Atlantica part 4

Party 'til you turn into a pumpkin

In just a few too-quick days, it was the night of the gala. The guests had begun to arrive yesterday, representing every noble family and rich estate in Eric's kingdom. Unable to train together like they had been, the three teens spent the morning helping with final preparations, catching each other's eyes in passing. As the guest of honor, Riku went with Eric to greet the later arrivals. Kairi and Ariel bustled about sorting out last minute details and instructing the hoards of musicians and performers where to go and when. Meanwhile, Sora busied himself wherever a little help was needed, whether it was moving heavy furniture or assisting in the kitchens.

An hour before dinner, they were sent to their rooms to get ready. Kairi was running a little late (she and Ariel had been having too much fun chatting about what being a mermaid was like.) When she finally did get to her room, she found one of Ariel's maids waiting to help her get ready.

"There's a present on the desk for you, miss," the young woman said formally.

"Oh, thank you," Kairi responded automatically. She walked over quickly, curious who could have given her a gift and why. She found two items laid haphazardly across the wood and a small handwritten note. The untidy scrawl could only belong to one person, and the contents of the note itself confirmed it.

Hey Kairi! These are for tonight, just in case.

-Sora

She turned her attention to the presents themselves. One was a simple seeming gold ribbon, with a little white dot embroidered on each forked end. The other was a short chain of shield-shaped blue metal. Each link in the chain had a crown shaped cut-out in the center. Dangling off of that was a large silver charm. It was roughly shield shaped as well, with crescent moons and spikes coming off the edges. A large crescent moon surrounding three stars was engraved into the heart of it. Both hummed of magic, though she couldn't identify exactly what enchantments were on each of them.

Why would he give me these? she wondered. She wasn't given much time to ponder, however, as the maid cut through her thoughts.

"Should we get you ready, miss?"

"Oh, yes, of course," she agreed, scooping the jewelry off the table and tucking it into the pocket of her dress. She would find a way to wear them later.

Riku stood in front of the oval standing mirror in his room, fastening the last golden epaulette to his right shoulder. Sashes and medals and cufflinks sat ready on a near-by table. He lifted his chin, tilting his head to shift his silver bangs across his forehead into a more suitable position. Straightening his shoulders, he took a deep breath and notice he was smiling. Despite his uncertainty at what his future might hold, he was excited for tonight.

He reached for his sash, but a knock at the door stilled his hands. It was Sora, mostly dressed in a stark white double-breasted suit coat and perfectly tailored black pants, all trimmed in gold and navy blue. One epaulette hung half-fastened from his left shoulder, and the other was tangled in the pile of accessories in his hands. His feet were bare, shoes and socks nowhere in sight, and he grinned sheepishly up at Riku as he opened the door.

"I think I need some help."

Shaking his head, Riku smiled and stepped aside to let him in. Sora dumped the pile in his arms haphazardly on the bed, then turned and began fussing with the lacing holding the epaulette to his shoulder. It was cleverly designed to be hidden underneath the shoulder strap once it was properly attached, but Sora was quickly turning it into a knotted mess.

"Here," Riku said, nudging his friend's hands out of the way. Sora let him, holding still with his head tipped slightly to give his friend more room to work. For a moment, they were quiet as Riku's fingers patiently untangled the strands of ribbon. With little else to do, Sora took in the golden embroidery around the collar of Riku's navy blue coat. So many tiny stitches wrought beautifully twisting golden vines that wrapped around most of his neck. They ended where they met the rays of two rising suns, each in the lower corner of the collar's frontmost edge.

Sora swallowed, wondering why his heart was pounding and his palms were sweaty. He became suddenly conscious of his breathing. Was it too loud? Did it sound as anxious as he felt? What if he had always breathed oddly and had just never noticed? He glanced at Riku's face. His friend's eyes were focused, half-lidded as he looked down at his work. Something about his expression made Sora's stomach feel light and floaty, like it was made of wings.

He wasn't able to sit with the sensation for long, as Riku's teal eyes glanced up and met his. Starting slightly, Sora recovered with a tense grin. "Uh, thanks," he said, turning his other shoulder towards him, "Do you think you could help me with the other one?"

"Sure," Riku agreed with a good-natured smirk. His own stomach was doing flips - it was far too easy to picture closing the distance between them when it was this small. Instead, he went and grabbed the other epaulette off of the bed. As he untangled it from Sora's hap-hazard pile, a necklace fell out, bouncing a short distance across the bedspread. The strength of the enchantments on it caught Riku's attention straight away. He reached out and picked it up, studying the circular golden pendant. A large three-pointed crown adorned the center, and small trefoils of metal bordered the circle on all four sides. It hung from a thin but sturdy chain. "What's this?" he asked, holding it up.

