friendly. And Benjiro. The shape of his shoulders…his brown, spiky hair. Xion bit her lip. She couldn't start crying now.
She'd returned Sora's memories when she'd been destroyed—or maybe she'd returned them to Roxas who later gave them to Sora, but that didn't make that big a difference really. Xion was too tired to concentrate on the technicalities of everything. But the glimpses and flashes were still there. She still had memories of the memories. It was to be expected, she supposed. At her core, Xion was made up of Sora's memories.
What had it been like for them? Sora's friends and family? They'd all forgotten who he was, because she'd stolen all those memories. What had it been like to the picture of Sora with his parents on the wall, and then they didn't know who he was? And then when the memories came back, had it all been at once? Or bits and pieces at a time? Xion wasn't sure and she didn't dare ask.
It would be morning…some time in the next few hours. And Xion would have to face Sora's parents again. And probably Kairi's father too. They liked her. It was so, so strange. Xion had met her share of friendly strangers, in Twilight Town and Disney Castle and in all the worlds they'd visited in the last few weeks. But their parents weren't strangers, or at least, not in the same way. Didn't change the fact that she'd let them down, just like she'd let Sora down.
Maybe—hopefully—she'd be able to get some little bit of sleep before morning. Xion closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep. It didn't work. Flashes of the last two days flowed through her mind. Using the raft—Excalibur—to rescue the stranded crew of the Moray Marauder—or to be more accurate, helping Benjiro rescue them. Helping Amaya with her boxes full of books. And then all that time on the Gummi Ship…and the meeting in Disney Castle.
Xion gave a sharp gasp as the memory rushed back. Master Yen Sid, coldly furious, and Master Aqua, direct and blunt. The beam of light shooting out of Master Yen Sid's hand, encasing her arm. And then…the burning and the stabbing pain that came every time she tried to summon her Keyblade. The pain of being struck by every weapon she had ever replicated—stabbing from Isa's claymore, burning from Axel's chakrams. Xion's eyes filled with tears.
Xion exhaled slowly and rubbed her arm. It still hurt. It'd been more than a day, but she could still feel it. The burning of Master Yen Sid's magic binding her, restricting any use of magic…a chill ran down Xion's spine and then her skin felt very hot and itchy.
She'd messed up with the mordite blade. She'd used powers she shouldn't have…but there hadn't been any other option. Nothing they'd used had worked to free the Blue Fairy's wand. And Master Yen Sid hadn't listened at all. Neither had Master Aqua. Nobody ever listened.
You're wasting your time, trying to be good. You're awful, evil, twisted. An abomination. A vessel of Xehanort. A Seeker of Darkness. And since they'll never accept you, might as well embrace the dark. Strike down Master Aqua. Strike down Yen Sid. You are darkness.
Xion's blood turned to ice and shame filled her. Shame and nausea. How could she think that? How could she think that?! Was it just because she was tired? Please, let that be the reason. She was just tired and not thinking straight and that's why…she was just tired. She needed to sleep.
You killed Kairi…
In the silence of the late night—or the very, very early morning—a door creaked and it may as well have been a mighty clap of thunder. Xion's heart skipped a beat and she almost missed the shuffling of two pairs of bare feet against the wood floor. Xion shut her eyes as she heard whispered voices.
"Awful early, isn't it?"
"Only a bit earlier than normal, love. Things are kind of odd at the moment. There's nothing to be lost in heading out a little early. The boys are alright?"
"You saw them as well as I did. They're both dead to the world. Best as can be expected, I guess. That rescue was something else—Roxas must get it from you, Ben."
There was more shuffling and creaking…right above Xion's head. She clenched her eyes tighter, holding her breath. Amaya and Benjiro were standing right in front of her.
"Dear God, Amaya…look at her."
"She looks just like Kairi, take away a year or so. But her hair…it's like mine."
"It's as beautiful on her as it is on you, Amaya. I'm off now, you can go back to bed."
It took every ounce of effort Xion had to maintain the appearance that she was asleep. She heard Benjiro and Amaya kiss and then one set of footprints went off back up the stairs—Amaya must have gone back to their bedroom. There were the sounds of muted rumblings as Benjiro gathered the supplies he'd need for the day. Alright…he'd be going to work very soon, then. And then he wouldn't know that Xion was still awake…
A large hand, calloused and warm, drew Xion's borrowed blanket up to her chin, and then pat her cheek gently.
"Do try and sleep, Xion," Benjiro whispered. "You're as bad as faking it as Sora."
Xion's eyes burst open and she opened her mouth to apologize, but Benjiro was smiling at her. He ruffled her hair, gently—not quite the way Axel would—and then tapped a finger to her nose, and then drew it to his lips. Benjiro hoisted a bag over his shoulder and gave a small wave as he pulled a light jacket on and stepped outside.
Xion pulled an arm out from under her blanket to wave back at him, biting her lip. Tears pricked at her eyes. He was so kind to her. After everything that'd happened. Everything she'd done…he was still so kind. Just like Sora.
"Please, let Sora come home."
oooo
It had been a very long time since Amaya had had to cook breakfast for anyone other than herself. As a fisherman, Benjiro was often out the door by four o'clock in the morning so that he could check his lines. His breakfasts were usually leftovers from dinner the night before. For years, this meant that Amaya would prepare breakfast for herself and for Sora. Oh, how Sora had loved breakfast. He loved all sorts of foods and by extent, all sorts of meals, but breakfast had been special. Amaya had practically been able to set her clock by Sora tumbling down the steps from his bedroom to have a glass of milk. And while Amaya would prepare the meal, Sora would tell her all about the dreams he'd had the night before. Little moments like that were among Amaya's most precious memories.
There were many things that they would eat for breakfast. Some days, they'd have fruit—papaya or coconut or bananas. Peaches or pineapples or occasionally apples. And then there was always rice porridge—that had been a very common breakfast, but Sora had never complained. Sausages and eggs had been a favorite as well. As a treat, a reward for good marks in school, for example, Amaya would let Sora have a bowl of sugary cereal. It was more a dessert than a breakfast, but oh, how Sora had laughed as he ate the red-and-yellow cereal.
And then that storm had happened. A horrible storm, where the sky turned darker than the night and Amaya had lost all sense of self. The night the Islands had fallen to darkness—though at the time, Amaya had no idea what was happening. What mattered was that Sora had been taken away from her, and from Benjiro, and even after the Islands were restored, when the sun rose and the light shined, Sora did not come home. There was no little boy to cook breakfast for.
And then for many months, Amaya had cooked breakfast only for herself. Benjiro left in the morning, just as he always had and Amaya would make breakfast alone. Eat her meal alone. Because there was no little boy to cook breakfast for. And no memories of a little boy to cook breakfast for.
When the memories came back, it had been at breakfast. Amaya had been very tired. Too tired to cook properly over the stove, she had poured herself a bowl of the sugary cereal. Why she had bought it in the first place, she had no idea. But perhaps it was a good thing that she had done…she had fainted and who knew what might have happened had she been pouring over a hot stove at the time?
Far too long after the return of her memories did Sora return and for far too short a time did Sora stay. She had only just gotten him back when he had to go away again. There were people he needed to help.
