Author's Note: Opa and hello! Yesh, yesh. 'Nother chappie, complete and ready to read! (Finally, ne?) I apologize for the late update. It turned out longer than I'd expected, and I'm a lazy person. I'll try update on a more regular basis.

Anywho...I'd like to thank those who gave me reviews. Thank ya much! Perhaps I should start responding...Oh, and I hope everyone caught it in the prologue, but if you didn't, I'll tell ya. Sora and Kairi were seven, and Riku was eight. In this chapter, I'm going to jump ahead. So then, here we go!

Disclaimer: Oh, didn't you know? I do own Kingdom Hearts! Ahahahahaha...Well, actually, I don't. I don't even own it in my dreams...If I did, Sora would be a stick man and the Keyblade would be a toothpick. That's about all I would be able to achieve in game development. Now, aren't you glad that I don't own it?...Oh yes, and I don't own Final Fantasy.

Tell Me a Tale

Chapter 1: A Minstrel, a Mercenary, and a Monarch

By Risako

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

...Jean de La Fontaine

xXxXx

"Oh mo-oo-om!"

"Yes hon?"

"You didn't finish the story yesterday."

"I told you already. I don't remember the rest."

"I know, but maybe you could tell me what happened."

"Do I have to keep repeating myself? The prince went off to save everybody."

"No, I mean, maybe you could fill in what happened in-between. The details."

"Details?"

"Yeah, like the prince's name."

"His name?...I never found out. Like I said, that was all I knew. How can I tell you the details if I don't remember them myself?"

"Ah, but you don't remember the details. That means they're in your head somewhere!"

"Don't be a smart-alec."

"...Mom, you won't even tell me one little thing? I'll think about it forever...The story my mom never wanted to tell me...I'll always wonder why my mom wanted to deprive me of knowledge..."

"Who's teaching you this? You're dad? I'm going to have to talk with him. And who says I'm depriving you?...Well, I suppose there are a few things I haven't told you."

"Like what? Tell me, tell meee!"

"Quit jumping on the bed. I'll tell you one thing. The prince had experienced a sad event when he was young, but after a few days, it was as if nothing had ever happened. The prince was acting happy and chipper. It was assumed that he was hiding his feelings. But his father believed it to be a good thing. So the prince grew into a seemingly responsible and carefree teen..."

"Pardon me, Your Highness. You're needed in the throne room."

"Mmm. That's nice."

"Er...Your...Highness?"

Maybe I should've gone with dad...At least done something

"Your Highness...sir..."

I'm so tired of this. I shouldn't be here. Why didn't I go?

"Your Highness!" Immediately, the prince was jolted out of his trance. He quickly turned his head to come face to face with one of the castle maidservants.

An embarrassed look flushed over her face. "I meant, er, Your...Oh, I'm sorry, Your Highness. Please forgive my rudeness, but the noble representing the kingdom of Adrastos is waiting in the throne room."

Sora smiled and shook his head. "It's okay. I wasn't paying attention. I should be the one apologizing. You said that she was in the throne room, right?"

She curtly nodded, gesturing towards the east side of the castle. "I'm afraid she's getting kind of restless. Maybe you should meet up with her now."

"I guess so...I probably shouldn't keep our visitor waiting," he said, putting his hands behind his head and strolling down the hall.

She waited till the prince was out of earshot. "Whew. That was close," the maid said as she wiped her brow and took Sora's position at the window. When she peered down, one of the gardeners tending the flowers in the courtyard waved. She waved back, smirking all the while.

xXxXx

"Excuse me! Excu-ow! Would you please quit pushing!" Kairi was getting really tired of this. The people in this town weren't gentle at all. Nevertheless, she still managed to squirm through the crowd and into a partly vacant area.

Kairi had just been given the chance of a lifetime. A troubadour had referred her to meet up with his partner here, in Deirdre, even though she was only fifteen years old. He'd assured her that his friend could help her have a few big time performances. Maybe she'd finally earn some real money, not some person's measly change. And Deirdre was such a big place! Maybe after she met up with this theater guy, she'd go exploring a bit.

Kairi took a slip of rolled parchment out of her pouch. She straightened it out, walking slowly towards an alleyway. "This should be right," she whispered, reexamining the map that young man had given her. "Past the main fountain, behind Miriam's Flower Shop...Yes, this is it."

Looking up from her paper, she noticed the sign on the building she had ended up at. "Theater Manager and Local Performance Coordinator," she read aloud. "Alright then..." Taking a deep breath, she gathered up her courage and softly knocked on the door.