"Actually… that's for you," Sora answered, looking almost sheepish. When Riku raised an eyebrow, he went on, rubbing the back of his neck, "We can't carry any supplies with us to the party, and it's not like anything will happen, but I thought it was better to be prepared. You know, just in case," he finished, shrugging his shoulders and glancing back at his best friend.

The older boy gave him a measured look, and Sora could've sworn he almost looked proud.

"That's not a bad idea," Riku said, taking another glance at the pile. He realized that the necklace in his hand wasn't the only enchanted item. There were cufflinks and ribbons and another necklace wrapped up in Sora's red sash, as well as a heart-shaped broach made of fine blue crystal pinned to it. He glanced back at the younger boy and noticed for the first time that there was a silver dragon earring in Sora's left ear.

"Where'd you get all these?" he asked, slipping the necklace over his head and tucking it securely between his suit coat and undershirt.

"I made them," Sora replied. "Well, most of them," he added fairly. Riku came over with the second epaulette and started fastening it. Sora tipped his head obligingly, this time deciding it was safer to stare at the wall.

There were a couple of things Riku couldn't help but notice. The earring, for one. It was topped by an s-shaped winged serpent sitting on a spiked pedestal. A small blue and purple gem sat in the center, and most of the magic was contained there. The top of the pedestal was adorned with four decorative swoops, two pointing upwards and two smaller ones curling down. Some of the hair by Sora's ear was wet, and if he had to guess he'd assume that his best friend had at least attempted to tame his wild mane. It must not have worked; his hair was still spiked like it always was. He resisted the urge to chuckle, but Sora still saw his smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey, what's that look for?" he groused.

"Nothing," Riku replied breezily, smirk getting wider as he finished the last few laces and buttoned down the shoulder strap. "Just picturing how you're going to embarrass yourself in front of Kairi tonight," he teased.

"Riku!" Sora protested, trying to shove him backwards. Anticipating this, his best friend side-stepped, causing Sora to unbalance. He teetered for a second, then righted himself and swung his arm at Riku's chest, chopping against his sternum and ribs with the outer edge of his forearm. Riku just laughed.

"Hopeless," he teased.

"Jerk," Sora fired back, and his pretend angry face was comical enough they both couldn't help laughing.

"C'mon," Riku said, jostling him with his shoulder, "We're gonna be late if we don't hurry."

He grabbed his own sash off the table. The brilliantly white piece of silk was bordered in thick gold thread and fastened through the strap on his left shoulder. It looped down to a heavy ornament that sat at his right hip. All three of their sashes ended with the same insignia - a gleaming golden scalloped shell encasing a circle of bright teal enamel. Inside the circle blazed a golden trident, which was the symbol Ariel had chose to represent her home. The buttons on both boys' coats also bore tridents in their center. Riku adjusted his suit coat, shifting it under his sash until both hung comfortably. Behind him, Sora was doing the same, tugging on his simpler red riband. Both boys finished their last steps quickly, putting on enchanted cufflinks and pinning on medals.

They stared at their reflections in the mirror for a moment. Almost immediately, Sora looked down at his bare feet and muttered, "Shoes!" under his breath. He darted out of the room, rounding the corner just enough to disappear before popping his head back around the frame.

"You look good, Riku," he stated, adding hastily, "Like a real Keyblade Master should." One quicksilver flash of a smile and then he was gone again before Riku could even summon up a response.

Hope flared in his chest and for once he didn't try to shove it down with logic and bad memories.

Both boys wound up waiting for Kairi behind the great grand staircase where all three of them would make their entrance. The last guest had just gone down the stairs, properly announced by Grimsby. Ariel and Eric were waiting with them, as it was their turn next. Ariel flashed them a big smile, trying to ease their obvious nerves.

"See you three down there," she whispered, mindful of all the people on the other side of the curtain. "Good luck!"

"They'll be fine," Eric reassured her, resting a hand on her shoulder. He gave the two young men a comforting smile, then steered his wife to the top of the stairs. Hand in hand, they walked through.

"Their Majesties, Prince Eric and his wife, Princess Ariel of Atlas," Grimsby boomed.

Sora peeked out through the gap in the curtains as they closed behind his friends, but he couldn't see much more than bright lights and so many colors. The small sound of someone clearing their throat made him turn around.

Kairi was standing there, arms behind her back in her characteristic stance. Her dark red hair had been curled and fixed back with the golden ribbon Sora had left in her room. Golden earrings set with purple stones dangled from her ears, accenting her violet eyes and the matching intricate necklace around her throat. Her dress was cream, gold and blush pink with a sweeping neckline and broad array of skirts that draped down to the floor. A gold sash hung from her left shoulder to her right hip, with only the large scallop shell to decorate it. Delicate floral embroidery studded with stars traipsed over her bodice and along the bottom of her skirts. Sora's eyes went wide at the sight of her.

