Final Fantasy XV - Kingdom Hearts
Part 60
Summary: Two warriors of Light, the Chosen King and Keyblade Master, face an unseen Darkness.
*Twilight Town*
A world between light and darkness, possessing an endless sunset that looms over the world. At first glance, one would think this world would a danger to those who venture for it or even live within it.
For Noctis? It is possibly the most beautiful world he had ever laid eyes upon.
The moment he transported himself and Lunafreya to this world via the GS' autopilot, he finds them standing right before a huge clock tower looming over what he guessed was a train station. Once they got their bearings to this new world, neither royalties could hold back the awe in their eyes nor conceal the sounds of amazement. The world before them is a massive change compared to Radiant Garden.
The serenity of this world with everything being so peaceful, the gentle breeze of the summer air, the smells of exotic flowers and delicious foods wafting into the air near them, it felt so safe here. He could understand why among all the worlds Sora had been to, this world was the perfect place for some alone time with your significant other.
The Oracle approaches one of the small walls and peers over to see the beautiful town with the serene green landscape ahead of them as the sun remains in its sunset state. She sighs with peace as her eyes glazed over the new world ahead of them, taking in the beauty of this place. Noctis folds his arms with a relaxing smile appearing on his handsome face, happy his date was enjoying this new freedom they have and see all sorts of fantastic sights.
Neither in their usual attires for Noctis' own were still being repaired, and of course to just wear something more comfortable for a normal date between them. The king donned a red t-shirt with black stripes going around his chest while wearing a leather jacket Gladiolus loaned him with a pair of jeans with a single chain attached to his front to back pocket, a pair of combat shoes that ebony.
He promised his lover he would eventually wear something that wasn't black.
For Lunafreya's choice of wardrobe, she wears a light teal colored dress with it reaching her knees and the sleeves reaching her biceps, a sky-blue wrist band on her left wrist with two rings from her family line on her fingers. Her hair was done up by Aerith, now instead of all tied up neatly, it was loose with a small elegant braided tail below her shoulders. A very summer look he would happily admit, and somehow teal looked amazing on her.
Then again she always looked amazing in pretty much anything.
As everyone else was doing their activities and with the battle for light was getting closer and closer, the king wanted to have one day for himself and Lunafreya to just be an everyday couple. Not the king nor Oracle, not the guardians of light, nor heroes of worlds, just a young couple out and about together to indulge in normality and the pleasure of each other's company without the formalities that plagued them.
He joined her side to take in the world before him, mouthing "wow" as his sky blue eyes scan the world ahead of him. He couldn't think a place where a town felt so vibrant and pretty while maintaining an air of purity and peace, nowhere back home could even compare to this quiet homely town. Even Lestallum couldn't hold a candle to this other world, there is something here that felt closer to a community than a working environment.
"This world, it's so beautiful", Lunafreya comments as she drinks in the world, "How could a place that exists between the light and darkness be so peaceful?".
Noctis hummed, unable to answer that rhetorical question. He didn't care how and why this world was what it was, but the fact he didn't feel any danger here is enough for him. They turned down to the hill leading into the town, she clasps his arm as they walked into the town, both smiling and enjoying each other's company. They take in the sights of this new world, stopping at a few locales here and there to watch some performers, browse for souvenirs for their friends and even some treats for later.
The candy the Oracle purchased made her grin like a child, and only when she popped one of the rock candies in her mouth did she struggle to conceal a squeal of delight. Noctis had forgotten the woman what sort of sweet tooth his lover has.
In the tram common, they see more people walking around with a large group near the bistro (Sora recommended it), a tram passing by with kids running around chasing one another. Both royalties looked around to take in the sights, commenting here and there while browsing the shops they sold. When Lunafreya pointed out there were moogles as well with their store, curiosity got them, and they approached the shop.
A few trinkets here and there, mostly jewelry that the fluffy creature assured them would help protect them from danger along with a ribbon of sorts. When Lunafreya was looking over one collar for her pups, the Moogle insisted to the king that he'd give the woman the ribbon for safety and even dropped Sora's name to stress its point. Along with that, he purchased a few potions along with a map of the town, deciding to go for the hot spots.
Walking around the friendly place with ice cream in hands, greeting people and stopping now and then to see what this world had to offer, making idle conversations here and there. "This place is so different to Radiant Garden…", the king comments, finishing off his frozen treat, "It feels kinda safer, you know?".
"Yes, more so than Radiant Garden", agreed Lunafreya, "Perhaps it is because of Maleficent's grip on that world and the damages she had caused could have left a lasting stain on it".
Those words bring new concerns for his majesty as he pondered on how his home city fared. The people who were fortunate enough to survive the assault from the empire, would they even want to live in Insomnia anymore with all the horrible memories that could haunt them? His lover told him repairs were coming slowly but surely, with most of the groundwork being done thanks to those dedicated to rebuilding their home.
