Snuggled between his best friends on the rooms sole couch, Sora relaxed further into the calm atmosphere. Before them a tv played a grainy black and white film. For all their technological advancements, sometimes the latest and greatest still couldn't compete with good old fashion, old school. But as accused at times he had an old soul, though his childlike qualities oft times overruled that.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Tiny Tim's voice rang from the set, drawing a proud smile from Sora at the sentiment. No matter how many times he watched that movie the child's simple line got him everytime.
A whirring sound ended the movie as credits scrolled across the screen. Sighing with contentment his gaze fell between his best friends. Kairi curled against his right side, her head resting on his shoulder, gaze hooded, ever few minutes dark lashes fluttered in a bid to remain awake. Then on his left, Riku had long since lost the battle to sleep, his soft breathing the only indicator of his state.
Never had he felt any safer then at that moment, the thoughts of some age old war being fought the next day was of little mind, reveling in this simple moment.
"Movie over?" Kairi murmured.
"Yeah. . ."
"How long's he been asleep?" she questioned with a soft giggle upon seeing Riku. Usually Sora was the one to crash long before either of them, to see a change of characters was an amusement for her.
"About ten minutes into the movie." Sora answered with a knowing smile, the edges crumbling slightly as his gaze fell downcast. It wasn't that he couldn't understand why their elder friend had all but passed out so easily, having been in the Realm of Darkness for so long, the hard fought battles within, then to have fought Aqua as she'd been possessed for light only knew how long before Sora had arrived. Subconsciously he shivered at the memory, of watching Riku hurry towards the unconscious mouse king, of Aqua lunging for his unprotected back- if he'd been even a second slower. Sora fought the instinct to grasp onto Rikus arm to curl tightly around him to assure himself if nothing else that he was okay, that he was still here.
"Sora," Kairis gentle touch drew him back from his spiraling thoughts, realizing belatedly of his panting breath, the fear drawing shy of an anxiety attack. Though unsure to what he'd been thinking to have drawn this kind of a reaction, she drew herself closer, focusing his attention to her, to her soft crooning, the gentle warmth she naturally exuded from her Princess of Heart status lapping over his own heart, enveloping it in the ideals of safety of serenity, the promise that everything was okay.
"I almost lost him, if I had been a second slower."
"But you weren't, he's here, and he's okay," she assured. A part of her wanted nothing more than to wake Riku, to have him apart of this conversation, if for nothing more than Sora's sake. However she reframed, knowing if she did it would only upset Sora more.
A moment later however set that simple thought in vain as silver lashes parted. "Movie over?" A mumbled breath of a question, muzzy yet from sleep, still he was able to focus on that simple fact, alongside the staring contest of Sora and Kairi. "What? Something on my face?" he questioned, sleepily brushing at his cheek, confused all the further when the most he succeeded in was to brush aside several strands of silver which had been stubbornly attached.
"Heh, ha ha ha!" Laughing, Sora couldn't help joining in with Kairi's giggles. Always so cool and put together, it drew a wave of nostalgia to see Riku otherwise. Silver strands flattened against one side of his head, the strands he'd brushed aside had even left indents in his cheek leaving a crisscrossing of red markings.
Nonplussed to their reactions, he did as any elder sibling would do. Snagging Sora in a head lock, he mussed the chestnuts spikes to his squealing protests, setting Kairi howling with laughter harder. "Think your exempt?" he taunted, reaching past Sora to muss her own auburn strands, leading to a bout of playful wrestling there after, the three landing in a heap on the floor as a result. Riku somehow on the bottom of the pile, Sora crossed against his chest, with Kairi perched atop them both as though queen off the world. Which in hindsight wasn't that far off of an analogy.
"So what were you both doing anyways?" Riku accused.
"Watching you sleep." Kairi admitted as though that weren't creepy. Her expression shifting as she realized the exact conitations of that comment. "I mean, I know you did say that you were going to be more like Sora, but he's our lazy bum, what gives you the right to that title?" she teased, to Sora's protest. "Hey!"
"You are, Sora." Riku remarked, long fingers gliding across Sora's side, a sly grin lighting features.