"There are people out there who are hurting, Mom. Somebody has to help them and the King says that I'm the only one who can. I'll be back before you know it, I promise."
But he hadn't come home for several weeks..and by the time he did, Sora was in trouble. The kind of trouble that she couldn't fix. It wasn't a scraped knee or a wasp sting or a broken ankle—all of which had happened to Sora before. It was his life. He was fading from this world and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. But Sora had so much to tell her. Tell her and Benjiro and there was so very little time for him
"I got Roxas back, Dad! And Mom, there's a girl—Roxas has a friend named Xion and we're connected. I'm not really sure how, but we're connected. And she's really, really nice!"
Roxas, Xion and Lea were around the kitchen table. In a way, it reminded Amaya of the old days, when Sora was very young and would invite Riku and Kairi for breakfast. The similarities were striking and yet the differences were also readily apparent. Xion looked hauntingly like Kairi—much like Naminé as well—but her mannerisms were exactly like Sora's. She asked how she could help with breakfast, much like Sora would, and the way she tapped her napkin to her chin was much like Sora….on the rare occasion that Sora remembered his table manners. Roxas sliced his sausage lengthwise before dicing it into smaller pieces—something that Sora did as well. The way they chewed their food, the way they sipped their water…Amaya wasn't sure whether she wanted to sing or cry out.
Lea sat in between them, eating far more quickly. His mane of red hair was completely eschew, almost like a lionfish. Amaya chuckled to herself—Roxas and Xion had inherited Sora's bedhead as well. She paused as she placed a small bowl of rice porridge in front of herself and she saw the children more properly. They both had heavy bags under their eyes and Xion's hands were shaking. Occasionally, she placed her fingers to her nose. Had the poor dear not slept well?
"So, what plans did you three have for today?"
Roxas and Xion startled and looked at each other, then at Lea, and then back at each other. They looked nervous, unsure.
"Er…I guess we're gonna be heading off," Roxas said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We were supposed to meet with Kairi and we did and we let her know to keep her guard up but…"
"You're leaving?" Amaya asked and her stomach tightened. They had only just gotten here. After the fuss the evening before, where they had had to speak to several paramedics and members of the local guard. There had been no real time to talk to either of them. And the tension…Amaya could see it in their shoulders and in their eyes. Just like she had seen it in Sora's. They needed at least a day where there was nothing to fight. Please let them have today.
"Who said anything about leaving?" Lea said, crossing his arms. "Come on you two, I figure we've earned a day off."
"Axel," Roxas said cautiously, "I'm not sure that's…"
"Amaya!"
Roxas's reply was cut off as Kairi walked into the room, holding her boots in her hand. She stepped gingerly so her socks wouldn't slip. Naminé padded in a few steps behind her and gave a small wave. Amaya smiled warmly at her and Naminé blushed.
"Good morning, Kairi," Amaya said. "Have you two eaten yet?"
"Thank you, we're fine," Kairi said. "We came to see if Roxas and Xion wanted to come for a walk with us?"
"We'd love to but…there's dishes," Roxas said and Xion nodded fervently. "We need to do the dishes before we leave here and…there's missions to do."
A teenager offering to do the dishes? Amaya gave a snort of laughter—whatever the specifics of his existence, Roxas certainly hadn't gotten that from Sora.
"Oh…" Kairi said, disappointment spreading into her face. She glanced down at her stockings. "I didn't realize…did the King say you couldn't stay more than a day?"
"Actually," Lea said, rising to his full height, "I remember our orders. We were supposed to check in with you…but there wasn't anything about us not staying here for a day or two. We were supposed to check in with you and we have…but we haven't told you everything that's happened."
"I agree," A tiny voice piped up from the edge of the table. Oh, Jiminy Cricket! Amaya kept forgetting he was there. Such a tiny little man, he was—but darn it, if he wasn't adorable with his little journal. "I think we would all benefit from an addition day of rest. I could use the day to organize my chronicles."
"You two, skedaddle," Lea said, ruffling Roxas and Xion's hair. "I'm ordering you to take a day off. Got it memorized?"
Roxas and Xion glanced at each other again and Roxas gave an uncertain smile. Kairi beamed and scurried back to the front porch, Naminé at her heels. Roxas and Xion finished their breakfasts and cleared their plates. With several soft "thanks," the two children pulled their boots and jackets on and left the house. Amaya could hear muffled chatter coming from them and from Kairi and Naminé—and from the sounds of it, the three children who had come with them: Hayner, Pence and Olette.
"Skedaddle? Gah, when did I get old?" Lea muttered, leaning back in his chair. "Anyway…now what?"
Amaya glanced at her sink filled with dirty dishes and pots. Roxas and Xion had rinsed their plates. Lea had not…and she had questions to spare.
"Lea, your table manners are terrible," Amaya said, handing him a dish towel. "You're on dish duty, bucko."
oooo
Now, this was something that Hayner appreciated. Walking with Roxas and Xion, Kairi and Naminé, Pence and Olette. It'd been weeks since they'd really had a chance to just be. And for that, he was grateful. Roxas and Xion had been gone for weeks but now they were back and he was standing by their side.
"So…" Kairi said. "A day off—what should we do?"
Hayner shrugged. It didn't matter to him what was done, so long as Roxas and Xion liked it. If they were back in Twilight Town, he'd suggest a Struggle match…or maybe not. That was a bit too much like training. Maybe Grandstander instead—or some of those silent movies that played in the lot across from the bistro. But they weren't in Twilight Town. They were on the Destiny Islands. Hayner had only been here once before this trip and that had been on that itty-bitty little play island, to boot. But a beach was a beach.
"Er…" Roxas said. "What do you want to do, Kairi?"
"I don't know," Kairi said. "That's why I'm asking you. You five are the guests, aren't you?"
Xion gave a tiny shrug. Hayner's brow furrowed. Roxas and Xion both had bags under their eyes—Pence did too, for that matter, so it may have been a sleepless night all around—but the timidity…damn, had she had a nightmare? It couldn't have been easy for them, staying in Sora's house like that.
"So, how've you been?" Kairi asked, turning her attention to Olette. "It's been ages since we've talked."
Olette's eyes widened and she began to rub her arm nervously. Kairi took her hand gently and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Is there anything wrong?" Kairi asked. "Should we go back for Axel? Actually, I think Daddy might be closer."
"I…" Olette sighed. "There's something I need to tell you."
"Tell me?" Kairi asked. "Tell me what, Olette. You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I had a dream," Olette said quietly. "And you were in it, Kairi."
"A dream?" Kairi asked, lowering her voice. "Or a nightmare? You didn't dream about the time Axel kidnapped me in Twilight Town did you?"
"No, no…this was a couple weeks ago. And we weren't here or in Twilight Town. We…we were in Radiant Garden," Olette said. Part of Hayner thought that he should leave, or at least go a bit further down the path so Olette and Kairi could talk more privately. But there wasn't a bench or picnic table in sight—if he were to leave now, there would be no way to not draw attention to himself and that might stress Olette out even more. And Hayner had never been one to beat around the bush. People should say what they mean, when they mean it.
"Radiant Garden?" Kairi asked. "But why would you dream about there? You stayed on the ship when we picked Naminé up."
"There were other girls in the dream too, Kairi," Olette said. "First I saw you with six other girls…and then I saw us with five others."