He shakes his head; he can worry about all that after they put Xehanort down. For now, it was just himself and his lovely lover exploring a new exotic world. As they strolled through the town, the gentle strums of guitars play over their heads, likely a band of sorts must be playing nearby. Many posters were plastered around the neighborhood, some showing a tournament of sorts taking place soon, posters concealing codes for a game that had characters who distinctly looked like a certain spiky-haired boy and mouse king.
There were also some weird emblems on certain walls shaped like Mickey's head…
The explored what this section of the world had to offer and after making a reservation to the bistro, they returned to the station and hopped aboard the train to Sunset Terrace. The train is smaller than any train they had ever seen and onboard they were the only souls using it. Not that they complained, more privacy for them.
Noctis and Lunafreya stared outside the window to see the world pass them by, taking in more of the town's houses and streets, the sunset bathing the town in harmony and peaceful light. The Oracle had been smiling during the whole train ride, making gasping sounds of awe and wonder with each passing moment. For his majesty, sitting down with his back against the train listening to the tracks of the train, he was in bliss.
Finally a world with just him and Lunafreya, no heartless, daemons, or anyone to come and bother them. The serenity of this fragile peace couldn't be taken for granted he knows, realizing that this might be their final moments of safety and tranquillity before the veil is lifted from their eyes and they will be thrust back into the battle once again. He hummed as he looks out the window to the skies, wishing Prompto were here to take this sight and capture the moment. Maybe when they win the battle, they could come here for a tour of sorts…
Arriving at the terrace, the royal couple walks through the small neighborhood. A couple of children rushed past them, giggling while waving their ice creams like swords. Noctis noticed a wondrous smile on his lover's flawless features, her eyes watching the children skitter around the place. He follows her gaze and sees that two of the kids were of opposite genders, but the girl had sadly dropped her ice cream it seemed.
The boy immediately offered his to her, he could hear the boy say something close to "let's share" and the girl's cheeks turned rosy with a shy smile. Noctis held back that playful immaturity to mock-gag at the sight of young life while Lunafreya giggles softly. She turns to Noctis with her hands clasped in front of her with a gentle and loving smile on her lips. She casually waltzes past him as she walks to their destination, a very popular part of the town for the locals.
Especially lovers.
Through the neighborhood, they talked about small things between them, and much to the delight of Noctis the woman had grown closer to his friends. It turned out she and Aqua both shared the same love for a book the Oracle had been reading one night during Noctis' three-day sleep. Turns out Aqua had been trying to find the fourth book in the series and after she quoted a character they both adored, the two bonded over it and spent an entire night talking about it.
Lunafreya even teased Gladiolus, according to Aqua, who is also a secret fan of it. The king burst into laughter at that nugget of information, thoughts of tormenting the man conjures in his mind.
With Kairi and Naminé, once more the woman couldn't have asked for better friends. He knew she missed having Naminé within her heart and they had grown as close friends during their time together in Eos. Although saddened, the woman states she is eager to finally embrace her friend once they find a replica for the girl. He was worried by the cat-like smile on her face when she was talking to Kairi about him and Sora, a strange look of competition was on her face. She jokingly says she was dating a king and pouted when she says Kairi, in turn, replied: "My boyfriend can summon a giant flaming lion".
When Noctis confirmed Sora could do that, Lunafreya rolled her eyes and as they walked on, he heard her muttering: "My boyfriend's cuter anyways".
The little boy in his heart was skipping with joy that she called him cute.
Reaching the top of the hill overlooking more of the landscape, they sat down near the ledge above the tunnel where the train entered the station. The blonde woman takes out some of their candies and with a plastic bowl she purchased, poured a mixture of the sugary treats into the bowl while her king places two cans of soda and one bottle of iced tea. They looked down at their picnic of sorts before the woman comments: "This is by far the most unhealthiest looking picnic, dare I say, the worlds have ever seen".
"So, does that mean you're not gonna touch any of it?", Noctis teases, poking at one of the small chocolate marble.
"I never said that", she clarifies with a pout, plucking one. "I am merely sharing because I'm obligated to be generous to my boyfriend".
A laugh was shared between the two as they settled down together and stared at the landscape, occasionally picking at the mixture bowl. Noctis breathes peacefully at this, amazed how relaxed he had become. He glances at Lunafreya who popped a chocolate marble into her mouth, sighing with content as her taste buds are satisfied with the sugary taste. How long had it been since she could be able to enjoy the simplest things life had to offer he wonders, or better yet, how many years was she deprived of freedom do be able to do this?
Among the reason to get some time for themselves before they would get to work on their powers, he wanted to give her taste of what's to come for her new freedom. He couldn't give it to her properly back at Eos with everything gone so wrong there, but here without worries of daemons popping up or any imperial scum showing up unwanted, she was allowed to hang up her Oracle duties and just enjoy the small pleasures of life.
To be able to sit down with her friends, laugh along with the stupidity that comes with them, to develop friendships with people who shared so much with her and to be able to just be Luna to them. Looking at how she was describing her times with the trio of girls during his sleep, how giddy she is when she got to a point in the story with Aqua and her fangirling over some character, to how she and Kairi shared so many details about their lovers.