Azure widened at the exact conitations of that silent threat, "Don't. . ." Sora began, struggling to free himself from Kairi's weight. "No!" his voice cracked an octave higher, descending into a series of squeals as those same fingers suddenly dug into his sides, hitting the very ticklish spots he tried so hard to hide.
Laughter choked his cries of protest, tears springing to his eyes until he found himself unable to properly breath beneath the tickle assault. "Uncle! UNCLE!" he shrieked, flailing out any loose limbs which weren't pinned by Kairi; the traitor! A moment later he found his elbow to strike flesh, a pained gasp escaping another beneath him. 'Serves him right,' he thought as he lay back panting, struggling to catch his breath as his sides ached from the laughter.
"Riku, are you okay?" At the note of concern within Kairi's tone, Sora perked up, taking note of how Riku lay beneath him struggling for breath as well, which was odd to Sora's view as he'd been the one under assault.
"Fine. . . bony elbow here. . . forget the Keyblade. . . there weapons enough. . ." he muttered, coughing softly as he sucked in air. A hand, not grasping Sora's arm where he'd pinned the offending elbow rubbed at his chest. "Of all places, you manage to actually hit there, and hard enough."
"I'd. . . say. . . sorry, but. . . you- started it. . ." The softest huff of a chuckle, Sora found himself leaning into the elders chest, relaxing with the sound. "This, is nice." He hummed. Laid across Riku's chest, the steady thrum of the elder teens heartbeat in his ears, Kairi wrapped loosely in his arms, it was- home.
"Sap," Riku breathed in his ear, the amused tone within lightening the feeling all the further.
/ / /
Azure stared out across the sands, his gaze leveled on the distant horizon. A dark shape amongst the dark sea, Children's Island; he knew. Their worlds heart. Was it any surprise that through the years, children had been drawn to that isle? After all, were not children's heart the purest of lights next to the Princesses of Hearts? Light drawn to light he supposed.
"Sora?"
"Hm? Oh, Kairi," Having failed to notice the girls presence, let alone her approach, he started slightly, though he hid it with an embaressed chuckle.
"Can't sleep?"
"Not really," he admitted.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?"
"Heh, I should be, but. . . I'm really not."
"Then what's wrong? It's late, you should be sleeping."
"It's not that late, and so should you," Sora retorted, though his tone held a lightness to it, making more jest than accusation.
"Mmm, it's- nothing."
"Tomorrow?" he coaxed, turning her question back to her.
"Kind of, yeah." she sighed. "You and Riku, and every one else has so much more experience than I do. Even Lea, and he just got a Keyblade. You've been fighting Heartless and Nobodies for years. I'm scared of holding you guys back."
"Hey, none of that," he assured, "You're going to do fine. I mean, you did great with those Heartless when summoned your Keyblade for the first time. You've got the instinct already and you're a Princess of Heart."
"I didn't summon it," she quietly confessed, to Sora's confused, "Hunh?"
"My Keyblade, Riku gave it to me. I don't know where he got it from, but. . ."
"Hmm, well, no matter how you got it, that's definitely your Keyblade and your going to do fine tomorrow. And if it gets too hard, you'll have us to rely on, you won't be alone!"
"Thanks. Same for you too, you know?" she shyly added.
"Yeah, I know." Sora nodded, his gaze growing soft.
He really did know. Donald, Goofy, ever since their islands had fallen, since he'd met the duo, through thick and thin they'd always had his back. Then, Riku. The elder teen had been nothing if not protective of Sora since they been reunited, the proof in more than just his presence. No, the proof Sora knew of lie in the scar on the elder teens side, the near invisible mark of a Dream Eater on his back as well.
Lastly, Kairi herself- even as doubt filled as she seemed, she had been at his side more times than he could count, her light guiding his steps even in the deepest darkness. It had been that very light that had ever guided them home to the islands in the first place. Making her no less important, or any less reliable.
"You never did answer my question." her prompting drew a slight flicker of confusion, unsure to what she was referring to. Which question hadn't he answered? "You never said what was wrong that was keeping you up, if it's not about tomorrow."
"It's going to sound stupid." he self consciously rubbed a hand through his chestnut spikes, gaze falling from her own.
"Sora," she coaxed. "I'm sure its not that stupid. Besides, you owe me one. I told you my reason."