"Wow," he breathed, "you look amazing, Kairi." He blushed as soon as the words were out of his mouth, quickly looking away as he rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

Kairi chuckled, real blush accenting the light makeup she'd applied at Ariel's encouragement. Hiding her irrepressible smile behind one hand, she said, "Thank you, Sora. You look great. You both do," She added, glancing at Riku who was watching them with a knowing smile and folded arms.

"Our turn," he said, inclining his head towards the staircase.

"Right!" Sora said, straightening up. There was a bit of a shuffle as they tried to get in formation and realized they didn't know what order to walk down in. Ordinarily, Kairi would be on the right arm of whoever was escorting her in. But the three of them had chosen to walk in together, so they had to decide who was going in the middle.

"It's your night," Sora finally said, differing to Riku. He looked at his friends, then moved to stand between them, offering his right arm to Kairi. She gracefully shifted, sliding her hand into the crook of it. He glanced at Sora, and then held out his left arm in the same way. Sora chuckled, a little sheepish, but he looped his arm through Riku's anyway. Together, then walked forward, through the curtain, pausing on the landing so Grimsby could announce them.

"Riku, Kairi and Sora of Atlas!"

The three of them felt all the heads in the room swivel and look at them at once. It was intimidating, every one of those eyes boring into them as they descended the stairs. Riku kept his head high, back straight, expression even, almost defiant. Say something about this; I dare you, it said. Sora was smiling, nodding at those he made eye contact with. He seemed perfectly at ease, but his tight grip on Riku's arm said otherwise. Kairi was also clinging onto Riku, unable to hide her nerves. Ariel caught her eye and smiled, tilting her head as if to remind her young friend to do the same. It worked, and she let a naturally charming expression bloom across her face.

They descended the stairs without incident and were immediately swarmed by the people waiting there. Lords and ladies, all dressed in elaborate gowns and suits, were eager to introduce themselves to the three teenagers. Kairi kept a firm grip on Riku's arm, but Sora was quickly swept away by people eager to talk to him.

"I love your hair," one young woman in a pink dress commented to Kairi. "I've never seen such a short style."

"Thank you," Kairi replied, bobbing her head.

"Lady Araminta," the other girl introduced herself, offering Kairi a shallow curtsey. She went on, giving the three heroes the names and titles of the companions around her. Riku noticed a tall boy with long fingers and brown eyes.

"You two seem close," observed Lady Fantine, a girl with sharp hazel eyes and the faintest hint of disdain in her expression.

"We've been friends since we were kids," Riku replied smoothly, ignoring the girl's look and the way Kairi's hand tightened its grip on his arm.

"How romantic!" Araminta cooed, hand to her heart.

Riku and Kairi exchanged a look. "Oh, we're not -"

"We're just friends," Riku asserted.

"The three of us are best friends," Kairi reiterated. "Right, Sora?" she asked, leaning forward to see him around their circle of conversation. He turned his head at the sound of his name and flashed her an easy grin.

"Right!" he agreed instantly, not even worrying what the question was about. Kairi chuckled as he slipped his hands behind his head, still Sora regardless of his fancy clothes.

"I did think it was interesting, you three walking in together like that," another young man, interjected, drawing her attention back to the conversation at hand.

"We chose to come in together because that's how we're going to be moving forward," Riku explained, "The three of us are a unit."

Araminta was aghast. "Surely you don't fight, though?" she asked Kairi.

The Princess of Heart lifted her chin. "Yes, I do. I'm newer to it than Sora or Riku, but I can protect myself."

"You can do a lot more than that," Riku added quietly. She caught his eye and smiled, and was rewarded by a small, secret smile of his own.

They were spared from further prying by a footman directing their attention to the stage near the back of the room. Ariel and Eric were already on it. As the crowd clustered in front of them, other staff fetched Sora, Riku, and Kairi and drew them to the side of the stage. Once everyone was present, Eric began to speak.

"Lords and Ladies, friends and welcome guests, tonight we have something very exciting to celebrate. Ariel and I have been working with her father to further the friendship between our two kingdoms. Tonight, we sign a military alliance that will strengthen both countries for many years to come. And, as a symbol of this treaty, she and I will both be knighting Riku of Atlas as a trusted friend and soldier for both of our countries' armies. He and his friends are some of the most promising warriors her kingdom has to offer, and we are happy to specifically honor his accomplishments with all of you.

"Riku has faced many challenges in his military career, and he has bested them all with grace, intelligence and fierce determination. He takes his training seriously and elevates anyone who works with him. We know he'll do well as he passes that knowledge onto his friends, Sora and Kairi of Atlas. With this in mind, we are happy to present him with the special rank of 'Master', a very high honor in the Atlasian military. Riku, would you come up here please?" Eric turned, smiling at the young man.