"Are you sure you're gonna be ok coming with us to train?", he asked as he sipped his soda. With a nod and putting her tea down, Lunafreya says: "Certainly. Kairi's power has grown exceptionally, but without a proper mentor to watch over her, I fear she may place herself in great peril". The details were fuzzy to the king but Lunafreya was informed by Aqua about Kairi's light growing stronger and near a point to be feared by even Xehanort.
Among her reasons to remain with her friends and learned some lessons here and there, she was adamant she'd help Kairi master the light within her heart. "Is "Holy" really that strong?", asks the king. "It is a spell that has not been used for many centuries, Noctis, perhaps even back in the age of fairy tales", she explains, cupping her chin. "I'm truly curious of this mysterious keyblade master who may have granted her this power".
Noctis hums in agreement, looking his drink in thought. MOM hasn't shown his face (not that he ever did to be fair) for some time now, and a part of the king feared he might do so during the battle against Xehanort. Would he aid them or the Seeker of Darkness?
Lunafreya exhales a breath of ease before she smiles and looks to her lover. "Let us not worry ourselves for now. Instead", she says, leaning her shoulder against his and resting her head on it: "Let us enjoy this moment between us. Forget the upcoming events and relish this peace". Noctis wrapped an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him as his raven hair mixed with her blonde locks.
"Maybe, we could ask Sora for more suggestions?", he offered, "Kinda wanna see what else is out there". Lunafreya hums in agreement. "I am curious about the islands he and the others grew up", she confesses. "Hmm…a nice little vacation spot…", Noctis says wistfully, "Clear skies, great weather, fishing, cozy island rooms…privacy?".
She giggles at the suggestive tone in the last listing, swatting his chest playfully. Not like he'd have the nerve to try anything risqué with her yet. That could wait for later. For now, he allowed himself to embrace this moment with her, their only time together in peace without their friends around, not compacted into a small space for traveling across a world, nor did he feel any darkness nearby to threaten them. No, here and right now, it was just himself with his wonderful lover enjoying the safety of the realm of light.
As the glowing sun blessed the two them with warmth and content, the king feels the small empty box within his pocket, a promise he made to himself. All he needed to do is complete his training, rope Sora into one his big plans, and then make a deal with the devil…
And bring Gladiolus for good measure…
"…I love you", whispered the woman, head down with obvious dusty red coating her cheeks, "I-I, don't believe I say it enough". Gently, the king cups her chin and lifts her face to look him in his blue eyes. With the smile he reserves only for her, Noctis presses his lips to hers.
He broke it slowly and leaned into her ear and whispers in the most loving tone he never knew he could muster: "I love you too…".
*Traverse Town*
Sora has seen so many worlds by this point, but very few hold a special place within his heart like this one.
The very moment he and Kairi set foot in the old town square after passing through the giant wooden doors, greeted by the never-ending night with the millions of stars bathing down on them and the gentle friendly streetlights shining before them, he felt a wave of nostalgia hit him and fond memories of this world surfaced in his mind. Walking in between the two stationed lights in the round garden patches, Sora takes in the sights of this familiar world that would forever be engraved in his memories and heart.
Not a thing a changed since the last day he was here, even during his exams he felt in his heart this world would forever stay the same. Sure, there were probably places within this city he had yet to set foot in, monuments of the world's history he was curious about, and what other wonderful sights to behold. He looks to the "Accessory Shop", one of the largest and easily recognizable buildings the 1ST District had, a warm smile appeared on his face as she stared at it.
So many memories came flooding back to him, the place where he met Cid, discovered Moogles, crafted some of his most powerful gear and a wonderful place for himself and his two companions could just relax together.
Kairi joined him as he stared up at the building, tilting her head when she couldn't place the reason for his smile. When he turned to her, he gestures the building: "This is where I met Cid and the Moogles for the first time". On their left, he points to the shop where Donald's three nephews used to run during his time here, behind them, he points to the café that is now populated by dozens of people. Then he leads her up a flight of stairs on the right of the store, promising to visit it later and once he reaches the stairs, a voice calls his name.
The two of them blinked and looked around before Kairi spots something small hopping up and down at the top of the stairs, calling to them, no bigger than her hand. He has olive skin, thin black eyebrows, four-fingered hands, and wears the same white gloves so many of Mickey's friends seem to wear. He is dressed very formally, wearing a royal blue top hat with an orange band near the base, a red vest with a single, pink button on the front, a yellow ascot, a black blazer, and a high-collared white shirt, also sporting a pair of tan pants and yellow shoes with black tips. The little creature has a red umbrella in his hand.
Sora beams and jogs up to the bouncing being with a wave, Kairi walking closely behind him. "Jiminy, long time no see!", greets the boy with the biggest heart. "Jiminy" smiles warmly to the boy and impressively leaps up to the boy's shoulder. "Goodness, when did you get here?", asks the little cricket. "Just a few seconds ago, we were just here for a trip down memory lane", explained Sora, turning to Kairi who joins them on the top of the stairs.