"Blackmail? Rude." he teased. When she didn't give into his jest, he knew he was caught out. He could lie, concoct some story to satisfy her- but really, what was the point in that? "Okay, okay. . . It's just. . . we're going to miss Christmas!" he blurted out.
Kairi blinked. That had not been what she'd been expecting to hear. "I know it's still a week away, but. . . with the way time works between worlds. Would it kill them to wait until after the holiday to have their war? Bad guys have to celebrate Christmas too, right? So why do we have to go tomorrow? Was there some kind of written invitation, you are cordially invited to a War this day at this time, show up or else."
"Heh, I'm not sure about the whole invitation thing, but the or else I'm pretty sure is mandatory."
"Great," he muttered, flopping back onto a pile of blankets, realizing too late what or rather who was under those blankets as the muffled protest attested. "Sorry, Riku,"
"Mmm, so sure. . ." Silver appeared from within the cocooning of blankets, teal blinking blearily at the two. "What are you two still doing up? Shouldn't you be in sugar coma's with as many sugar cookies you inhaled?"
"Excuse us? Who ate most of the snickerdoodles?" Kairi protested.
Silver quirked at that, as the answer was definitely not him.
"Fine," she huffed with pout. A rare if no less fond smile met with that particular expression. While used to the multitudes of smirks and condescending smiles from past times, now however those were muted to non existent. Which she secretly admitted was a relief. Now however, the times they could drag a smile out of him, they spoke of sincerity, of fondness, if not a touch of sorrow to many. Each one more precious than the last, so rare in turn as well. Almost as if he felt he had no right to smile at all.
Still propped against Rikus' back and shoulder, Sora stretched his neck back, so chestnut spikes all but rested against the elder teens chest. "Are you worried about tomorrow?" the question blurted, with his position he all but felt the barely there flinch.
"A little," he admitted.
"We'll miss Christmas."
Kairi muffled a huff of laughter at seeing the exact same expression she'd had flit across Riku's face.
"You're worried about missing- Christmas?" his tone borderlined disbelieving, the silent thoughts added little weight. 'Not about the possibility of being severely injured, or losing one of their friends, even the thought of dieing held no prevalence clearly. No, he worries about a holiday.' Then again this was Sora and his oh so endearing childlike qualities, so really, why should he have expected anything less?
"We haven't celebrated in years, and with tomorrow, I just-" Sora broke off, both noticing almost immediately the sudden way he closed off.
"Sora?" Riku prompted.
"Nevermind,"
A flicker of unease, Riku sensed through their bond the emotional tides that swept over Sora, his simple announcement, not so simple for the teen. Maybe some of those darker thoughts did have at the very least some weight in the younger teens mind. "We're going to be okay," Riku found himself speaking aloud, "We'll be together and we'll watch each others back." he assured. "We'll all come home," he finished, shifting his weight enough for Sora to find himself swept into a tight hug, if at an awkward angle. Fingers fisted against Rikus arms, a hitch of a breath. To think one simple holiday would be the cause of such- grief for the teen.
To one side, Kairi sat with knees drawn to her chest, her gaze locked onto the swaying palm fronds, the full moon which crested the distant horizon. "We'll all come home." she murmured softly, as though trying to assure herself of that truth.
/ / /
Pale moonlight filtered through open window, curtains drawn aside, it filtered through uninhibited, casting shadows across the planes of his sleeping friends faces. Kairi on his left side; a soft murmur, fingers curled in the folds of his sleep shirt. Sora on his left dark lashes fluttering against his sun kissed cheeks, the softest of whimpers escaped him, the fears too clear across his features. The softest of sighs, the teen was drawn closer, the promise of the nightmares end soon to come.
/ / /
The headlong rush of shadow clad tunnels, Riku found himself to stumble as he landed, a weariness from the real world pressing against his shoulders to nearly drive him to his knees. Teal widened then- Not his, not his weariness, Sora's emotions.
"Sora?" Calling out to the empty streets of Traverse Town where he found himself, a sharp hiss escaped him as his mark flared with a brief stint of pain.