Riku raised his chin, glancing quickly at Sora and Kairi beaming beside him. As their eyes met, Kairi tipped her head, widening her encouraging smile. Sora, true to form, gave him a huge grin and two big thumbs up. Shoulders squared, eyes steady, he climbed the three short steps to the stage. As he crossed over to where Eric was waiting, the crowd burst into applause.

Ariel stepped up beside her husband, a proud smile on her face and a ceremonial sword in her hands. Riku lowered himself to one knee, knowing what was coming. They'd practiced this ceremony several times in the last few days. Still, he wasn't ready for the pride in Ariel's eyes as she asked, "Riku of Atlas, do you swear to fight loyally, not only for me but for my husband as well? Will you promise to uphold the ideals and dreams of your people and defend the innocent, promote peace, and protect what truly matters with all your heart?"

"I swear it," he said, voice projecting out over the hushed crowd. He'd written the vow himself, with Ariel and Eric's help. He couldn't have meant it more.

Ariel continued, "Then I am happy to knight you in the name of both my kingdoms as Master Riku." As she spoke, she lightly touched each of his shoulders with the blade in her hands. As soon as she lifted the sword for the final time, Riku rose. Instantly, Sora and Kairi let out a cheer, and the whole crowd of people joined in. Eric stepped forward and pinned a new medal to his chest, right above his heart - a deep blue triangle with the insignia Aqua, Terra, and Ventus wore dangling from it. It had been the only symbol he could think of to represent his Mark of Mastery, even if that wasn't exactly what it was for. Now, he couldn't be more proud to wear it.

There wasn't a lot of time for introspection, though, as Sora and Kairi raced on stage, stopping just short of tackling him.

"Congratulations, Riku!" Kairi chimed, tucking her arms behind her back. The pride in her smiling eyes could have lit up the whole room. Beside her, Sora was grinning. He was so excited he had to ball his hands into fists in an attempt to hold still but he couldn't keep from pumping them in the air by his shoulders.

"Yeah, congrats!" he agreed. Riku smiled back at both of them, but didn't manage to get a word in before Ariel had swept him up in a quick hug. She and Eric offered their sincere congratulations while Grimsby announced to the room that it was time for dinner.

Slowly, the whole crowd of people bustled into the dining room. Seating for everyone was assigned, with Eric and Ariel at the head of the table. Riku, Kairi and Sora were arranged in that order on Ariel's right hand side. The more prominent members of Eric's court sat across from them with their spouses. Surrounded by adults and fresh off of Riku's knighting, the conversation took on a more mature tone. Eric and Ariel navigated it with the most ease, used to these people and this world's polite conversation. Riku managed well enough, accepting their compliments graciously and successfully answering around their more difficult questions. He was, understandably, the focus for quite some time, and Kairi took refuge in how little people actually spoke to her. She wasn't sure how Riku managed to be so gracious and careful all at once. He never let anything slip.

From her spot two seats over, Ariel watched her friend's nerves slowly build. Finally, during a fishing story of Eric's, she leaned over and caught Kairi's eyes behind Riku's back.

"You're doing great," she encouraged, giving her a big smile and a thumbs-up. "I didn't talk much at my first dinner party either."

"Thanks," Kairi murmured, giving her a relieved smile.

"We'll all be dancing before you know it," Ariel reassured her. "And I think the three of you are going to be pretty busy," she added, smile turning to a smirk. With a knowing nod, she directed Kairi's attention to the younger guests a little ways down the table. Sora had a few girls invested in a story of his own, and the sour-faced, hazel-eyed Fatine from earlier was keeping a very attentive eye on Riku. One gentleman surprised Kairi, staring straight at her with warm brown eyes, and she found herself blushing and looking away.

"Do you ever stop meddling?" she asked Ariel.

She laughed. "Who said I was meddling?" she asked, spreading her hands innocently. "Besides, it would be good for the three of you to mingle. Make some new friends."

"Alright," Kairi agreed, drifting back into the conversation when someone asked her a direct question. Dinner moved on, and with dinner came quite the assortment of drinks, mainly wine. Neither Riku nor Kairi had ever had alcohol before, and they tried to sip sparingly. It was hard to pay attention though, with all the food and conversation, and one person telling them about the excellent vintage and another pointing out how well the drinks went with their meal. Kairi began to feel a little lighter, having an easier time opening up and talking to the people around her. Beside her, Sora had the guests around him eating out of the palm of his hand, figuratively speaking. He was effortlessly engaging, frequently leaving the guests and friends around him in stitches. He hardly seemed to notice the endless array of plates that were set in front of him.