Jiminy turned to Kairi before he takes off his top hat and bows curtly to the princess. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kairi", the little cricket greets warmly and kindly. The girl smiles back, remembering the little guy from Sora's tales. "It's a pleasure to see you Jiminy", she says with a friendly wave, "Thanks so much for documenting Sora's travels. They make great late-night stories".
She then frowns. "But, I thought you were with Sora the whole time?". At this Sora rubbed his neck. "He was…but after we were all gathered up, I asked Donald and Goofy to bring Jiminy back to their castle so he could be taken here for safety", Sora says. Jiminy nodded, confirming Sora's story before he waved his umbrella at him. "I still thought I should have stayed with you! I was there when you took on all the other bad guys!", argues the little guy.
Jiminy then folds his arm with a sigh. "I bet you had all sorts of adventures without me…". Kairi smiled at him and then reached into her pocket dimension and hands him her journal, to the surprise of Sora. "Well, it wasn't intentional, but we did have quite the adventure a few months ago", she explains. Sora looks at the pink and white journal with his girlfriend's name boldly written upon the face. He tried to remember when she bought it but came up with naught. Jiminy was shown a few pages before he beamed.
"Would you mind if I made a copy of this? Just so I can finish Sora's third journal?", pleads Jiminy. "Jiminy Cricket wants *my* journal to finish his?", Kairi says with glee, "How could I possibly say no?".
"Jiminy!".
A small young voice calls out, the three turned to see a little boy running to them. A boy who has thick, black hair and eyebrows, blue eyes, and four-fingered hands. He is wearing a yellow hat with a red feather in it, brown shoes, and white gloves (again very similar to Mickey and the others). He wears a tan, short-sleeved shirt under a black vest with gold lining. His shorts are red, and he wears a blue bow on the front of his shirt.
The cricket grinned excitedly as Sora beamed with pride. "Pinocchio?", he asked. The boy looks up at Sora and his face cracks into a giant smile full of childish wonder. "Sora!", he cried, hugging his leg. Kairi had a wonderous feeling those smiles were going to be a constant thing for the remainder of their trip here, watching Sora interact with some of his old friends. "When did you get here?", asks the boy.
Sora pats his head with a smile and says: "Just a few minutes ago". He allows Jiminy to hop back onto the boy's shoulder as Sora says: "Hey, you're not a puppet anymore!". That, Kairi had little knowledge on, having a bit of trouble remembering that part in the journal. The boy grinned happily as he nods and says: "Yup! The Blue Fairy came a few years ago and made me a real boy!". Sora pats his head, proud of the little boy. "What about your dad? How's Geppetto doing?", asks Sora.
"Father's great! Even without working on those gummi blocks, he still has time to make all sorts of clocks and other things!", Pinocchio says with glee, then his smile grows. "Are you gonna come visit him?". Sora looks at Kairi, who nods quickly, then turned back to Pinocchio: "Of course we will". Pinocchio looks at Kairi, shyly smiling at her before he introduces himself to her. "It's nice to meet you, Pinocchio. I'm Kairi, Sora's girlfriend", the princess introduces with a warm and friendly smile.
This makes Jiminy jump on the top of the former puppet's hat and smile at Sora knowingly as the hero blushed softly. Among all the people who knew about his affections towards the princess, none had taken greater notes of it than the cricket. He knowingly smirked at the boy, mouthing "about darn time" to him before Sora cleared his throat. "W-Well we gotta get a move on", he says, "We'll come by soon, ok?".
"Okay, see you later guys!", Pinocchio says before the boy scampers off into the town. The teens watch him as he disappears into the crowds, then Kairi looks at him. "A puppet?", she says, not entirely sure on the subject. "It's a long story, I'll tell you later", promised the boy: "But let's keep going, there's a few places I wanna look at before we go say hi".
Following the boy into the Second District, Kairi is adoring this peaceful and beautiful city with each shop they pass by. From a shop that sells the silliest of hats the two had ever seen, and after they purchased a few for the sake of their childish games.
The moment Sora put on that cartoonishly large green and black top hat with a comical bright red bow tie and presented himself to Kairi, she couldn't hold her laughter and practically rolled on the floor laughing. She purchased a larger than needed sun hat that could have acted as a protection from the rain for her and four others with it looking so ugly and an atrocious insult to fashion, she *had* to buy it.
Another wonderful spot was the water fountain with murals that rotated whenever the bell tolled, except unlike the last time Sora was here the fountains were active along with the beautiful dazzling lights that hypnotized them for a moment. Kairi even flicked one of the town coins into the fountain for fun, and even Sora joined in. When Sora asked her what she wished, Kairi playfully teases she could say otherwise it wouldn't come true.
When she asked his was, he shyly says it already came true. "That…you would be my girlfriend".
The worlds continued to surprise her because she didn't think she could find him any cuter than she already did. But again, surprises sprang upon her.