"Not far enough," he murmured softly, reaching out to their connection, sensing Sora's heart clearly through it. A shift of the word, a swift sense of vertigo he felt himself tip back, his body tensing of its own accord, expecting to crash onto the cold stone tiles beneath him- only, instead the town around him seemed to simply explode into a mirage of colors and shapes. Each fading of it's own accord as he dove further, the lure of Sora's heart calling to his own, guiding his dive. At his back he sensed another presence, a sharp chirruping squeak, Komori beat its brightly colored wings in a bid to keep up.
Again he found his steps to drop onto stones; cobblestones this time to be exact. Another town, this time bathed in shadows, a pale moon lit the starless skies above, tombstones surrounded him on all sides. A cemetery?
"Halloween Town," he breathed, recognizing the grinning Jack o lanterns set across a low stone wall. Within dreams his own form remained as human; or rather close enough to human. No one had yet to explain the exact consequences of being a human Dream Eater. Was he still human, or half some sort of creature?
He knew Sora for some reason he'd yet to fathom adored this world, claiming it to being the least threatening of any world encountered. The sudden sense of fear however, spoke to the lies hidden beneath the innocent scene. A sharp catch of his breath he found himself off balance, the sense of Sora's fear a strong lure, his own protective instinct melding with his Dream Form screamed for him to find Sora, to find whatever threatened him and tear them apart! Talon like nails drove into his arm to draw back his sanity, Komori's chirup, helped all the more.
With each dive he found his sanity tested the further, especially with every nightmare he drove off and destroyed. The mark flared once more, his steps responding even while his head still questioned where exactly he was going?!
/ / /
His boots crashed into a low running stream, his senses heightened the closer he drew towards Sora. At one point Komori had vanished, melding with his own form, the bat like wings now extended from his back proof. Where the stream ended in a sharp drop, he found himself launching into the air, his wings easily catching the barest breeze. Below a far spread forest stretched out, the skeleton like branches of trees stretching towards the heavens above. Within such was where he found Sora.
/ / /
Surrounded by a pack of Ghostabockys, his Keyblade flashed with pale light. A fire spell did little more than scatter several in turn with it's power. Fear made his arms heavy, his steps uncoordinated, Sora found himself to stumble more than once on the uneven ground, tripping over protruding tree roots in the dim lighting despite the full moon above. Against his breast he felt his heart beat a throbbing taboo-
THUMP-THUMP- THUMPTHUMP
His breath caught in his chest, the cry strangling him as he his heel caught the next root, upsetting his balance. Pinwheeling he found himself falling, the Ghostabockys who noticed taking advantage of such, lunging for the fallen boy. Arms raised in a paltry defense it was due to such that he missed the exact next moment; only felt the sudden rush of wind, heard the harsh dissonating cry-
/ / /
To see Sora driven back towards a bare hollow surrounded by a loose ring of trees; the single break in the otherwise so far inpenetratable canopy of skeletal trees, he lunged for that opening. Shadow clad claws smashed into the lead Ghostabocky; talons tearing through flesh like forms, his fangs were bared as the low snarl resonated in his chest. Any who came close were threatened in turn as he landed in a crouch before the boy.
The snarl pitched, as he dared any other to approach his Dreamer, the unspoken threat within gaze enough to set the remaining Ghostabocky to check themselves. The Nightmares recognizing a far greater threat than the boy and his key had been. Shadow darkened wings snapped sharply, likened to a cobra they spread as he stood, his form towering over their own.
"Riku?" the trembling note within tone, never had he seen the elder teen like this. The wings, the claw like talons; had the teen had a tail, Sora could imagine it trashing with irritance right now. It was then that it dawned on him- to have Riku before him, let alone in the same dream as him. Everytime before it had been the briefest of contact, the sense of the elders presence, if never the teen himself before Sora had found himself shuffled off to another dream, one of warmth, of light. The darkness and Nightmares left behind more than likely for the teen to contend with.
The slightest tilt of a silver head, the barest of glances with his name spoken, Sora found himself puzzled by that reaction in general. Wings folding back to tuck against spine, he crouched once more before his Dreamer, gaze ghosting over Sora's form for any injuries; if any found they were only one more nail for the Nightmares coffins. That same gaze then shifted to peer past Sora, narrowing slightly at the sight beyond.