Once dinner was complete, the guests were released to enjoy all the entertainments planned for the evening. The ballroom was bedecked with candles and flowers, and a cavalcade of musicians played from a stage set along one wall. In the rooms surrounding the main floor, various entertainers plied their crafts doing everything from juggling to fortune telling. Grand storytellers wove tales, and orators with exhaustive knowledge about their topics of choice gave brief lectures. One room held a trio of artists doing charcoal sketches of the guests, and in the garden daring players ate fire and swallowed swords.

As Ariel had predicted, Sora, Riku and Kairi were in high demand as dance partners. They spun through song after song, stopping as needed to get drinks or hors d'oeuvres or take a break in the various rooms. Between the festive atmosphere and the alcohol, the night soon stretched into glimmering moments bursting across their senses.

Sora's teeth flashed as he laughed, head tipped back. Kairi's red hair caught in the candle light, sweeping across her cheek like a blinding comet. The greens of Riku's eyes, rings around a shadowy planet, glinted as he smiled. Tossing back another drink, fizzling across Kairi's tongue. The burn in the back of Sora's throat as warmth filled his belly. Fabric swishing against Riku's legs as he pulled his partner in from a spin. Blue eyes catching on brown, not wanting to pull away. Nimble fingers combing through silver hair as he pulled his partner a little closer. Dizzy as Kairi let herself get pulled up from another dip, giggling. The warm feeling of home as she and Sora collided into each other again.

"Kairi!" he hailed, her name heralding from his lips like a trumpet call.

She held out her hands, laughing, "Sora!"

He spun her around in a giddy circle. One turn, two, and then he pulled her into closed position with ease. Smooth and synchronized, they moved through the music. Sora drew her close, twisting her around so that her back was pressed against his chest, her own arms crossed about her.

"When did you get this good at dancing?" she teased him, smirking over her shoulder. Her face was so close, he could feel the warmth of her blush on his cheek. He laughed and turned her back around.

"I could say the same to you!"

Later on, propped up against a wall as they talked to some of the other guests, Sora felt Riku's weight as they leaned on each other's shoulders. The way he looked at him that tipped the whole world on its axis. Sora's laughter rippled through Riku's sternum, echoing in the marrow of his bones. Kairi's hands grabbed both of theirs, dragging them out onto the dance floor again. So many girls with long lashes and low necklines and warm hands. One boy with dark eyes and a white smile that kept tripping Sora up from across the room. So many faces passed in and out of Kairi's sight as she twirled around and around and around. A sudden rage that filled her belly as the hazel-eyed girl, Fantine, grasped for Riku's hands. Quick steps and a deft touch as she cut in between them. Her lips near his ear as she leaned up and explained, "I don't like the way she looks at you."

His smell as he whispered back, "I know. Her heart's as dark as night."

"I'll keep you safe."

"You always do."

Circles and circles and circles of dancing, clapping cutting through the air, the hum of the music sliding over their skin, just one more drink sizzling down Riku's throat, just one more song with Kairi and then Sora would be good and dance with the other guests waiting their turn, just a little bit closer and then Kairi would stop herself from hanging all over this boy she didn't know. They passed in and out of each other's orbit, and everyone else was merely a distant star, irrelevant to the overall gravitational pull. The night stretched on, bright and warm and overwhelming.

Kairi felt like she'd been spinning in circles for ages. Her head felt oddly light, or maybe it was heavy? She didn't know and didn't really care. She just wanted to sit down and watch people and maybe get another glass of that pink drink that fizzed like surf on the shore. So, still giggling at someone's joke, she floated her way into one of the many side rooms filled with entertainers and settled down on a couch. It took her a moment to even notice what this room was for - a man in a fine suit was standing at the front of it, relating a story or… something. She couldn't seem to care enough to pay attention. The three other guests in the room were all older, and listening rather intently. Oh, except for the couple flirting in the corner. She smiled and let her gaze drift around aimlessly as she tucked her feet up beside her.

A group of younger guests drifted in, laughing. Kairi turned their way and realized that Sora was in their center. He was leaning shoulder to shoulder on a boy Kairi was pretty sure she had danced with at least twice. A girl in a dress the color of a summer sky had her arm looped through Sora's, and two other girls and one more boy hovered around them. The whole group followed Sora, planets in the orbit of his sunny smile, as he drifted next to Kairi on the couch.

"Hey, Kairi!" he greeted her, grinning as he draped one arm over the back of their seat. He was tipped precariously sideways, shoulder almost brushing hers, with one ankle crossed over his opposite knee.

She giggled in response, naturally leaning towards him. "Hi, Sora. Hi everyone," She added, beaming around at his hangers-on. They settled around the couch, a few leaning on the back of it, some standing in front, and she couldn't for the life of her remember most of their names. It didn't seem to matter - they all just smiled and said "hello!" anyway. She turned her attention back to Sora.

"Having fun?" she asked.

"Oh yeah!" he agreed. "What are you doing in here? Is this guy just…" he paused, paying attention to the man at the far end of the room. "…talking?"