Walking through the districts and into the hotels Sora had met Leon in, they booked a room for themselves after they decided they return to Radiant Garden tomorrow. While Sora spoke with the front desk about the arrangements, she took a few brochures that piqued her interest in the town and puts them in their pocket dimension. If they were going on their world tours when the fighting was over, this world was a must.
Another interesting spot was the gizmo shop he explored once. The place was a factory of sorts, at least that was what Kairi could deduce based on there being not a single soul in the place nor could she even figure out just what the shop sold or even made. It did, however, provide her plenty of curiosities that peaked within her, seeing all the machines make noises akin to music, the designs looking like cartoony faces and even a clock that had a cuckoo when it reached mid-night/day.
Leaving the store to walk in the clearing of the district, Sora went on about his explorations of this district when suddenly as they make a turn for the third district, they could hear a small bark. Both turned around to see a puppy running up to Sora, yipping him happily. Kairi squealed in delight at the small baby dog as the pup pants in front of Sora.
A dalmatian breed with a large patch over his right eye, which Sora recognized almost immediately as he crouched and rubbed the pup's head. "Hey Patch, how you been buddy?", he asks as the puppy prances around the hand while Sora plays with him. The pup attacks his hand with his paws as Sora and Kairi laugh at the little fella. When the pup looked at Kairi, he immediately bolts to her and rests his front legs on her knees.
Kairi giggled as she cooed the puppy, petting him. "Aww, who's a cutie? This puppy", Kairi cooed as Patch rolled onto his back and she, in turn, granted him belly rubs. Kairi looks to Sora for an explanation as to why he knows a puppy and why he never told her he met such a cutie, prompting him to say: "He's one of the dalmatians I found during my first journey". "One of?", Kairi asks, smiling on the inside at the idea of there being more cuties.
Sora grinned back as Patch rolled back to his feet and pranced off, looking back to bark at them. Likely telling them to follow him. Knowing where the pup was taking them, Sora jogged after the small bugger with Kairi and in tow.
They arrived at a rather large white mansion of sorts that is connected to the gizmo shop with large white doors with blue stained glass. Patches was prancing in circles, barking at Sora to open the door for them, making the princess wonder how the crafty pup managed to get out in the first place. Sora opens the door, letting Patches run in first then he and Kairi followed shortly after.
Inside the house, Kairi was welcomed by the warmth of a fireplace bathing the room, spacious to hold a large amount of guests for parties with a handful of furniture around the place. The carpet was cream-colored with ticking clocks in the room. She follows Patches scratching the door while barking, looking at the humans for assistance. Sora smiled patiently and opens the door for his buddy…only to be tackled by a wave of white and black.
Sora yelled out in surprise as he was tackled to the ground, practically drowning in a sea of puppies barking happily at him while some licked his cheeks and rest on his stomach. The boy was laughing, ticklish to a fault as his friends rejoiced over him, all the while Kairi watched with glee as she started taking as many pictures of her boyfriend's predicament.
"So lucky", she thinks to herself.
Several pups look to the other human before they started to prowl around her, yipping at her and some whimpering for her to come down to play. Pocketing her device and carefully knelt to play with them, however the moment she was on her knees, the pups leaped onto her and much like her boyfriend she was on her back being smothered with puppy affection. The girl giggles as she and Sora rolled with the pups on the floor, the pups practically climbing them.
They were coming back, there was no doubt in her mind they'd come back here.
*Later*
After a hard goodbye to the army of puppies, the two had to move on to the last place Sora wanted to visit before they would go see Pinocchio and his family. The Third District.
A wave of her memories came crashing when she stared up at the old vacant house that she recalled Yuffie saying it was the "Super Secret Base" of the team. As super-secret as a vacant house was in a district only inhabited by heartless could be anyways. Kairi wouldn't say it to Sora but the house didn't have the pleasant memories one would think she'd have, rather it was a place she was forced to stay for her safety.
A forever reminder of a time where she was more of a liability to Sora than a needed ally. With only Cid as her "guardian", calling him that was exaggerated since she mostly confided in that place. Gratefully Sora didn't enter it and just walked down the slope and around the large wall before they stood in the middle of the clearing. A space with nothing to see bar the fountain in the corner, a few flags hanging on the walls and she saw one wire exposed with electricity sparking. Finally, a large door behind them that leads back to the 1st District.
Kairi watches Sora standing in the middle of the clearing, looking around and then turned slightly upwards to a balcony watching over them. A smile appeared on his face and for a moment Kairi swore he looked older for a moment. When he turned onto her, his smile was warmer as he addressed this place.
"You know, this is the world I found myself in when the islands were destroyed, right?", he asks in case he forgot to tell her. She nodded in confirmation, encouraging him to continue. "Well, this here? Is where my journey to other worlds started…and where I met Donald and Goofy for the first time".
Kairi smiles warmly at his own, understanding why this place held a significance in his heart. How could it not? He continued: "The first time we met, I didn't see them as friends, just people who need my help as much as I needed theirs. And here, is where my search for you and Riku took off". Sora looks around, taking in the sights that hadn't changed at all since the last time he walked through this city.