"Me with six others…and then five…" Kairi's eyes bulged. "Oh, my gosh…I never thought…you're just like me."
"I don't wanna be," Olette murmured. "Forgive me, Kairi, but I don't want this."
"I don't think you've got a choice, kiddo," Kairi said, squeezing Olette's fingers. "I'm sorry. Has anything else happened?"
Olette glanced at Hayner and then at Xion, who had gone paler than ever, but then shook her head.
"It's really not my place to tell."
Hayner scratched the back of his neck and felt irritation bubble in his gut. It wasn't fair. To any of them. Roxas and Xion worked their fingers to the bone and Kairi and Olette were going to be targeted by bad guys for the rest of their lives. Hayner fought the urge to summon his sword. There wasn't anything to fight here, anyway.
"Kairi!"
Three teenagers were running up the path towards them—a boy about their age, a girl a little bit younger and another boy a bit older, bordering on "young man" but still younger than Axel or Isa. Oh, yeah—those were the three who gave them directions to the courthouse yesterday.
"Selphie! Tidus!" Kairi gave a relieved smile. "Wakka!"
"You found her!" Selphie bounced on her heels. "I didn't know you had a penpal, Kairi. Aren't you a little old for that?"
"Penpal?" Kairi asked and Olette blushed. "Er, right. Yes, Olette and I met a while back and we've written letters—I tell her about the islands, she tells me about the town she lives in."
"Hey, mon," The taller boy—Wakka—held out his hand. "You've been holdin' out on us. I thought there was just Naminé, Kairi. Who's this?"
"Xion," Kairi answered. "She's a very good friend."
Okay…so Kairi's friends were not read in on what happened to Sora and Riku and…everybody else. Hayner wasn't sure if this were a good thing or not. It might be easier to talk to them without that sort of pressure, since right now, it wasn't that different from meeting a group of kids from another school on a field trip, but if he let something slip, Kairi and Naminé could get in trouble. He had to do something to draw attention away from them…
"Friend?" Selphie asked. "But she looks just like you and Naminé…and Naminé's your sister now. But her hair…hmmmm…"
"Yeah, her hair's really short and everybody pats her on the head," Hayner said. He bit the inside of his cheek. He'd have to be careful to make sure this would work, but that nobody would hurt. "But you know what? I think Sora's mentioned you—Tidus, was it? Says that you're a big eater."
"Well, sure," Tidus said, shrugging. "Back in the day, Sora and I would bet each other on how much we could eat—popsicles, shaved ices, crepes, wasabi peas, you name it."
"Yeah?" Hayner asked. "What about…fish?"
"Sure," Tidus said. "The town's full of fishermen. You can't throw a stone without hitting a market."
"Fish tacos?" Hayner asked, crossing his arms. "I bet you can't eat as many as I can!"
"Oh!" Tidus's eyes narrowed and he grinned with mischief. "So that's how you want it, huh?"
"Oh boy," Wakka shook his head. "I know where this is going, ya. Should I save some time and call the doctor now?"
Selphie broke into a fit of giggles, while Kairi and Olette both pressed their hands to their foreheads. The resemblance between them was actually pretty funny for once. Good. Hayner could handle funny.
oooo
Tidus had never been one to turn down a challenge and he immediately grabbed Hayner by the arm to drag him to one of the local restaurants. Kairi wasn't sure she should be annoyed or not. It'd been ages since Tidus had ever been able to play around like that—Riku had never liked the eating contests that Sora would challenge Tidus to and Wakka had a small appetite.
Olette and Pence had left to make sure Hayner didn't get himself into too much trouble—Selphie immediately latched on to Olette and began peppering her with questions about the town she lived in on the mainland. Wakka patted Pence on the shoulder and began twirling his blitzball on a finger. Kairi smiled—those six would make good friends.
"I guess that leaves us four," Kairi said. "Naminé, we never got a chance to go to the play island yesterday. I think we can fit two to a boat."
She led the three of them back up the path to her house. It was the largest house on the street, the largest house on the island. Kairi glanced at the raft—Excalibur—and shook her head. It was a wonderful raft, but…no, not today.
There were several small rowboats set in place under the back patio of her family's house. Kairi ran her fingers against the wood, rubbed smooth from sandpaper. Xion and Roxas hoisted a rowboat up easily and carried it towards the water, as if they'd done it a thousand times before. In a way, Kairi supposed, they had. She smiled at Naminé as her sister fumbled with a life vest.
"Don't worry," Kairi smiled. "If you fall in, I'll save you."
Naminé grinned sheepishly and Kairi poked her once in the belly. Naminé's grin became a giggle and she helped Kairi lift the second rowboat up. They walked down to the water and Kairi inhaled as much of the sweet, salty air as she could.
"You've all got your Gummiphones right?" Kairi asked. "I'll just call Daddy to let him know where we went. I think the others are going to be okay. Tidus and Selphie will keep them busy and Wakka will make sure they don't get into too much trouble."
The water was smooth as they set off. It wasn't far to the play island—Kairi could remember that when they were younger, Sora would challenge her and Riku to a race to see who could row from the shore to the play island the fastest. Riku would win, every time, but sometimes Kairi had actually lost on purpose. There was something about just going slowly on the water that she enjoyed. She'd pull in her oar and just look at the water. She'd see fishes swimming around and sometimes even a sea turtle, which was always a treat.
Of course, that had been a few years and a few inches ago. Kairi was taller now and better at rowing. She'd have to take a more pronounced effort to row slowly now. But there was still a beauty in it. The water as as blue as the sky. It was almost like being in that place…the Final World, where sea and sky met.
Naminé sat across from her, which meant that as she rowed, Kairi would be able to look her in the eye. This was also something she enjoyed. Naminé was her sister. Always had been, always would be. And Kairi liked looking at her. As strange as it was to look at someone who shared her face, Kairi liked looking at Naminé. She liked the way Naminé's fair skin blushed when she laughed at one of Daddy's jokes. She liked the way Naminé's eyes shined like the sky.
Naminé was wearing a new outfit today, though anything was better than that white dress she'd worn for a year. Naminé's t-shirt was a pale blue, matching her eyes. A simple cream-colored skirt hung to her knees. Bare feet in sandals, but that wasn't anything new—though Naminé squealed when a bit of water splashed onto her toes. Kairi grinned and then reached out a hand to splash her again. Naminé drew her legs up to her chest and one sandal fell off.
"Truce!" Naminé squeaked. "We're almost on the dock—ooff!"
"Huh," Kairi said. "You're right—okay, help me get it tied up?"
Naminé nodded and tugged her sandal back on. She stepped out of the boat and onto the tiny little dock—the wood on the dock was newer than Kairi remembered, but then again, there was never not a time when parents—or even other fishermen without kids of their own—hadn't rebuilt bits and pieces of the dock or shack or tree fort. Kairi hitched the rowboat to the dock and pulled the knots as tightly as she could, Naminé holding the ropes in place as she did so. Roxas and Xion arrived a moment later—that was funny, hadn't they left right before them?
The play island looked just the same as it had the last time Kairi had been here. When friends from all over the worlds had been there with her…and Sora…just as he faded away. A chill ran down Kairi's spine and she shook her head—drops of water hitting Roxas and Naminé in the face.
