The worlds were without form and empty, and the stars were gone from the sky. No light shone save the light from one girl's beating heart. With her was one boy, one very frightened boy who nevertheless would do anything to keep her safe. With her he felt strong, and with him her light would never go out.
They were the only two people left alive in the universe.
All the stories had foretold this moment, all the prophecies had spoken of this future. The death of the old worlds was written on parchment and paper as well as stone and steel, but no record had survived. The only stories left were the ones engraved on the hearts and minds of the boy and girl.
"It's so cold," said the girl. The darkness had consumed everything but her and the boy. The fruit of the paopu tree had bound their hearts together and granted them life after the end.
"Here," the boy said, wrapping her in his jacket. She stopped shivering, and he led her to a rocky outcrop that would protect them from the elements. There they sat and solemnly pondered the events of the final day, with only the wind howling in the distance for company.
"Do you think everyone else is really…" she said at last, biting her lip.
He shook his head. "No. We can't give up on them. We just have to have faith they'll be okay."
"Faith, huh?" she said as she rested her hand over her heart. The light within shone dimly, and it cast the boy's face in light and shadow as he summoned his Keyblade.
"Blaze," he said softly, and a few moments later, a crackling fire was at their feet. The only warmth in this empty, desolate place besides the light in their hearts.
"I'll take first watch," he told her. "You get some sleep."
She didn't move from her spot by the fire, just clung to his jacket wrapped around her. His expression softened, and he scooted closer to her. She met him the rest of the way and snuggled into his outstretched arms.
"It'll be okay," he said as he wrapped his body around hers, shielding her from harm. "I'll keep you safe."
"And I'll keep you safe," she murmured sleepily. Her eyes fluttered shut, but the boy's eyes were wide open, and his heart was filled with worry. Holding the girl as she slept was to reassure him as much as it was to protect her.
A new World with only the two of them in it—what were they to do?
The girl gently shook the boy awake. His eyes fluttered open, and the formerly pitch-black sky was a deep purple now. The embers of the fire glowed red, and he sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"Look," she said, her hand brushing against his and leading it to the nearby earth. A tender green shoot poked its head out of the ground, and the boy stroked its soft leaves and marveled at the miracle.
"But how? Without the sun or the stars—"
She pointed at his heart, then at her own. "I think it's reacting to our light."
"How is that even possible?" he asked as he clutched his chest.
She was silent for a few moments as she stared into the dying fire. "Maybe this is a second chance. Not an ending, but a new beginning."
The boy thought over her words. The girl saw matters of the heart with full clarity and soundness of mind, and his own heart had the faith of a child combined with wisdom far beyond his years.
"If it's reacting to our hearts, then maybe we can get it to react some more," he said. It hadn't escaped him that the sky was ever so slightly lighter too.
She nodded. "The question is, how? What will make the light in our hearts grow?"
He thought for a moment, then grinned and pulled her to her feet. "Dance with me!"
"D-Dance? You mean right now?"
"Sure, why not?"
Dancing did not seem very appropriate to the girl, considering the situation. But the boy was not so easily dissuaded, and when she looked at his smiling face and searched his shining eyes, her mind relaxed, and her heart filled with peace.
"Okay," she said, a slight smile on her lips as she rested a hand on his shoulder. He put his free hand on her waist, then led her through the steps of a waltz. One, two, three, one, two, three, one, two, three. Their footsteps shuffled across the ground, and the boy gazed into the girl's eyes and sighed.
So long as she was with him, even the darkest night didn't seem hopeless.
When he twirled her, she noticed something remarkable. In the places they'd taken their steps, tender shoots were bursting forth from the earth, a trail of green dotting the once-barren landscape.
"It's working! It's really working!" she cried. Some of the shoots were forming little buds, and she giggled and met the boy's eyes for a moment before looking around again.
The boy took her word for it. He couldn't bring himself to look away, because as far as he was concerned, she was the most beautiful creature in the entire universe. Everything else simply paled in comparison.
The deep purple of the sky gave way to a dim gray, and still they continued their dance. The boy dipped the girl low, and her hair brushed the ground. She touched his face and spoke his name with the same energy that was breathing life back into the universe, and a moment later, a spring burst forth from the earth. It sprayed them with its cool water, and they laughed and embraced, then paused to drink.
With his thirst finally slaked, the boy sat back and sighed. His stomach growled loudly, making the girl smile. It was a very human thing to be hungry, and she treasured the simple reminder that he was alive.
He just grinned and rested his hand on his belly. "Think we might be able to grow some food? I could really use a meal."
She looked all around them, at the green grass and delicate flowers, at the water bringing healing to the earth.
"When I said your name, water came out of the ground, so maybe we could do something similar to get food?"
"I've got it!" he cried, his face lighting up as he scrambled to his feet and pulled her up. "Sing with me!"