A world that held so many memories of the people he's met, his fights here helping him grow, seeing how different a world could be compared to his home. A place that exists between light and darkness, that forever shifts and changes to accommodate any traveler should they be lost, a place that would forever stay. Even with the pain that he was alone in a new world without his friends, it still carried a place within him.
Looking at all the sights again, seeing memories of him trying to jump from rooftop to rooftop, trying to find other means of reaching the top and how tricky it was to use magic to access another place. Now today? All a breeze for him. Scaling the buildings, using magic to get things going and not needing to worry about traversing the world. It felt like another lifetime for him, when he was no more than a fledgling keyblade wielder and still ignorant of other worlds, now he felt like he's grown into a better person.
Here where he met two of his closest friends, journeying with them to see so much to offer, fighting together and all leading up to the great battle of light and darkness.
He looks at Kairi as she and he stood in the center of the clearing, taking her hand. His smile dimmed at the memory of leaving her behind, down there in that little place where her old belief of light at the end of the tunnel shined through. The day he was given her lucky charm, the moment he made a promise to come back to her, and the very first time she spoke that sentence that always helped him triumph his greatest obstacles.
"Don't ever forget, wherever you go, I'm always with you".
She gently places a hand on his cheek as he replicated her action, brushing some of her red locks aside. "When this is over when we beat Xehanort…let's go for it", she says, "Our world tour". The promise he made to her in Eos, their adventures. "I want to see what else is out there, and I want to make my own story, but more importantly", she lists, cupping both his cheeks, "I want to make memories with you, experience all the things you did".
With the smile only she will ever see, Sora nods before they close the gap between their lips. No matter where they will go, he knows in his heart he'll always be with her.
*Later at night*
Shifting and stirring in her bed, Kairi blinked a few times before her vision was cleared of sleep. A strange sensation occurred in her body, waking her up much earlier than normal, and one glance at her phone resting on the lamp table near her bed proved her concerns.
Far too early in the morning, not even close to dawn.
She sighs quietly when she rolled onto her back, noticing Sora was still snoozing away with his back turned to her. Her ears picked up his gentle breathing with the occasional movement of his arm scratching his nose, something she noticed he does a lot in his sleep. Smiling tiredly and a little envious he was still off in the dream world, Kairi placed a hand on her heart and felt something is amiss. A strange emptiness inside it, like something had left it.
Or in this case, someone.
"Naminé?", she whispers, not to disturb Sora.
"Outside on the balcony", the girl responds mentally.
Quietly and with one more peck to his cheek, Kairi climbs out of the bed and throws on a nightgown Aqua had bought for her in Radiant Garden. Slippers on she walks out to the balcony, feeling the cold air of the night (at least the cold night normally brings) and sees Naminé staring at the skies in silence, her ethereal form glowing from the lights above. Kairi took comfort when she believes soon enough she will see her friend in a physical form sooner than later.
Joining her by the balcony, Kairi smiled at her as the girl's features softened. "Can't sleep?", the redhead twin asks, before cringing at the question. Naminé smiles and shook her head. "No, nothing like that…at least, not in the way you think?", she tries to explain. "But my mind is just too active for me tonight".
Kairi leaned on the railing with her elbows, still looking at her twin. "Do you want to talk about it?", she offered. This makes the blond frown while she was wringing her hands together, a look of guilt was slowly forming within her eyes. She stares up at the sky before she exhales air from her ghostly lungs. "…there are some things…I would like to talk to you about", she confesses. Naminé turns to the keyblade wielder and says: "There are two members of Xehanort's vessels that I'm afraid may use certain memories against you".
Kairi narrowed her eyes, already thinking of Ansem and Xigbar but Naminé shakes her head. "They are ones you haven't met yet, but Sora has", she clarifies. "Marluxia and Larxene, they were ones Sora had defeated back in Castle Oblivion, two years ago".
The name of the castle struck up fragments of memories for the redhead, the year Sora had lost because of the events that occurred there. Riku had given her the short and lack of clarity version of his recounting, but she never pressed for answers. All she knew about it was that was the reason she and so many others had forgotten Sora and why he was gone for a whole year. It made sense that the Organization had something to do with it.
"Why? What did they do?", she asks. Naminé looks away before taking a silent breath and faced her again. "Marluxia was planning to overthrow Xemnas alongside her", she says. "How? I mean I don't know how strong those two were but if it took both Sora and Riku to beat Xemnas then they couldn't have stood a chance, right?", Kairi asked. Even back when she was no more than a child with keyblade, Kairi knew just by looking at Xemnas he was one of the strongest beings of the darkness.
Sora and Riku back then were impressive but the fact it took both to strike down the leader of the Organization showed how crazy Marluxia's coup was.
"Me", Naminé says, "By using my powers". Kairi looks at her with a bizarre and confused look on her face, not recalling her possessing powers that could tip the scales to that great level. Naminé plants her hand on her heart and explains her "powers", the ability to manipulate Sora's memories because he was formed from his body and soul. The power to shift and warp his memories, changing the chains of memories within him that affects others as well.