"Yeah, I think that's his thing. I just wanted to sit down for a minute."

For a moment his smile dimmed. "Everything okay?"

"Mm-hmm," she said, nodding.

"Good," he replied, instantly effervescent again.

One of the girls, the one in the blue dress, Cassandra was her name, tugged on his arm. "C'mon, Sora, let's go somewhere fun!"

"Yeah," the boy next to her agreed. "I heard there's fire eaters in the courtyard!"

"Psshh, kid stuff," Sora said, shrugging his shoulders, and he opened his mouth to say more but Kairi reached over and covered it with both hands.

"Sora!" she chastised, half giggling out his name as she overbalanced. "Order, remember?" She let go of his mouth to try to catch herself and instead ended up with her hands on his shoulders. Both of them laughed, his spikes of hair brushing the top of her head.

Another girl, Lavinia, said loudly, "Well, I want to go dance some more. Let's go dance again, Christian." Her words pulled the two Keyblade wielders apart, though Sora's arm was still behind Kairi's shoulders on the back of the couch.

A few others voiced their agreement, and some related different plans and soon the whole group was gathering to leave. The boy Sora had been leaning on, the one with kind brown eyes and tight black curls, hesitated.

"You coming, Sora?"

"Nah, I'm gonna stick with Kairi for a bit. Go have fun with the others!"

"Alright," he said, shrugging. But Kairi couldn't help noticing him glancing back over his shoulder as he went.

"What's his name again?" she asked.

Sora looked almost offended at the question, but he answered, "Thomas. You really don't remember?"

Something about that made her laugh and shake her head. "No, but I've heard so many new names tonight. There's no way I could remember them all!" Sora laughed along, but he flicked her on the forehead right between her eyebrows.

"Ouch!" she protested, shoving him even though it didn't hurt at all. This inspired another fit of giggles between them, both leaning over with mirth until their foreheads brushed. Kairi opened her eyes and realized that he was close enough she could easily kiss him. Immediately, she turned bright red and sat up.

Sora let out a low chuckle, and something about the depth of his voice and the smirk on his face made her look away. He turned his head, rubbing the back of his neck while he took a deep breath.

"This is fun," he mused, glancing back at her out of the corners of his eyes.

"It is," Kairi agreed, smiling at him. He couldn't tell if her smile was nervous or not.

"Seen Riku lately?"

"Hmmmm, not for a bit. He was dancing with Patricia and then I got caught up with… oh, what was his name…? Desmond! Right, Desmond, and then I came in here."

Sora couldn't help chuckling again as she rambled. "You're drunk," he practically giggled.

"What?!" Kairi sputtered, instantly grabbing a throw pillow and bopping him on the head with it. She nearly missed, and the blow glanced off his temple and his shoulder.

"You are!" Sora laughed.

"And how would you know?" she shot back.

He shrugged. "I've been drunk before," he stated, too proud about it for her liking.

"When? You never drank at home. Your mom would've killed you!"

"Pirates," was all he said in response. His smirk made her almost as furious as his words, or word, did.

"You've met pirates?! Actual pirates?" Kairi sputtered, indignant and excited all at once. She'd been the one to learn of pirates first, when they were eight. It was in a history book she'd snuck out of the Mayor's study, and she'd instantly fallen in love with the idea. Her enthusiasm had been infectious, and for over a year pirates was all they would play. Even once they got older, it was a favorite game. "And you didn't take us straight there?!"

"We'll go, I promise. But I had to show you mermaids first," he added in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning towards her.

She folded her arms, unimpressed. "But I haven't seen a mermaid. Ariel's human now."

"Still counts!" Sora insisted.

"Does not."

They scowled at each other for a moment, pushing their expressions until they were as exaggerated as possible. Sora crossed his eyes and Kairi dissolved into a pile of giggling shrieks, holding her sides as she laughed. Sora joined in, head tipped back, headless of the world around them. When their mirth finally subsided, Kairi shifted so that she was leaning against him, head resting on his shoulder, legs tucked up on the couch. She let out a contented sigh while Sora fought with the urge to hold his breath in case she decided to move. His arm was still sprawled over the back of the couch, and he let his hand just lightly drift to her shoulder ever so carefully. The only reaction he got was Kairi closing her eyes.

"Maybe I'm a little drunk," the redheaded girl admitted, eyes still closed.

"I definitely am," Sora replied, the faint chuckle in his words reverberating between them.

"I hope Riku's having a good time."

"Of course he is," he replied instantly. "It's his night."

"Exactly." She paused, then opening her eyes, she added, "Maybe we should go check on him."

Sora squeezed her shoulder. "He's fine, Kairi. He'll come get us if he needs us."