"So…" Roxas said. "Now what?"
"I think we can split into pairs," Kairi said. "Only they should be different pairs than the ones we rowed over with."
Naminé, Roxas and Xion all nodded, though none of them said anything. After a long minute, Naminé tapped Roxas on the shoulder and gestured for him to follow her. That left Kairi with Xion…alright then.
oooo
"There," Lea said. "That's the last dish! Soak, scrub, rinse, dry…I'm gonna have that memorized for the rest of my life."
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Amaya chided. "Fair is fair, Lea. The children rinsed their dishes and come to think of it, they did the dishes last night too, without being asked."
"Yeah," Lea muttered. "They're kind of weird that way."
"You've done well by them, though," Amaya said. "Roxas and Xion are wonderful…but I have to say, I am worried about them."
"Who isn't?" Lea groaned. "Look…Amaya, you've been a very gracious host and we're thankful for that, believe me. But…well, he wouldn't have really known Xion but if Sora told you who Roxas is, then he would have told you who Axel was."
"Yes," Amaya said quietly. "He did."
Lea sighed. There was no escaping it. No matter where they went, no matter what they did, no matter how many good things they accomplished, the cloud of the Organization hung over them. His stomach burned as he remembered Master Yen Sid's reprimands against Xion, who had only been trying to do good. And the wizard's initial reluctance to take him on to wield a Keyblade in the first place. The burning got worse as he remembered all the horrible things Axel had done.
Threatening to destroy Naminé. Fighting Xion and beating her half to death, all to keep her safe, only for Xemnas to take her away and do things to her. Fighting Roxas twice, once in the simulated Twilight Town and once in the simulated basement of the Old Mansion. Kidnapping Kairi so that he could turn Sora into a Heartless…risking who knew how many multitudes, all to get Roxas back. And that was regarding the people he did care about.
"I had thought to punch you twice," Amaya said. "Once to make your nose bleed, once to break it. But Sora told me what you did for him in that strange place. When you put all of yourself into an attack to protect my son…thank you."
"I'm not Axel," Lea muttered. "Not exactly, but…well, any bit of heart Axel had for himself merged with my own when I was re-completed. It's different than what happened with Roxas and Sora…or Naminé and Kairi. You really do know everything?"
"The worlds falling to darkness, the Princesses of Heart, King Mickey, Donald and Goofy, Xehanort, I know all of it. Sora and Kairi told Ben, Tyson and me everything," Amaya nodded. "But I also know that Roxas and Xion felt too uncomfortable to talk to me very much yesterday. I want the full story, Lea. The good and the bad…I know that they had to go away so that Sora could wake up. I want to know about my children."
"Your children?" Lea looked up. Amaya stared at him, with a look of such conviction, he nearly staggered. "They're mine…what the—"
Outside the kitchen window, Lea could see two little boats out on the water. Far too small to be fishermen's boats.
"Oh, Kairi must have suggested they go to that little play island," Amaya smiled. "It is lovely there. It's the perfect place to play. Or the perfect place to talk."
Lea hesitated. There was a lot of stuff loaded in her questions. Stuff that was icky. Stuff that he really didn't want to go into. But then again…Amaya was so earnest, and they really had just glossed over the year Roxas and Xion had spent in the Organization. Now that he thought about it, nobody really knew, except the three of them—plus Isa, wherever he was—and probably Naminé.
"Alright…both of you listen up," Lea said, nodding at Jiminy and Amaya in turn. "You win. And come to think of it, we didn't get into what's happened the last few weeks either. God, so much has happened. So as far as Roxas is concerned…"
oooo
Kairi watched as Roxas and Naminé began walking away, towards the far side of the play island. That was fine with her. As far as she knew, Roxas and Naminé hadn't had a chance to speak to each other at all for more than a few minutes since their restoration. Which left her alone with Xion. Which was also fine with her, because there were quite a few things that Kairi wanted to say to her. Kairi smiled warmly at her, but Xion looked uneasy. Come to think of it, she had looked uneasy the day before too, and had barely said anything. Xion couldn't be that shy, could she?
"Naminé tells me that you like sea shells," Kairi said. "Want to search for some?"
Xion nodded wordlessly and Kairi walked over to the small beach wall. She unlaced her boots and pulled them off, placing them against the beach wall. A moment later, she peeled off her socks and tucked them neatly into her boots. No sense in searching for shells and accidentally stomping on them. Kairi wiggled her toes in the soft white sand. Xion blushed as she pressed herself against the wall and toed off her boots, setting them next to Kairi's. They were nearly identical—the only difference Kairi could see was that the clasps on Xion's boots were silver to Kairi's black.
"Follow me," Kairi said, taking Xion gently by the wrist. She led the girl slowly to the water. It wasn't far at all, so close that if all four of them had laid down in a line, Kairi was pretty sure they'd have stretched from the wall to the water. She took her time, pressing her bare feet deep into the soft sand as they walked. The sand was warm and it tickled lightly. Kairi giggled and she thought she heard Xion laugh as well.
They came to the shoreline and the sand became damper, pressing against their bare soles. Kairi saw a small shell—probably an oyster's—almost at once. She knelt down and picked it up. It glistened in the sun. Xion crouched beside her.
"It's lovely," Kairi said. "I always liked sea shells."
Xion nodded, again not saying anything, and Kairi frowned. She wanted to talk to Xion, but unless Xion said anything, Kairi doubted she'd be able to get very far. She set the oyster shell back down and rose to her feet, pulling Xion up with her. The water lapped at their toes. Kairi took a step forward, pressing a bare foot into the sea. She took another step and then another. The water was up to her ankles. Xion gasped and scurried to stand next to Kairi, splashing her pants as she did so.
"Look!" Kairi said. "A thalassa shell!"
So far as Kairi knew, thalassa shells were native only to the Destiny Islands. No other world had them—though apparently the legend of charms made from their shells was a bit more well-known.
Xion knelt down to pick up the shell. It was purple and gold…it reminded Kairi of the flowers that grew in Amaya's garden. Aster and sunflowers…aster…shion.
"You know," Kairi said, thinking back to a story Riku had told her and Sora years ago. "There's a legend about Thalassa shells. They say that if you take one from the beach, then Kani Kingu, Emperor of the Crab People, will come for you. He will dig a burrow up from under your house and grab you with his pinchers and carry you away to your doom."
"What?!" Xion blurted, her face going whiter than even Naminé. "I thought the legend was that sailors would collect these to make lucky charms. Isn't the charm you gave Sora made of these shells? I'm sorry, I didn't know! I'll put it back!"
"Xion!" Kairi put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm only teasing. Riku used to tell that story to scare Sora and me—and it worked, but that's not the point. I wanted to talk to you…but you haven't been answering."
"Oh…" Xion blushed, redder than a lobster, and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry…I…I'm sorry."
"Stop apologize," Kairi chided, putting a hand under Xion's chin. "Look at me, Xion. You've been acting like a frightened rabbit all day. Did something happen?"
"I…I don't understand," Xion whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Kairi bit her lip. She wasn't exactly unfamiliar with Naminé crying, but she wasn't sure she was good at comforting her either. And that was Naminé. Naminé was her sister. Xion was…well, Kairi wasn't sure exactly. There was a connection between them, she knew that much, but Naminé didn't like talking about it and Kairi knew better than to push the issue. But maybe she should push Xion, just a little bit.