"By using that, Marluxia planned to lure him deeper into the castle and Larxene beguiled him into believing the memories he was recalling were real. Ones including myself that never happened", she says. Kairi didn't speak during her story, how she tricked Sora into believing in his memories were real, how she changed Kairi's charm to a fake one of her own, and slowly but certainly became an obsession to the boy.
It shocked Kairi just how manipulative Naminé could be, the girl as fragile and gentle possessing such a darkness within her. But she refused to believe she did this out of her own volition, if that Marluxia and Larxene nobodies were anything like Xigbar then they must have forced the poor girl. After everything the girl had done for Lunafreya and them, there is no way she would do such a thing to Sora willingly.
"But you were forced to do it, weren't you?", Kairi says, almost pleadingly.
Naminé shook her head, shame appeared on her face as she turned to look down at the empty streets below them. Her eyes darkened with memories of that castle, her time where she used her powers to bring nothing but misery to someone so pure and dear to many. "I'd give anything to say yes, that Marluxia threatened me, Larxene tortured me to do whatever they wanted…but it wasn't them", she said. "As a nobody without memories or will of my own, I was docile. Anyone could tell me to do this or that and I'd do it…people like Ardyn could have told me to warp Noctis' memories to a point where he'd be a husk and I'd do it".
Kairi looks away as more of the explanation begins to harm her heart, unable to believe this. She knows nobodies were strange beings and Naminé, even by Ansem the Wise's studies, was a person of unusual nature. How could someone take somebody like her, a poor and innocent creature without a memory or will of her own and twist her into doing such monstrous acts that only those with the bleakest hearts could even think of doing?
"…I agreed to use my powers to manipulate his memories…all because I was so alone in that place…because my emotions developed and manifested with pain…", she says, her voice low and sullen as if she is ashamed that she performed such a cruel action over something so petty. She looked at the stars with a fragile smile: "But…even after everything I did…twisting his memories, luring him deeper into the castle, and even lying to him about who's the most important person to him was…he still saved me".
Kairi looks at her as the ghostly girl lightly giggled. "The moment I told him everything, even the promise he had is a lie, he still believed those memories of me were real to him…and rescued me from them all…", she lists. She shook her head, trying to keep her tears away from shedding. "How could someone like him exist, forgiving me for such a thing?". Kairi placed a hand on her sister's ghostly hand on the railing, phasing through it but the gesture was still appreciated by the girl.
"Because that's Sora, in a nutshell, he's a good person", Kairi says, smiling. "And any friend of his who needs help, he'll be there".
Then with a large smile, Kairi gestured the girl. "And hey, you helped him too! Fixing his memories, waiting for a whole year to do so too! You even helped us in Eos. So as far as I'm concerned, you've more than made up for what happened in that castle!", Kairi lists. She expected Naminé to giggle at her, be modest and say some non-sense like "I didn't do that much" or bashfully smile at her. Instead?
Naminé looked even more guilt-ridden.
Her eyes lost the light within them as she looks away from Kairi, making her redhead sister drop her smile and face her with worry. "…Do you know what other emotion I developed during the year of Sora's slumber?", she asks, low and in a voice that nearly sounded like Kairi was speaking to a completely different person. Naminé speaks: "Love…and jealously".
"What?", Kairi asks but Naminé shook her head.
"During that time with DIZ and Riku…those days, I spent putting Sora's memories together…I was constantly reminded by him I was never meant to exist", she starts, retelling her time there. Those days were some of the hardest trials she had ever had to face head-on, days where she was doing everything in her power to help putting Sora's memories back in place while keeping the chain of memories she created severed and stored in his heart.
Her teeth clenched in anger at the days that old man, that bitter spiteful and vengeful old man would constantly make snide remarks about nobodies not meant to exist. How every time she would discover a new emotion, the days where her guilt pushed her to tears, and every time she whimpered he'd cast it aside with a scoff. Cruelly reminding her "emotions" (he LOVED saying that word in such a condescending way) were nothing more than false imitations of her somebody.
Every day he would constantly put her down, feed her anger toward him and many times he would make heartless comments on Roxas and his false memories of Twilight Town. The day he was ejected from the realm of light, for the first time Naminé took immense joy of someone suffering a horrible fate.
"My only comfort as more of my heart grew, was funnily enough just talking to Sora in his sleep", she said, "Like yourself, writing letters to him to simulate talking to him". Kairi nodded in understanding, still wondering if she should let him see the letter she had wrote for him on the train before she was separated from the others. But she kept her mouth closed as Naminé resumes her confession, a part of her heart tugged when she starts to fear where this road will take them.
"Day after day I'd talk to him…how I was starting to feel more emotions growing within me, eventually talking nonsense with him", she says, "Stupid things like how I discovered what it's like to taste, how I explained why I like drawing and then eventually making horrible puns…". Her mirth died as the ends of her confession is reached, eyes shimmering. "But, as I started getting closer, and closer to finishing his memories, I felt it. I felt something entirely alien to me as a nobody is to Ansem".