"Okay," she said, eyes drifting closed again. In no time at all, she was asleep. Sora stayed still, watching the people who wandered in and out, happy to let her rest right there. Riku found them like that, and he couldn't help shaking his head.

"She's asleep?" he asked as Sora opened his eyes and lifted his head.

"Yeah," he whispered.

"Should we get her upstairs?"

"Maybe," Sora agreed. Together, they gently shook Kairi awake. She pouted a bit, but eventually agreed to go back to her room. They walked her there, with Sora giving hushed instructions to not lay on her back. "Cure'll stop vomiting, but it doesn't help hangovers," he informed her as they reached her door. She hugged them both good-night and shut the door behind her.

The boys wandered back to the party at a languid pace. "Since when do you know so much about drinking?" Riku asked.

"Pirates," Sora shrugged, expecting another burst of surprise or outrage.

"Ah," was all Riku said, nodding once. After a moment of silence he added, "Hook liked to drink too. But I wouldn't touch his stuff."

"Oh," his friend murmured, thinking. "Yeah… these pirates were different."

"How?" Riku asked. After his time aboard Captain Hook's ship, pirates had reached a level about on par with sewer rats in his esteem.

"They weren't cowards, for one thing," Sora said right away. "They break curses and fight monsters and- " he cut himself off, realizing that the next thing he was going to say was "fall in love". He looked down, chest suddenly tight.

"And?" his best friend asked, looking at him.

Sora gave him his best clueless smile. "I forgot what I was gonna say," he lied.

"Drunk," Riku teased, shoving him down the last two steps. Sora just laughed and grabbed his hand, towing him out of the dim stairwell into the blinding brightness of the party. They drifted around, dancing with a few people before meeting back up in the courtyard to watch the fire eaters. Once they were done and the sword swallowers took over, the boys turned their feet towards the empty grounds. Moving by silent agreement, they wound their way through the castle wall to the top of a boulder covered slope. Effortlessly, they perched up on a rock facing the ocean waves. The moonlight dancing on the water was enough to entertain them for awhile.

"Remind you of anything?" Riku asked after a moment, thinking of a different rocky beach. Sora glanced at him and grinned.

"Maybe, he said, voice lilting. "It is pretty similar."

"The waves sound the same," Riku agreed.

Sora looked out over the ocean, a content smile on his face as he took in a deep breath. "Yeah," he agreed, nodding. "No matter where we go, they always do." He was rewarded with the press of Riku's shoulder as his best friend leaned on him ever so slightly. When they were kids, they had constantly been touching, curling up to sleep or scrambling over each other to reach something tall. They greeted each other with big hugs and play fought in flailing tangles of limbs and never thought anything of it. But growing up had changed so many things, and even on that long ago beach they'd kept their shoulders apart, hands negotiating the space around one another.

He was brought back to what he was seeing by a flash of blue. There on the horizon was his not-so-friendly follower, the blinding cobalt glow steadily coming closer. Sora squinted, seeing something strange in the normally blurry light - a patch of darker color and a stronger sense of shape. It was almost… bird like. And that dark patch? It looked a little like ey-

With a hiss, Sora dropped like a stone, slumping forward off the rock they were sitting on.

"Sora!" Riku lunged forward, arms closing on air just a beat behind the other boy. Sora hit the slope of boulders and rolled till he came to a stop at the base of the hill.

Riku was there a second later, eyes wide at the sight. His best friend was grimacing in pain, curled in a tight ball with his hands on his shoulders. He didn't even try to get up from where he'd landed. Riku kneeled next to him, placing a hand on Sora's back.

"Ah!" Sora cried out, flinching as Riku jerked his hand away.

"What's wrong?" he demanded. He searched his friend, and then the area around them, but couldn't see or sense any threat. Nothing had struck him - the world was just as peaceful as it always had been.

"I- I'm fine," Sora hissed through gritted teeth. He didn't even attempt to get up.

Riku didn't bother to respond to one of the most pitiful lies he'd ever heard Sora utter - it was so irrelevant he'd honestly barely registered it. What wasn't irrelevant were the tiny pin-pricks of blood slowly appearing under Sora's fingers. Riku summoned his Keyblade.

"Heal," he said, voice low, still scanning the area around them. Golden flowers bloomed over the fallen boy, but nothing else happened. He stayed curled on his side, and the blood spots continued to grow. Riku waited one heartbeat, then two, jaw tight.

"Sora, what hurts?" He asked, trying to keep his voice calm even as he curled over him. His Keyblade was still drawn.

Sora tried to speak and groaned instead. Then, "I'll be o- okay. Just… give me a second." He hissed in another sharp breath, then slowly opened his eyes to peer up at Riku. The moon silhouetted his face, but even through the shadows Sora could make out the grim set of his jaw, the fear in his eyes. "Shoulders," he added, unable to make a sentence out of it.