Above and behind the younger teen stood a tree with the shape of a Christmas Tree embedded within, a golden door knob protruding. His rational mind lost to instinct, instinct screamed of getting his Dreamer out of harms way before he finished tearing the Nightmares apart. Satisfied by what he'd discovered, it was instinct which he acted upon. The door swung open, Sora found himself unceremoniously shoved through before a breath could escape him. Quickly remedied by a startled scream as darkness swallowed him.
Cold snow embraced him as he fell face first into the substance, jerking upright sputtering at the sensation. As he drew back upright silently he cursed Riku for having shunted him off as some child, a pout forming on his lips. Lasting as long as it took to lift his head to examine his surroundings. Jaw dropping open in utter surprise and delight, a whoop escaped him as he tore down the bank.
/ / /
"I've got it!" Sora cried shooting upright, his hands shoving blankets aside, azure glowed in the islands dim lighting, his excitement contagious. "Kairi, Riku! Wake up, come on, come on!" Shaking both awake, Kairi was easier, waking with a mumbled threat of harm for having been woken as such. Riku took longer, but in his haze of euphoria and epiphany Sora barely noticed already rambling a mile a minute.
"Sora, SORA! Slow down!" Kairi commanded, side eyeing Riku as he finally woke, the faintest flicker of pain within his gaze, before he dropped back to near sleep. "What are you talking about?"
"Christmas Town!" he shouted, unable to stay still at the mere idea. "We can go to Christmas Town to celebrate Christmas!"
"You woke us in the middle of the night, for that?" Kairi groaned. "You could have told us this in the morning. We can go there if you want in a few days. . ."
"No, tonight."
"What?!" she shrieked, shooting back upright.
"We'll go tonight!"
"Sora, we-" Unsure how exactly to counter that, let alone how to respond, she stared with at him with a hint of dismay. And the baffled look he often received as if he'd grown a second head, usually a response to his numerous plans and ideas over the years.
"Riku, gave me the idea tonight."
"I did. . .?" One eye slit open enough to peer sleepily at Sora.
"Yep." Sora popped the p as though to accent his point. "When you threw me through that door in Halloween Town, it leads to Christmas Town! So I thought it's always Christmas there, and we could go and have Christmas before we have to go fight in some war."
"Sora," Kairi began, "the fight is tomorrow." she reminded.
"Yeah, so? Yen Sid gave us the day off. With the time difference, we could be there for the day and still have hours left before we have to leave. We can go, have our Christmas and still get back for the fight." Sora set out his plan, azure gaze all but puppy eyeing Kairi and Riku alike. "Please?"
With a side eyed glance towards Riku, Kairi shrugged, awaiting his response to all of this. Technically Yen Sid had given them the day off to rest before the fight. So it wasn't really all that irresponsible if they went, as long as they got back in time for the fight the next day. Right? "What do you say?"
Pale lashes parted revealing the slightest annoyance within teal, although that gaze softened into something more thoughtful. It was one thing to dive to protect Sora from Nightmares, that he didn't mind. But when the younger teen started awake as he had it all but ejected Riku from the dreams. The sensation like a strong rush of vertigo, leaving him unbalanced and near sick with vertigo when he was woke after. Then to have been woken to this particular announcement. Gut instinct screamed that there was something more behind this simple request. "Why not?" he eventually shrugged, relenting. The slightest tug of a smile tugged at his lips as Sora beamed in utter delight. For all intent and purpose he might as well have hung the stars to Sora's view. "Since it's this important to Sora." he added softly.
"Alright!" Sora cheered hopping to his feet, before he suddenly whirled on Riku, pointing sharply at the older teen his expression morphing into mock severity. "Now, I'll finally be able to prove to you that Santa is real!"
"No he's not," Riku instantly retorted as if continuing an age long argument.
"Is too."
"No,"
"Yes,"
"Santa is not real."
"Is too, and I'll prove it!"
"Whatever you say." Riku rolled his eyes, shaking his head to Kairi's amusement.
/ / /
Christmas Town; announced the cheerfully decorated sign towering over the trios head. Beyond brightly colored lights reflected off the pristine snow, the cobblestone streets all but coated by the substance even as more fell from the dark sky above. Electric lights on strings stretched from candy cane striped posts, while wreathes adorned doors and windows alike. Frost coated windows from which towering furs and pines decorated by a coating of tinsel and baubles peered out from.