Maybe that was too soft. She tried rapping on it instead. That should get their attention.

Shuffling could be heard inside. Finally, the door opened to reveal a young woman of about the age of twenty. "Hello. Are you here to help organize our stock?"

Kairi fumbled through her pouch, but realized that the recommendation was written on the back of the map. Blushing a bit, she handed the paper sheepishly to the woman. "Um, no, actually, a musician-guy referred me to this place, and he gave me that paper there. I'm not really sure what to do, but I'd really like to see the manager of this place." How embarrassing...Here she was, finally getting her chance to break into the big league, and she was blubbering like a nervous amateur! Oh wait..., she thought. I am a nervous a nervous amateur!

The woman read the paper, then smiled as she reached the end. "So Zell referred you to us? Well then, if he sent you, then an appointment isn't needed. My name is Quistis Trepe. I'm sort of the secretary of this management. I believe Mr. Tribal is not occupied, so I'll take you to his office now. Let's just hope that he understands why I let you in."

Now that was easy. Kairi released the air she was holding in and stepped into the building.

The room she entered was quite fascinating. There were masks hanging on the walls, while various dresses and robes were littered here and there. Candles were given colorful glass covers, causing strange lights to shine through. Chests where bundled together in a corner, and had the most beautiful jewels adorning it. Too bad the overload of stuff made the room look like a pigsty too.

"I apologize for the mess. We've just got a shipment in today, so we had to organize the costumes. Mr. Tribal's office is this way." Quistis stepped over a small cauldron, obviously a prop for one of their plays.

Kairi followed her into a narrow hallway. They were only a few doors, but they caught her eye nonetheless. Each one was painted a vibrant color, all a different hue. But one door stood out. At the end of the hall, where they were headed, was a blue door. It was a plain blue, with no brightness to accompany it. Kairi glanced at the other doors. Okay...Why pick such a dull color for the manager's office?

"Miss?" Quistis had stopped a few feet away. Kairi shook her head and walked up to her. The secretary smiled. Kairi got the impression that she was the refined sort of woman, the kind you would see as responsible and intelligent and able to direct others efficiently. Huh. That was exactly the kind of woman that Kairi aspired to be.

"I'll be leaving you here," Quistis said, still keeping that polite air about her. "If all goes well, I'll be signing you up for your performance dates." She opened the door, went inside to have a quick word with the manager, then came back, sidestepping to let Kairi through. "Good luck," she whispered before shutting the door.

The girl scanned the room. She'd half expected to see piles of books and papers. She'd also envisioned a man in his late twenties or thirties to be the manager. My, this place is full of surprises.

The room wasn't a pigsty. No, no. Not at all. It was a garbage dump. Literally. There were items strewn practically everywhere. A whole load of scarves and veils where stuffed under the desk. Wooden swords, an even bigger amount of costumes, and, oddly, a bunch of glass figurines could be found. There was so much stuff here, she couldn't even identify them all. In the corner there seemed to be a green jar of something freakish-looking. (It looked like a hairy tomato, but she really didn't want that image in her mind every time she took a stroll in the market.) Everything else appeared to be pretty useless (including the hairy thing), like a broken chair and several worn-out dolls. Kairi didn't even know where to step.

"They're props, if you're wondering. And go ahead, it's okay if you squish my stuff. As long as you don't break anything."

Oh yes, the other surprising fact. The theater manager looked to be only a few years older than her. There he was, seated at a desk with a few trinkets scattered about. He was staring at her with a cocky grin plastered on his face. "The name's Zidane. So, whaddaya need?"

Kairi gulped. If she messed up, then back to the measly change she'd go. "Um, my name's Kairi, and a musician referred me here. I...wanted to see if I could get hired."

He focused his gaze to something else. One of those glass figurines, to be exact. "Ah, so you want to do official performances? Are you a vocal performer or an actress?"

"A vocal performer," she replied.

Zidane reached behind his chair and grabbed a large book. "Lemme see...Yeah, we have a few spots open. But I'm going to warn you now, these spots are hard to get. Our management is pretty big here in Deirdre. We're known for supporting the most talented of the lot. So remember, we don't accept mediocre singers. It won't be anything personal if you don't make it. Okay?"

Wow. He sure made her feel a lot better. She numbly nodded, her nervousness increasing ten-fold.

Zidane leapt up and strode to the door, whipping a jacket off a nearby hat rack. "Since I'm such a nice guy, I'll let you audition now."