"Can you move?" Riku asked, taking Sora by the wrists. Sora nodded, so Riku carefully pulled his arms away and began working on the buttons of his ruined white suit coat. His hands had been pressed tight over his collar bones, and blotches of blood were revealed where they had been. Slowly, Riku helped him sit up and untangle himself from his sash and suit. Sora said nothing, biting off hissing winces, eyes closed and flinching.

The white undershirt he was still wearing had absorbed the bulk of the blood, but there were thin rivulets scrawling sideways over the base of Sora's neck from how he had been laying. Gently, gently Riku helped him pull that off and over his head, mindful to not rip forming scabs. He used the clean bottom half to mop up the remaining droplets of blood and was relieved to find no major wounds.

What was there was far more puzzling. Beneath the blood, patches of Sora's skin where now a dark black. A thin black rectangle, filled with a pattern of triangles, began at the base of his neck and traced the tops of his shoulders, stopping right at the beginning of his arms. Over each of his scapula jutted a long, narrow triangle. The tip of it was separated by a line of blank skin. Six similar triangles, three per side, curved over his collar bones and the top of his chest, each also with a separate tip. The middle shape of each set was slightly longer than the others. Additionally, a series of thick circles, three in total, ringed both deltoids. A few of the larger details still trickled blood, but it wasn't much.

To Riku, the marks reminded him of targets and claws. Between their shapes and how they had appeared they had fear churning in his gut. He stayed crouched, protective next to Sora as he scanned their surroundings, still looking for the threat.

As for Sora, the pain had mostly subsided by the time they'd gotten his shirts off. Still, he felt dizzy and exhausted. Riku's cure spell had, at least, healed any bruising from the fall, but hadn't effected the strange marks at all. He peered down at the odd shapes now etched into his skin. His stomach felt cold and heavy, his throat was tight, and one hand went up to fiddle with the earring in his left ear. He looked out over the waves automatically. The blue glow, that bird thing, was gone. This should have made him feel better, but it didn't. He looked back down at his skin and realized what they reminded him of - Captain Jack's tattoos.

"Guess I'm a pirate now," he muttered to himself.

"This isn't funny, Sora," Riku hissed in response, not looking at him. Sora's head shot up, and he took in Riku's glare with a clenched jaw of his own.

"What do we do now?" he finally asked, realizing he had no clue how they could get back to the castle. He was shirtless and bloody and covered in marks no one had ever seen. They'd panic the second they saw him.

Riku glanced at him, looking him up and down with a cold, removed expression that Sora knew was just him thinking. He met his friend's gaze evenly enough, but one hand strayed up to his opposite shoulder, rubbing it subconsciously. Immediately, he winced, regretting the action. Everything was bruised and sore.

"We need to get you inside," the older boy said, voice low.

"I know that, genius," Sora snapped, still wincing from his own carelessness. Then, "Sorry."

Riku just shook his head. He stood and held out a hand to help Sora stand. The younger boy took it, and it was a good thing too - he staggered and swayed the moment he reached his feet. If he hadn't been holding on to Riku, he would've toppled right over. Together, they edged through the darkness around the party and scrambled in a second story window with almost no incident. (They'd tell Ariel about the vase they knocked over in the morning.) Slowly, carefully, they worked through the bustling mansion until they made it to Sora's room. So many times they had to duck around a corner as people trickled back to their rooms to sleep. But, despite it all, they made it unseen.

Ignoring his protests, Riku insisted on cleaning Sora's tattoos, scrubbing carefully to rinse off the blood and anything else that might have stuck to him. It hurt like hell, but he bit his tongue. By the time that was done, the sun was peeking over the horizon and they were both wet and exhausted. Riku trailed off to his own room to sleep, and Sora curled up on his bed, not bothering to close his curtains against the dawn.

Notes:

Alkjfoasdhgoaisdngoa everyone's responses to last chapter were so nice! I appreciate you all so much xoxoxoxo

We finally reached the gala! I hope you enjoyed it - our kids sure did! Well, until they didn't. ;) Another chapter will definitely be happening next week, (albeit a short one) so hold on for that.

Chapter title comes from Bastille's song with the same name. It's usage here is also a nod to Cinderella in a way, and maybe a little, teensy bit to Ouran High School Host Club? I almost subtitled the chapter "Until the day it becomes a pumpkin" which I believe is an episode title in the english dub. In the end though I reworked it to make a hair more sense in context.

Shout-out to a KH writing discord group I'm a part of for helping me with the tattoo section. I've not gotten one myself yet so I had them quality check it for me and make sure it wasn't too exaggerated. If any of you are here, know that I appreciate you even if I am kinda the group ghost lol

I'm super curious what you all think of this strange blue thing and its mysterious gift. More on that soon... but not next week.

Hope everyone is holding up okay - stay safe and I'll see you again soon!