"What don't you understand?" Kairi asked. "If you miss Sora, believe me, I understand that more than you know."
"Amaya and Benjiro…and you, Kairi, you of all people should hate me for everything I did," Xion whispered. "I'm so sorry, for everything."
"What do you mean?" Kairi asked, as gently as she could. She glanced down at their feet. The water was almost at their knees now. Maybe it'd be better if they went back to the shore. The sand would stick to their feet, but she'd worry about that later. She took Xion's hand and began walking to shore.
"That day at the Keyblade Graveyard," Xion murmured, as their feet padded against the damp sand at the shoreline. "We fought…we clashed…and I hurt you, Kairi. I hurt you. I helped Xehanort kill you."
Wait, what?! That wasn't what happened. Not exactly, anyway. They'd fought each other but Xion hadn't any control of her actions. Kairi remembered it clear as day. In the Keyblade Graveyard
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Xion was crying now. Sobbing freely, her hands clutching her head. "I wish it had been me instead. I wish Sora was here with you now. God, I'm sorry."
Kairi leaned against Xion and wrapped her arms around her. Xion startled but when Kairi's touch remained gentle, she pressed against Kairi's shoulder.
"It's alright now…it's alright…" Kairi murmured into Xion's ear. "I'm here…I'm here…"
oooo
Roxas exhaled slowly as he and Naminé pushed through the wooden shelter that separated one side of the play island from the other. The side they were on faced the east, the sun rising high on the horizon.
Sora had spent a lot of time here. Roxas could feel it in his bones, in his skin. The curve of shore where they had originally stored Excalibur. The wooden zip-line Sora and Riku had built after seeing it in a movie. The grove of coconut trees that were wide enough that Sora and Riku could balance on their branches. The countless races from the steps of the shelter to the little stand they'd set up on a cliff ledge. So many memories here…it was so real, so tangible, Roxas could practically touch them.
Can you feel Sora?
"If I win, I'm captain! And if you win…"
"I've missed you, Roxas," Naminé said as she looked out on the horizon. "It's been wonderful here, but I've missed you. And Xion, too."
Roxas broke out of his trance. He wasn't racing Riku—not today, anyway. He was on the east shore of the play island. He was with Naminé…his sister, his twin.
"We've missed you," Roxas said. "But hey, we didn't get a chance to talk yesterday. Kairi's dad adopted you! That's wonderful!"
"Thanks," Naminé blushed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm still getting used to the idea. I've never had a dad before. I didn't even have Axel looking after me, really, until the end. For so long…I didn't have any grown-ups looking after me."
"Marluxia…" Roxas grit his teeth. "DiZ…"
"He helped us, Roxas," Naminé mumbled, lowering her gaze. "I don't know if it makes up for everything he did, but…we're here now and we're alive and we're ourselves. I never thought we'd ever get that."
"Neither did I, to be honest. I don't know how I feel about him. This isn't hate, not anymore at least…I know what hate is," Roxas said. "Whatever DiZ was willing to do to fight the Organization, Ansem's been…weird lately."
"Oh?" Naminé asked. "What do you mean, weird?"
"It's this stuff we have to do for Master Yen Sid and King Mickey…Ansem seems worried about us," Roxas said. "I haven't thought about it much, since we actually haven't seen him in a while, but he seems like he's going out of his way to be nice to us."
"Hmm," Naminé said. "I'm not sure I'd call that weird, Roxas. If it were me, I guess I'd be thankful that Ansem respects me as my own person, and not as a part of Kairi."
"Yeah," Roxas said, feeling the back of his neck grow hot. "I get your point. And it's more than I can say for Yen Sid…"
"What do you mean?" Naminé asked. "What happened? Roxas…you look ready to fight something. What did Master Yen Sid do?"
"He took Xion's Keyblade away."
"What?!" Naminé gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "But why?"
"Because she used powers she shouldn't have…powers he told her she wasn't allowed to use…never mind that it was the only thing that worked."
There was a small stone near the steps that led to the wooden zip-line. Roxas couldn't remember when the zip-line had been built, just that Sora had sucked at using it and usually fell off halfway across. He picked up the stone and hurled it as far as he could into the ocean. Roxas hoped there wasn't a fish swimming around there. He didn't want to hurt anything.
"I'm letting her down," Roxas shook his head. "I'm letting Xion down and part of me feels like I'm letting you down too, Naminé."
"I don't think that," Naminé shook her head. "I've never thought that. Why would you think that Roxas?"
"I…I want to help people," Roxas said. "I want to do what Sora would do and I know that he would help people. He would know how to help Xion. He would have thought up something that would convince Yen Sid not to have taken away Xion's Keyblade."
"Were you even in the room when it happened?" Naminé asked. "That sounds like something a teacher does to a student in private."
"No…" Roxas admitted. "I wasn't. But I still feel like I should have been, you know? And I've…I've been seeing Sora."
"Sora?!" Naminé gasped and her eyes brimmed with tears. "You've seen Sora?"
"It hasn't happened in a while," Roxas said. "Not since we visited the Land of Dragons and we met Mushu—er, this little dragon guy with a gong."
"I put together Sora's memories," Naminé said. "I know who Mushu is…a family guardian, right?"
"Yeah, but he can call up the spirits of those who aren't here anymore," Roxas said. "We got to talk to Sora…and before that, I'd been seeing him. He'd be there one minute and gone the next…and now that I'm here, on his island, I keep thinking that I'm going to turn around and see him again. It's worse than it was before…this was his home."
This island was more Sora's home than anywhere else in the world—even the largest island, where he actually lived. Roxas had bits and pieces of memories of Sora's family's house, of Amaya and Benjiro. But the clearest memories, the memories that he could nearly touch, the memories that if he closed his eyes, Roxas was pretty sure he'd start living again, were all here, on this island.
"It is his home," Naminé said. "And he'll see it again someday. All of us will be together again. You and Sora, me and Kairi and Xion, too."
"Right," Roxas said. "I know that…I hope that…but Sora isn't here now and I miss him."
"I know," Naminé said. "But we're here…do you think that maybe Sora can feel some of the things you feel? Right now, I mean?"
"I'm not sure," Roxas said. "You think…Sora can feel what I feel?"
"It's possible," Naminé said. "And if it is true, then I would hope that Sora's able to feel all the good that you've done Roxas. If you've been traveling, then you must have been helping a lot of people."
"I have," Roxas admitted. "We've been loads of places, but we haven't really figured out what's going on. Oh, I'm not sure we told you, but—"
"The lines between life and death are crossed," Naminé finished for him. "Yes, you did mention it, last night. But nothing like that's gone on here. None of the old ghost stories seem to be happening. The scariest thing that's happened was when the Moray Marauder hit that reef yesterday, but you got that all sorted."
"Oh, right," Roxas grimaced. "It just feels like what we're doing is just…traveling around until we get lucky. I don't like not knowing what's going on. It's too much like before."
"Neither did Sora," Naminé pointed out. "There's been lots of times that he didn't get to the bottom of what the bad guys were doing until it was almost too late. You can't expect to know everything. If anything, I would think the bad guys would want to keep it all a secret."