Kairi choked for a moment. "N-now?"

"Yup." His smirk softened into a smile. "You really shouldn't work yourself up like that. It'll affect your performance."

Kairi blushed for the second time that day. Her nervousness showed that much?

They both exited the room, and were moving through the halls. The building was a lot bigger than what she assumed from looking at it from the outside.

"By the way...I just wanted to tell you that Zell gave you the instructions to the back door, the one that our main singers and actors always use. Newbies really aren't supposed to use it. But that's Zell's fault, so forget about it. Just use the front next time. Also...There was a big sign next to the door saying that we were closed for today. Just to let you know."

It was then that the minstrel's embarrassment skyrocketed.

xXxXx

Man, was this getting tiring.

Riku let his weary body flop loudly on his bed. He was too tired to check if his designated quarters was the same way he'd left it. But still, he forced himself to scan the room. Still the same dull drawer...The same dull shelf...And hopefully his bed was its same dull self. Riku was not in the mood to find any part of his room pink again.

He sighed and rolled onto his back. He really should ask for a vacation. Maybe the boss would give him one.

"Well, well. Look who decided to actually use his room for once."

Riku groaned. He was barely there for five minutes, and this guy shows up.

"What the heck do you want, Axel?"

Axel took this as an invitation to stop standing in the hallway and enter. "I'm here to tell you that it's very stupid to leave your door open all the time. Something bad could happen to your room if you're too careless."

Riku pushed himself upright. "What did you do?" he asked sharply.

"Nothing this time. Count yourself lucky." Axel pulled a neatly folded paper out from under his jacket. "The boss has another mission for you."

"Another one? But I just got back." Riku crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. (He refused to lie down in front of Axel.)

"Aw, but that's because you're our best mercenary!"

Riku frowned at the word. "I only do this because it comes naturally. And because the boss promised me something when he brought me here. It's not like I enjoy being a mercenary."

"Too bad. You have the skills, but you don't have the attitude. You should try thinking more like--oh, look? Here he comes now." Axel strutted to the doorway, ignoring Riku's annoyed expression. A young man, a few years older than Riku and with dark brown hair, was passing by.

"Hey there, Vaughan! You're acting very suspiciously today! What're you doing, lurking around Riku's room?"

Vaughan, in reply, gave him a cold glare and said, "Shut up."

Axel rubbed his head as he watched him leave. "Still a cold-blooded jerk...But at least he has no problems with being a mercenary. By the way..." He turned to face Riku again, tossing him the paper. "The boss is very pleased with your last mission's success. Hey, don't look surprised. News travels fast. You should be proud! Putting a whole kingdom in an uproar. That's the reason why the boss thinks you would do especially well with this assignment."

Riku skimmed the note, his eyes moving fast to pick up all the important details. "So...He wants me to go to Deirdre."

Axel nodded, trying his best to hide his smirk.

"Deirdre. Of all the places to go, Deirdre."

"What? Is there something wrong with Deirdre?"

"Oh, nothing, except that I value my life."

Axel chuckled. He knew he would say that. "Don't act like a chicken. Just take one of the chocobos and pretend that you're a normal person. Anyway, you're ordered to start this mission immediately. So, I'll see you in the supply room." With that, he disappeared into the dark hallway.

The silver-haired boy shook his head, sighing as he put the letter in his pocket. At least this mission didn't entail killing someone. It was pretty risky, spying on the enemy's prince. But it was a lot better than some other things he'd had to do.

He stood up, stretched his arms for about a second, and left his rarely used room. He might as well forget about that vacation.

Deirdre, here I come.

xXxXx

"Where the heck is Sora! Hey guard, yeah, I'm talking to you! I'm tired of waiting." The noble from Adrastos was getting quite fed up. She had important things to do, and waiting for a tardy shrimp wasn't one of them.

"I'm sorry, miss, but the prince arrives whenever he pleases," the guard answered. "And I understand that you're a guest, but you need to be respectful here. You must call the prince by his royal title."

In utter disgust, she threw her hands in the air, just about ready to kick the guard in the shins. "Who cares about a title!" she cried. "And when would 'whenever he pleases' be? Tomorrow? In a year? When I'm an old lady? If that's the case, then would you please inform him that I'll be forming alliances elsewhere."

"There's no need for that. How've you been, Yuffie?"

The young noble whipped around, glaring at Sora dead in the eyes. "It's about time! What took you so long?"