Singing seemed even more foolish to the girl than dancing, but at a time like this, all the wisdom of the worlds offered no answers, so perhaps indulging in more foolishness was the right thing to do. So she sang along with the boy, a bright melody with a lilting rhythm from the place they'd once called home. He twirled her around, and wonder of wonders, another miracle happened. A paopu tree sprung up out of the ground, its trunk winding and weaving till its leaves unfurled and two ripe pieces of paopu fruit popped into existence.
"There's our meal," the boy said, his eyes dancing. He led the girl to the tree and helped her up, then plucked one of its fruits. She likewise plucked the other fruit, and without another word, they fed each other like they had before. As they consumed the fruit, the light in their hearts grew and grew till it burst forth from their backs in two large wings. The girl smiled when she saw the look of awe and wonder on the boy's face. This was not the first time this had happened, but their wings were bigger and brighter than ever.
She found his hand and wove their fingers together. "Shall we?"
He nodded, and with that, they took off, flying higher and higher till the paopu tree and spring forming a small pool below looked like children's toys. A few feathers fell off of their wings, and the places they landed burst with light and color, and that light spread forth and brought healing to the land, the sea, the sky. The boy's and girl's hearts raced as they flew low over the waters, its sea-salt spray tickling their arms and legs and making them laugh with delight. Then they swooped up, up, up, till they'd reached the heavens.
The sky was lilac and pink and gold now, though the sun had not yet returned, nor had the moon or stars resumed their posts. The boy and girl slowed their ascent, and he couldn't help but stare at her. She was the one who had done this. The restoration and healing of the World was all thanks to the light burning steadily in her heart. And that light had been amplified by his love for her and her love for him till it had set the entire universe aflame.
That flame burned brightly in his heart, and when she looked at him, he thought his heart might melt from the warmth of her gaze. She likewise thought his smile might as well be the sun, and she couldn't help but continue thinking so when her hand brushed against his and he wove their fingers together. Her smile was shy as he gently pulled her to him, and his heart raced and butterflies danced in his stomach at what he knew he must do, at what he wanted to do more than anything. The girl wanted this too, and it would be the perfect final blow against the darkness, against despair, against the forces that had so cruelly tried to snuff light and life out.
But those forces hadn't succeeded. They were losing, losing to one courageous boy and one hopeful girl, and the moment Sora kissed Kairi, the two of them secured their victory. The exciting new feelings that filled their hearts as she brought her hands to his face and kissed him back brought forth the moon and the stars, and when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her more boldly and deeply than he'd ever dared to dream, the sun at long last burst forth, its light filling the sky. The feathers of their wings scattered to the four winds, and Sora and Kairi fell, fell, fell to earth, clinging to each other and laughing with delight.
When they landed in the waters of Destiny Islands, they knew they had succeeded, that their foolish hopes hadn't been so foolish after all. Sora's head popped out of the water first, and Kairi soon joined him. Their beloved Play Island with the paopu tree and pool and Seaside Shack was waiting for them, and on the island were their friends, so dear to them both, called back into existence by the light of their hearts.
The two of them couldn't reach the shore fast enough. The moment they did, they were enveloped in a group hug. This was worth all the uncertainty and doubt and fear. Bringing their beloved friends back and getting to embrace them like this. Riku, Terra and Aqua and Ventus, Naminé, Roxas and Axel and Xion, Mickey and Donald and Goofy.
Amidst all the hugs and well-wishes and greetings, Sora and Kairi found the time to gaze at each other, and everything else melted away.
Thank you, she mouthed, and he grinned and reached for her hand. She interlaced their fingers in acknowledgment that their hearts would be forever one. And so the bringer of life stood hand-in-hand with the lover of life. Surrounding the two of them were their friends, their friends reclaimed from death by the love in their hearts.
Their bond had made this all possible, and they would treasure this moment in their hearts forever.
A/N: This story is based off of the story of Lif and Lifthrasir from Norse Mythology, the only two humans who survive Ragnarok and bring life to the new world. Ever since the very Norse-sounding character names were announced for Dark Road, I wanted to write something Kingdom Hearts-related involving Norse Mythology, and the story of Lif and Lifthrasir felt like it would fit Sora and Kairi really well. Lif's name sounds like the word for "life" in Old Norse, and Lifthrasir can mean "lover of life," hence the title for this story.
A big thank you to all the contributors who poured so much heart and talent into SoKai zine. Your pieces are so beautiful, and I loved reading everyone's fics and seeing all the lovely art. Thank you to my fellow mods for all your hard work that made this project a reality. And a big thank you to Nath for drawing the banner for this story! I really enjoyed working with you, and you did such an incredible job capturing the mythological feel of the story ❤️
And as always, thank you reading!