"Yeah…" Roxas said. "I guess you're right…um, you want to go…oh!"
They'd been walking as they talked even though Roxas hadn't realized it at first and they were right in the middle of the grove of coconut trees. It was very shady here, the perfect spot for a nap without having to worry about sunburn. Roxas leaned against a tree, the bark of the trunk scraping against his hair.
"You want to…do something?" Roxas asked. "I mean other than talking. Um, I'm not sure if there's something that brothers and sisters do that's different than what people who are friends do."
"Brothers and sisters?" Naminé asked. She sounded almost as confused as Roxas felt…but her eyes were twinkling.
"We were born at the same time," Roxas scratched the back of his head. As he did so, he heard a bird call—it sounded bigger than a regular seagull but Roxas couldn't see it anywhere, so he didn't give it any more attention. "And we look a lot alike…so I guess that makes us twins."
"That's what I've always thought," Naminé said, smiling. "Though I don't think Amaya's going to let Daddy adopt you too."
"Axel's already signed the paperwork! There was a whole thing about it—we even had to talk to Cobra Bubbles about…oh," Roxas grinned. "You were just joking, weren't you?"
"Only a bit," Naminé said. She glanced out, towards the sea. "But if we're twins…which one of us is older?"
"Er…what?"
"There's always an older twin," Naminé grinned. "And they get to tell the younger twin what to do!"
"Oh," Roxas said. "Well…I guess I'm older. Sora's a few months older than Kairi, right?"
"What?" Naminé giggled. "No way, I'm older! I could talk before you could! Axel had to teach you everything! I learned lots myself!"
There was mischief in her voice and Roxas couldn't help but smile. Naminé linked her hands behind her back and Roxas puffed out his chest.
"I have two Keyblades!" Roxas declared. "That makes me older!"
"Naminé has six letters and Roxas only has five," Naminé taunted. "Um…I'm the oldest…because I'm the older twin and I said so!"
"What?!"
"That's what Kairi says to boss me around," Naminé said. "And now that's what I say to boss you around. I'm the oldest because I said so!"
Roxas charged at her and Naminé's eyes bulged when she saw his outstretched hands. Naminé ran, her sandals flying off as she did so, but she wasn't anywhere near as fast as Roxas. Naminé didn't even make it out of the shade of the coconut trees before Roxas closed the distance and squeezed at her side. Naminé shrieked and collapsed to the ground. She was defenseless as Roxas poked her sides and ribs.
"Say it!" Roxas said. "Say I'm older!"
"Never!" Naminé protested between peals of laughter. "I'm the oldest because I said so!"
Naminé squirmed and squealed. She swatted at Roxas's hands but she was no fighter. When she tried to kick away, Roxas ran his fingers against the bottoms of her feet and that only made her laugh harder .Eventually her giggles were drowned out by Roxas's own laughter. Oh, it felt good to laugh—and make Naminé look silly. Her face was turning red from laughing so hard. After another minute or two, she gave up trying to get away and Roxas drew back his hands.
"Alright, you're the oldest…you win."
Roxas offered a hand to help Naminé to her feet, but when she didn't take it, he sat down beside her instead. Naminé leaned her head back onto the sandy beach. Roxas eased his back as well. From this position, the coconut trees looked much taller than they really were. It was nice…peaceful.
"Roxas, thank you. I don't know if I've ever laughed like that before…ever. Do you think Sora can feel this?" Naminé whispered. "Joy? Laughter?"
"I'm not sure," Roxas admitted. "But I hope so."
"So do I," Naminé said. She leaned her head against Roxas's shoulder. "You make a good twin brother."
"Naminé?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks."
oooo
Xion shifted her feet, brushing her toes against the soft sand. She had cried herself dry of tears and now…things were just awkward. There were tear stains on Kairi's jacket, though Xion wasn't sure how long those would actually stay. Her own fairy-made clothing never seemed to stain for long. She wasn't sure what to say.
"Umm…"
"Follow me," Kairi said, taking Xion's hand again. "There's something I want you to see. I'm not sure if you remember or not, but still…it's not far."
Xion nodded and followed Kairi off the beach. She noticed that Kairi seemed to deliberately avoid going back for their boots. Xion wasn't sure she minded. It was kind of fun not wearing shoes. She had glimpses of memories of Sora and Kairi wading in the shallows, trying to find little fish.
"Through here," Kairi said, pointing to the base of a tree next to the spring-fed waterfall. "Do you remember?"
"The Secret Place…" Xion whispered. "Yes…"
Kairi turned her head and smiled warmly at Xion. The Secret Place…it was a cave, nestled behind the waterfall…covered in drawings, etched into the stony walls. And a large wooden door with no handle…
"I hope I'm not too tall," Kairi murmured as she dropped to her knees and squeezed through the small entrance of the cave. Xion crouched down and scooted in beside her.
The earth beneath their feet was much cooler than the warm sand had been, but it was still pleasant in its own way. It was much darker here and Xion felt a little claustrophobic as Kairi led her down the path. There were more turns in the Secret Place than Xion remembered, not that she had actually been here herself. But the next thing she knew, she was standing in the largest part of the cave. The wooden door stared out at them. There were drawings all over the walls.
"I come here, sometimes," Kairi said. She walked from one end of the cave to the other, brushing her toes against the earthen floor. Xion's toes curled up, almost like fists, as she watched Kairi. "When I want to think about Sora…and I want privacy."
"Should I go?" Xion asked. It was barely above a whisper, but in the cave, it echoed around almost as if she'd shouted out. "Oh!"
"You'll get used to the echoes," Kairi said with a giggle. "And no, don't go. Not yet. I want you here. I want to talk to you Xion…I wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Xion blurted. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who hurt you. I'm the one who stole Sora's memories…I'm the one who was selfish…I'm the one who…"
"Who you are," Kairi said. "Is someone very special to me and to Axel and to Roxas and to Naminé and to Sora. And to everyone who's ever met you, Xion."
Xion felt her face begin to burn, but Kairi walked over and took her hand before she could turn away. Kairi led Xion to a bit of stone that was right next to the wooden door. There was a drawing there…or maybe it was two drawings right next to each other. One was of a boy with spiky hair and a big smile…Sora. The other drawing was of…was that supposed to be a coconut? No, that couldn't be right. There was no reason for there to be a drawing of a hand with a star next to a coconut. Maybe it was supposed to be a face? But then, that would mean…
"You and Sora," Xion whispered. "Sharing a papou fruit."
"Yeah," Kairi said quietly. "I'm not sure when Sora would have added that. If I could guess, it would have been right before we were supposed to set sail. And I added mine right after the islands were restored. I missed him so much, it was the only thing I could do to really connect with him at the time."
"That must have been right before you lost your memories," Xion said. "Kairi, I'm so…"
"You need to stop apologizing," Kairi interrupted. "This wasn't your fault, Xion. You were a victim. You were used and abused and you couldn't help what you were. You were literally designed to automatically siphon memories. It doesn't make you a thief."
"But I did those things. Just because I didn't know what I was doing," Xion bit her lip. "It doesn't mean it wasn't wrong!"
"But you repented!" Kairi said. "There's loads of people who did bad things and then changed. Ansem the Wise did horrible things to Naminé, but he helped bring her back. Axel kidnapped me, but now he's one of my best friends! Why are you any different than them?"