Sora shrugged, strolling into the gold-laden room. "I guess I forgot," was his reply.

"So, you forget something as important as this? You forget me? Well that's nice to know." Yuffie stomped up to Sora and poked him on the forehead. "Tell the chivalrous gentleman in there that it's impolite to tell ladies that you forgot them."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that," he said with his trademark grin, gently pushing her hand away. "So...Let's get started?"

Yuffie gave him a dur-whaddaya-think? look. Sora couldn't help but grin again. "Maybe we should move to the meeting room. My dad doesn't like it when we talk in the throne room."

"But this is official kingdom-to-kingdom matters we have to discuss! Isn't it important enough to be discussed in the throne room?" The guard chuckled. Yuffie opted to shoot a malevolent glare his way. "Besides, he's not here! He'll never notice that we used this room. Or that I sat on his cushy chair over there..."

"Trust me, he'll notice. Especially if you sit on his throne." Sora shoved his hands into his pockets and began to make his way to the much smaller meeting room, leaving Yuffie to stare at the "cushy chair" like a kid who was denied Christmas.

"C'mon, Yuffie. I'm really tired today. Let's get this over with."

She tore her gaze away and hurried after the prince. "Wait up! If you're so tired, why are you walking so fast?"

Sora shrugged, training his eyes on his feet. Left, right, left, right...Would he...Would he have to go to war like his father too? Controlling marching soldiers...Having a whole army depend on you...Destroying all towns harboring the enemy...And what for? And why didn't he do what his father suggested--help him command Deirdre's soldiers? Maybe he was just a coward...

"Man, Sora...You should tell your dad to get rid of these tapestries when he gets back." The young noble flicked at one of the crimson and gold tassels of a particularly dusty one as she passed by. Yuffie tried to ignore the grotesque stitching woven into a tapestry up ahead, but it was hard to ignore a big monster, the great Bahamut, tearing a sea serpent to shreds.

"Ugh. They're so old and bulky and gross. Whoever made these had a sick mind. Hey. Earth to Mr. Princey-poo."

"Don't call me that."

"Just checking if you're still in there."

"Well, my mind's on other things. Here's the room." Sora pulled the door open and, like the prince he was, allowed Yuffie to enter first before following in himself.

The meeting room wasn't as glamorous as the throne room, but it still had a few decorations of it's own. Plenty of tapestries, which were quite similar to those in the halls, hung on three sides of the room. The last wall was covered up with a large shelf full of books. The books were supposed to stay in the library, but the king had them moved to the meeting room years ago, for those books were the queen's favorite, and she'd always be holed up in there, stuck in boring discussions with advisors while sneaking peeks at a book on her lap. (The throne room was much too grand for her to use everyday, so she preferred using this smaller space until her husband gave her that study like he promised.)

Yuffie plopped herself on the oak table. Sora was about to follow suit, but decided to just sit on a chair.

"Alright...So, what exactly happened in Adrastos? I've heard a few rumors, but I still have no clue what's going on. "

Yuffie swung one boot up and examined its sheen, yet she still couldn't hide the serious look fighting to get on her face. "Our king...Charles Edward...is gone. And he didn't just waltz out of our kingdom. He was seized and taken somewhere. The thing is...we don't know whether he's still alive or not."

Sora nodded. Her words confirmed that most of the rumors he heard were truthful, but he could tell that Yuffie had more to say. Much more.

"A few days before, our king deployed most of our forces to the eastern mountains, to drive the monsters to the Great Desert. You heard about the mega increase of monsters in our area, right?"

The prince nodded again.

"Well, we're not sure, but we think that a horde of something attacked them. It could be Mauva or the monsters...Whatever it was, all the soldiers sent to the mountains are missing. All of them. So now we don't have a king or most of our army."

And Sora thought his kingdom had it bad. "Wait...So who's ruling now?"

"The king's one and only advisor. You know her," Yuffie answered, sliding off the table and making her way to the bookshelf.

"Lady Aerith...," he mumbled.

Yuffie scanned over the books until her eyes widened at one of them. "Yeah. By the way, she wanted me to tell you something. She said, to 'please tell the prince of our dire situation and our vulnerable status.'" Her hand managed to pull the said book out of it's tight spot. "In simpler words, we're begging ya for help. One hundred soldiers can't protect a whole kingdom. Mauva's army is plowing through all the towns in cities to get to you and--whoop-dee-doo!--guess which kingdom is between Mauva and Deirdre?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that. It's not my fault all the kingdoms are built that way." Sora tipped his chair back and folded his arms. "But you're right, though. Adrastos wouldn't be able to stand up to a Mauvan attack...Well, that settles it!" His chair clunked back down as he slapped his hands on his thighs.