Kairi clenched her hands, holding her breath knowingly. "All that time talking to him, the time we shared though brief were the happiest memories I had…", she wistfully sings…
"I feel in love with him…".
The silence between them was unknown to either of the twins, the wind breezing by them as the cold chill race down their spines. Kairi tried her hardest to keep her mind straight and heart, hurt by the confession, tugged roughly at the confession. Naminé rests on the railing again and casts her head down. "But with love, comes jealously", she goes on. "Every memory involving you was so pure, so wonderful and beautiful, at first I loved seeing both of you so happy…but little by little, that turned into resentment and jealously".
If manipulating Sora's memories was her greatest guilt, then feeling envious of Kairi's relationship with Sora is her greatest shame. Neither one of them deserved her contempt, neither of them deserved to be apart for so long yet every time she saw Kairi with Sora, she began to loath her somebody. The memories untainted by the dangers of other worlds, memories of Sora being so caring and friendly to her while she was playful and cheeky with him, moments she wanted for herself. Moments she wanted to be in.
A dark chuckle escaped her as she shook her head. "Do you know how tempting it was? I had gotten so used to his memories I could have replaced you with myself, wiped you clean from his, heck everyone's, memories and none would be the wiser", she says. Kairi says nothing as she looks at Naminé, her eyes saddened. "All it would take was just one little tweak…one alteration, and then the most important person to Sora, would be me".
Her dark look changed into one wracked with guilt as her shoulders shook as her eyes went watery. "But I couldn't…the moment I even thought I'd be able to do it…I felt sick, disgusted and ashamed of myself", she says, "After everything I had done to him, how could I be so selfish and just keep him for my own when I didn't even have the right to exist".
"So, you finished restoring his memories, and then you found your way to me", Kairi says, her tone deep and quiet. Naminé nodded, adding in the final pieces of her story. "…I could have returned to you after my first contact with Noctis…but I didn't want to".
She rubbed her eyes with her wrist, shakily breathing as Kairi stared ahead of them. "Every time I saw you and Sora together, your feelings laid bare, it hurt to see him, knowing I'll never be that person to him…that's why I stayed with Luna, just to escape that constant reminder". She tried to control her tears, knowing she had no right to feel this awful after nearly taking Sora from Kairi, the very person who owned his heart. Even for a while with Lunafreya, she didn't have to feel those ghostly imitations of having Sora's eyes on her, the warmth of love being directed at her.
Now that she was back in Kairi's heart, their bond so much stronger than ever it was like a constant slap to her heart, forever reminding her of what will never be hers. To be trapped in Kairi's shadow for the rest of her life.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…", she whimpers.
Then, Kairi wrapped her arms around her. Because of their connection, Kairi could "physically" hold her, making the blond gasp in confusion. "W-Why?", she whispered. Kairi held her tighter and says: "I'm sorry, Naminé. I, I didn't know how much this hurts you".
She was sorry? Her? After everything the blond had done, what she could have done, she was the one apologizing for something out of her control? She couldn't accept it, she was just trying to make her feel less like a mistake but her warmth from the hug felt so genuine it had to be real. "You have been through so much, and having Sora being that person to help you, I'm sorry you fell for him", Kairi whispers, "But if you hadn't helped him, none of us would be here now".
"You helped bring Sora home to us, you helped protect Luna log enough to reunite her with Noct", she listed, "And you deserve that love, deserve to have someone who sees you in that light but most importantly". Kairi faces her with the most strong-willed look the blond had ever seen directed at her. "You deserve to exist".
Naminé couldn't hold the river of tears running down her cheeks, unable to speak. Even after all she had done to the person Kairi loved more than anything, she still believed Naminé deserved the same right as her, Sora and everyone. Kairi placed a hand on her sister's cheek, brushing away her tears and said: "I promise you, you're going to find that person who will make you as happy as Sora made you, if not happier. And we're going to be with every step of the way".
The blond lets a watery laugh escape her before the laughs changed into sobs, burying herself in Kairi's shoulder as the keyblade wielder held her close. As Naminé poured her heart out, Kairi only affirmed a new promise.
"I promise, you'll get the freedom you deserved", she mentally promises.
A/N: DONE!
So this is a bit of a whiplash of a chapter at the third part huh? We've some romance~ And a character going through the KH sadness almost EVERYONE goes through.
Confession time about Naminé's story…originally the ending was Kairi offering her to be with her and Sora in a three-way relationship. Now I WAS considering it, but after some talks with a friend, we kinda thought it wouldn't work with Sora's heart belonging to Kairi. But what about you people? Do you think it could have worked or would that be WAY too out there for the story?
QUESTIONS!
Q1: Thoughts?
Q2: Noctis and Lunafreya exploring Twilight Town?
Q3: Disney Cameos?
Q4: Kairi and Sora's date?
Q5: Naminé?
Q6: Excited for training!?
Q7: What are you looking forward to in future chapters?
Q8: Whose gonna win in a fight, Axel or Lunafreya?
Thanks for reading everyone, stay awesome but more importantly stay safe!