"I didn't repent right away!" Xion argued. "I waited so long, the only way to help was to die. And I hurt Roxas to do it!"
"Those are some of the things you've done, Xion," Kairi shook her head. "But that doesn't tell anyone who you are. You are more than just your actions or abilities."
She took Xion by the hand again, more firmly than before, and tugged her back down to the drawing of Sora and Kairi, sharing a papou. Kairi pressed their hands against the chiseled stone. It'd been well over a year since the drawings had been made, but they were still smooth under their fingers.
"Who you are," Kairi said, much more gently than her iron grip would imply. "Is someone who is based on Sora's memories of me, but is still her own person. You look like me, Xion. But you're not me. You have black hair, like Sora's mom, but you're not Amaya either. You have a lot of Sora's mannerisms—you make fists with your toes, when you're someplace new or you're nervous, just like Sora does. But you're not Sora. You are you, Xion."
"When you put it that way," Xion murmured. "I'm not sure who I am at all."
"I'm not sure either," Kairi said. "But I want to find out."
Neither of them said anything for a long time. Xion twisted out of Kairi's grip and sat down, her back against the wooden door. She felt a sudden surge of warmth in her chest. She wasn't sure why. Kairi sat down beside Xion, as close as she could. Their legs were stretched out next to each other and Kairi reached a foot out to scratch Xion's. Xion stared at Kairi's hand covering her own. They looked exactly the same. And looking out straight ahead, their feet were identical too…
"I'm sorry for snapping at you," Xion whispered. "I know you were just trying to make me feel better."
"What I want," Kairi murmured, "Xion, is for us to be friends. I want us to be able to laugh and giggle and search for sea shells. I want us to stay up all night and tell stories…and do things that we can tell stories about. And I want you to not be afraid of me. I'm sorry for hurting you in the Keyblade Graveyard…when I think of what might have happened to you…it scares me."
Xion bit her lip and pressed her head down. Kairi wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Xion tilted her head up and bonked it against Kairi's.
"Ow!"
"Sorry!"
"I would say you shouldn't apologize," Kairi said. "But what's the point? I think we've had enough…do you hear screaming?"
"What? Screaming? I don't think…actually, yeah, I think so," Xion stretched her neck. "Oh my goodness, could someone be in trouble?"
"That doesn't sound like a danger scream," Kairi said, shaking her head. "That sounds more like laughter. And if the four of us are the only ones here….hmmm, sounds like Roxas and Naminé are having a good time."
Xion wasn't sure what might be happening that would result in Naminé screaming from laughing so hard, but from the way Kairi's eyes gleamed, she might have an idea. It was odd, seeing that sort of a sneaky smile on Kairi's face. But before Xion could think anymore about that, Kairi rose to her feet and stretched her arms.
"Let's go back to the beach," Kairi said, kicking Xion's foot lightly. "I want us to play."
Xion smiled even as she felt her eyes prickle with tears. Kairi liked her. Kairi didn't hate her. Even after everything that happened…Kairi wanted to be her friend.
Whatever it takes, Princess Kairi. I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.
oooo
The restaurant was smaller than even the bistro back home, but that didn't matter to Hayner. He had his mission—keep Sora and Kairi's islander friends occupied so that his own friends could discuss icky stuff without being interrupted.
But just because it was small, it didn't mean it wasn't lively. There were several tables occupied, even though it was too late for breakfast at this point and too early for lunch. Several patrons greeted Tidus and his friends as they walked in. Pence and Olette took a small table in the back while Hayner followed Tidus to the front counter. The chef was a big-bellied man with dark hair, graying at the temples. His arms were large and scarred and imposing, but he had a warm smile.
"Morning, Tidus mon. Wakka, Selphie, good to see ya!" The chef boomed. "And who's this? New friends?"
"Friends of Kairi's and Sora's, " Tidus said. "They're from away, and this greenhorn's saying he can eat more tacos than me."
"You know the rule, Tidus," The chef said, putting a hand on his hip. "You pay up first and then you get the grub. I don't want nothing going to waste, you hear?"
"Yeah," Tidus said, pulling out a pouch. "I know the rule, Hoshi. I got the munny right here. Two orders of three fish tacos, please."
"Right away," Chef Hoshi nodded. He barked an order to the kitchen and less than two minutes later, he pulled out two trays of fish tacos. "Here you go boys."
"Alright, let's lay down some ground rules, mon," Wakka said, holding up a hand. "The mainlander's never had Hoshi's tacos, before, so go easy on the wasabi, 'ight?"
"I can handle it," Hayner said, picking up one of the tacos. "Let's see what you guys got."
He bit into the taco and immediately tasted three different fishes at once. Oh—was that avocado? And red cabbage? Mmm….he took another bite and then another and then another…
"I've got a bad feeling about this," Pence called. "Remember what happened last summer with the ice cream kiosk?"
"Oh, come on," Hayner scoffed. "You're bringing that up? This is nothing like that Pence! You worry too much."
He finished a second taco and then moved on to a third. Beside him, Tidus was halfway through his second. His eyes widened when he realized that he was losing and shoved the rest of the taco into his mouth with a single bite. He chewed frantically and swallowed loudly enough for Hayner to hear it over his own chewing.
"Don't choke, Tidus!" Selphie squealed, her hands flying to her mouth. "You don't want to get sick."
"Know your limits," Chef Hoshi added. "I won't have you or anyone else getting sick in my restaurant, Tidus."
"It's fine," Tidus held up a hand dismissively. "I got this. Another order of tacos, please. For each of us."
Chef Hoshi shrugged and turned back to the kitchen. After another few minutes, he was back with two more trays of fish tacos, plus two tall glasses of water.
"You'll need these, mon," Chef Hoshi said. "But pace yourselves, for your own good."
Hayner nodded a "thank you," and took a sip of water. He alternated between sipping water and biting the tacos until they were gone. Beside him, Tidus was still trying to eat as quickly as possible—he had drained his entire glass of water in one large gulp and was clearly paying for his mistake.
"That kid from away is tougher than he looks," Hayner heard a stranger say. "Not everyone can handle Hoshi's cooking."
Hayner smirked to himself. He was much tougher than a lot of people. He might not be quite at Sora or Roxas's level just yet…but soon. And he had to admit, he was having a lot of fun going against Tidus like this. He polished off a sixth taco and nodded at Chef Hoshi. He could do this all day.
xxxx
"Hubris will do you in," Olette said. "Every time, Hayner."
"Shut up," Hayner groaned. "How many was it?"
"Eighteen?!" Wakka shouted. "That's amazing, mon! Where did you say you were from, mon? Tidus passed out after fourteen!"
"Uh…around," Hayner grunted, clutching at his stomach. "Er, the mainland. A bunch of places, really. Uh…my dad's in the service, so we've moved a lot. But I'm just visiting this place…oh, God…"
"You brought this on yourself…" Olette chided. "I think we better get you to Kairi's place…er, or is Sora's closer?"
"Awww," Selphie sighed. "Are you sure? I bet that he can sleep it off under the tree with Tidus."
"Er…" Hayner groaned. "That doesn't sound so bad…wait, where are the others?"