Yuffie gave him a dubious look. "Settles what? And why are you so happy all of a sudden?"

"Well..." Sora scratched the back of his head, unconsciously messing up his already messed up hair. "You should know me by now. Of course I'd make an alliance with your kingdom. I mean, c'mon, you'd kick my butt if I didn't. And it'd be heartless of me to turn you down and refuse to help you. So...yeah. And I don't know what you mean about being happy. I'm acting like I normally do."

Yuffie muttered a "No you're not," to herself before planting herself on the table again, still holding the book. "It's not settled yet. We have to declare the alliance on paper, according to your dad's laws. If not, then it is com-ple-te-ly void. Maybe you should go get one of your bonehead guards to fetch us some paper."

"Alright..." Sora got up, his shoulders a bit sore for some reason. He took one last tired glance at Yuffie, just in case she wanted to say something else. But her nose was already buried in that book of hers. Odd...Sora never remembered Yuffie to be the reading type.

He turned around, but, as he'd expected, Yuffie had something to say. "By the way, Sora...I was just wondering. Why is this book in this dusty old room? It used to be your favorite."

Sora lingered by the door. "What're you talking about?"

"You don't remember? You used to always recite the whole story. Kingdom Hearts? Don't tell me you forgot about that too. First me, now-"

"That book should be burned. It's just a stupid fairy tale that gives people the wrong idea. And it makes them throw away their lives for something that doesn't exist."

The young noble gaped as the prince of Deirdre briskly left the room.

Okay! Here I go! My response to your reviews!

thesrazrbladekisses- There ya go! Updated! I'll try to be sooner with the next chapter.

Xarli- I'm glad you do!

Zarya- Pwah ha...Of course I don't care! And plus, you took the time to make a long review. Thanks! Now...Kings? Most of the kings I know of were either really great or complete psychopaths. So, no. Maybe a few of them. Oh, and the person that bought Riku was nowhere near fat. Maybe my clue was too confusing. Oh well. And Kairi...I went back and edited a few parts, including Kairi's scene. I hope it's enough. If not, just tell me! I'll be happy to re-edit it. Also...Maybe it sounds odd because this could be considered my early work. I'll suck for a time, and hopefully, with practice, I'll grow to be better. Again, thanks for your uber-awesome review! (Ah...I really did make them wait, didn't I?)

Onii-Gil- Hello, Riku fan! Riku sure is lovable, ain't he? At least you have a favorite. I can't pick between Riku and Sora. Hmm...Think so? Thanks! I'll definitely keep writing since it's a hobby I love.

Angry Neko-San- Welp, here ya go! And good luck writing your second chapter! Or whatever chapter you're on...

kingdom219- 'Kay, I will!

BLACKSHEEP- A mercenary is a professional soldier who serves a foreign kingdom or country(or even a person) for pay. In Riku's case, he has to do the dirty work for whoever hires him. But the thing is, he...Well, you'll see. If you want an example, look at Cloud from FF7. Anywho, I'm glad you like it! Thanks a bunch.

Zanisha- I love long reviews. They are the most helpful of all. Thank you for all your advice. I'll be sure to use it! It'll help me become a better writer! Oh, and by the way...I didn't really want anyone to feel sorry for Kairi, since her view on life is more upbeat than the other two. That's how I wanted to portray her situation. But yes, I reread her part, and decided that I should give more details as to what happened to her and her family. I felt it best not to get too detailed though (for reasons unknown ). As for the curse words...Well, I'm the kind of person that feels guilty for even thinking them, so you can mentally add them if you want. Anyways, thank you so much for all the tips and comments! And thank ya much for reading my story. (Don't forget about your stories! Or your website!)

Every Heart Bleeds- Heh, he probably would! And don't worry, I'm doing my homework...Blast the person who invented it. But anyways, all I have to do is finish it earlier so I can have more time to write! Thank ya much!

Author's Note: Welp, there's chappie one for ya! I know, not much is happening yet, but that's because this is sort of a look at what our charas are like now. The next chapter is where the real fun begins! Kya ha...I hope you guys don't mind that I've added s'more FF cameos. Anywho, please stay with me for chappie two!

Hope to see you soon! This is Risako, signing off. Later! Pwah ha.