"Haven't heard from them since this morning," Pence shook his head. "Let's get you out of here. Thank you, Chef Hoshi."
"You're welcome, mon," Chef Hoshi chortled, counting the munny Hayner and Tidus had handed over. "If you need me to call Amaya, let me know, mon."
"I don't think that's necessary," Olette said, kneeling down to help Hayner . "Thank you anyway, sir."
Hayner wasn't really aware of much after that, but the next thing he knew, he was sitting on a bench under a shady tree. Tidus was sitting next to him, in a stage of half-sleep. He could hear Selphie and Olette talking about…something and the bouncing of a ball. What was the biggest sport around these parts called again? Bleet-ball? No…blutzball? That wasn't it either…blitzball? Yeah…that was it. Blitzball. Kairi had told them a bit about it. Wakka's favorite sport, even if Riku always won. Hayner's stomach bulged, but his heart felt good. He could see the little play island from here. The same play island that Sora and Kairi had spent so many days on. The island where Sora had vanished…
"Next time," Hayner muttered. "It's gonna be Sora I out-eat."
Assuming his stomach didn't burst, of course.
oooo
It was afternoon now. Lea watched from the porch of Kairi's house as his half-pints ran around with Kairi and Naminé. They had spent most of the morning on the play island before coming back to Kairi's house. Kairi's house was almost immediately on the shoreline and there was a long stretch of sand. It was almost as if Kairi had grown up with her own itty-bitty little beach.
"You've done well by them," Tyson said as he sipped from a mug. Lea wasn't sure what exactly Tyson was drinking. "Kairi tells me you have an affinity for sea-salt ice cream."
"Yeah," Lea grinned. "You could say that. Loved it since I was a kid. And it's the half-pints' favorite flavor."
"Which one?"
"All five of 'em, now that I think about it," Lea said, tapping his chin. Hayner was conked out on a porch chair next to them—kid had eaten half his weight in fish tacos. Pence and Olette were walking laps around the house. It looked like they were holding hands. "Truth be told, it's not so much the flavor itself, it's that we always end up eating them together. One of those things, you know?"
"I wouldn't," Tyson said. "I never cared for sea-salt. It was always either too salty or too sweet. But the times I'd share a banana-chocolate ice cream cone with Kairi…oh, those were some good times."
"She's a good kid," Lea said. "Really, when you get down to it, they don't get any better than Kairi."
As they spoke, Kairi looked up at them and waved eagerly. Lea gave a small wave in return. They watched as Kairi motioned for Xion to lie down in the sand and began pushing the sand over her. Roxas and Naminé joined in a moment later, with a couple of old plastic pails. In less than a minute, Xion was buried from neck to ankles. Lea could hear all of them laughing.
"Music to my ears," Lea said. "It makes me wish that things could stay just like this."
"There's always a place for your lot," Tyson nodded. "I know that Twilight Town's your home, but I think you needed this."
Lea nodded. It had been quite a day. Talking to Amaya—and telling her everything—hadn't been in his plans when he thought the kiddos should take the day off. But it had happened…and she knew more about what'd happened than Lea would have ever thought he'd reveal. But he'd wanted to set the record straight and Amaya had pushed for more and more details.
"You poor, poor man…I never knew. You all suffered so much…you poor dears…"
It was heartening in its own way, to know that someone knew. That someone cared. Someone who was in some ways disconnected from the larger conflicts—Amaya and Benjiro both made it clear that they had no intentions of leaving the Destiny Islands. But they had been separated from Sora, separated from their son. They knew the cost of war. Lea knew in his heart of hearts that Master Yen Sid had good intentions. That he only wanted to keep the worlds safe. But what did that mean for the people who actually fought the good fight?
As it turned out, Jiminy Cricket had recorded everything Lea had said throughout the morning. It wound up filling in huge gaps of his journal—the lost year where Sora, Donald and Goofy had slept had only been partially filled with data. Lea was shaky on the details there—something about the journal itself having a heart, or something, but after everything else that had happened, it was hardly a surprise.
"Axel!" Xion shrieked. "Help!"
Lea jerked back to alertness, but when Xion's cries turned into laughter, it was apparent what was happening. Kairi and Roxas were tickling her. The tension in his shoulders vanished instantly.
"Axel! Lea! Please!"
"Should I go and save her?" Lea asked. Beside him Tyson burst into a great belly laugh, almost as loud as Xion's hysterical squeals.
"The number of times I heard Kairi laugh like that when she played with Sora and Riku," Tyson shook his head. "It does sound like your princess needs a rescue."
"Ha ha, ha ha," Lea said. With a nod, he walked down the steps of Kairi's porch and down towards the beach. The sand was cool now, in the late afternoon, and Lea took his time walking over to where Kairi and Roxas had buried Xion. Buried from neck to ankles, the only visible parts of Xion's body were her head and feet. A collection of sea shells had been placed around Xion's head, a makeshift crown.
"Ah, Princess Kairi," Lea said, in a far deeper voice than he normally used. "I believe that Princess Xion is in need of a rescue. Release her at once, or face the consequences."
"As Princess," Kairi wiggled her eyebrows, "I do not answer to you, Mister Axel. I have captured your sovereign and she shall remain my prisoner, under guard from my knights, Lady Naminé and Sir Roxas."
"That would be a reasonable assumption," Lea grinned his sneakiest smirk. "If Sir Roxas was your knight and not a double agent."
Kairi's eyes bulged out her head, but it was too late. Roxas had sneaked up behind her and Kairi never saw his Stop magic coming. She and Naminé froze in place, which made it a piece of cake for Roxas and Axel to bury them next to Xion. Roxas still had the plastic pails and Kairi and Naminé were securely buried just as the magic freezing them wore off.
"Now, maybe you'll learn a lesson about being nice to little princess," Lea teased, ruffling Kairi's hair. "I'm gonna be upstairs with your dad. Amaya and Benjiro will be here soon too…don't go out of sight, now."
As Lea began walking back up the path, he could hear all three of the girls laughing hysterically. Tyson was shaking his head as Lea stood beside him.
"I have to admit, that's not quite what I had in mind. My eldest daughter's a firecracker, son," Tyson said. "You might as well have signed your own death warrant."
Lea considered this, and then he considered the laughter. Wonderful, giddy, blessed laughter…he didn't need anything else at the moment.
A/N: Oh my gosh, my dearest readers. Oh my gosh, this was one heck of a chapter to write. This is the most fun I've had writing in ages! Would you believe that I wrote over 10,000 words of this chapter in a single day?
Kairi and Xion reaching an understanding is something that I've wanted to write since starting this fic, nearly two years ago. I'm ecstatic that I've finally gotten to the point where I can do so.
Likewise, Naminé and Roxas's conversation is something I've also wanted to write. It's inspired in part by the KHII novels, where Naminé described herself as Roxas's twin, and also a bit from assorted fanfics where they bicker over who has the right to be considered the elder twin.
Hayner's eating contest with Tidus was inspired by headcanons shared with me by a very good friend—the same friend who helped inspire this fanfic in the first place.
We're pushing ahead, my friends. There's a lot more to come for Roxas, Axel, Xion and Kairi!
Thank you for reading my dearest readers. Please leave a comment if you're so inclined. I appreciate each and every one of you!