As Sora tugged his best friends along, carols were being sung by elves as they were led about on their sled by a reindeer. Warmth exuded from the homes they passed, the scent of cakes and pies absolutely everywhere, wafting from the store fronts. Staving off the chill Sora returned with mugs of hot chocolate for the trio from one such store.
"This way," he led further through the streets, ending soon enough before a large brick warehouse.
"Santa's Workshop." Riku read with a smirk, awaiting for the other shoe to drop. Which was soon enough, his jaw being the shoe as he gapped at the sight of the jolly man whom appeared from within the workshop, heartily greeting Sora. A snow white beard falling to the rotund mans feet, clad in red velvet with a trim of white, the pom-pom hat atop the mans head shook as the man chuckled merrily at Sora's enthusiastic greeting.
"Santa!"
"That's-"
"Santa." Kairi proudly grinned, enjoying perhaps a touch too much of the silvers discomfort when said acknowledged the silver haired master. Though that for the most part had been Sora's doing as the younger teen had drug Riku forward.
/ / /
"It sure was nice of Santa to give us these sweaters and let us hoard in on one of his elves houses for the night." Kairi drawled, biting back the grin that threatened to form at seeing Riku's shoulders slump.
"I'm not going to hear the end of this, am I?"
"Mmm, maybe in a year or never." she fully grinned back, all teeth and too reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat.
"What are we sitting around here for?" Sora suddenly questioned rhetorically, the pom pom on his own santa hat bobbing in time to his eager step, bounding into the living room from the small kitchen. "It's a white Christmas," he hinted, throwing open the front door as if sight was needed for proof.
/ / /
Snow flakes fell from the dark sky, providing the perfect substance for ammunition. Hastily packed snowballs flew in all directions. Snowman were decoys, or shields, Keyblades were forbidden, to Sora it was perfect. At least until Riku being a jerk shoved a handful of snow down the back of his sweater in retaliation of being tag teamed on by the younger teens. Kairi had howled in laughter at that until Sora pelted her with a snowball of his own, catching her full in the face. Jaw dropping, he hadn't expected that particular result. Of all the times his aim goes skewed.
"You're dead." Riku laughed, dodging the poorly thrown retaliation of Kairi, who was yet wiping snow from her face.
"And your perfect," Sora announced to the elders confusion until being used as a human shield, he found himself taking the next snowball.
/ / /
Snowballs forgotten, the three lay panting, the cold air stinging their throats, their laughter warming them more than plenty.
"Snow angels!" Sora announced as he was drawn to his feet, his artistic work remaining. Which of course, Kairi had to mimic, never having done it before, then again, this was her first time ever seeing snow. Riku seemed less enthusatic of its substance, quietly admitting to Sora later that he'd dealt with it in the Land of Dragons.
/ / /
"Are you supposed to put a lid on this?" Sora questioned peering at the pot of chestnuts he'd prepared to have roasted by the fire. After their stalemated snowball fight and their field of Snow Angels, they'd retreated to their temporary abode, sweaters now hung to dry, boots near the fire. Kairi sat in an armchair, blankets coiled around her form, gaze hooded, she stared at the flickering fire, the warmth which filled her from more than just it's power.
"I thought you were the expert here on cooking now?" Riku questioned, his own hands full with making their hot cocoas.
As if proof to those words, no sooner had they returned and dried themselves from the snow, Sora had set to digging out every ingredient to every cookie he could think of, littering the counter with butter stick wrappers to half emptied bag of sugar and flour. Some of which coated said teen with a fine layer, casting dark strands nearly the same shade as Riku's own. (Never use a mixer on high speed.) And now the ovens were bursting with a batch of sugar cookies; for Sora, Snickerdoodles; for Kairi, and some thumbprints which were already being prepped for the dark chocolate drops Sora had discovered; for Riku.
"Well, Little Chef is the real cook. He mostly just moves me around when we cook." Sora admitted. "And, we never roasted any chestnuts. Escarcole sure." he shrugged.
"I am not sure I want to know what that is." Riku grimaced, having been told of the true ingredients of previous dishes cooked up by the mouse and Sora.
"There just sn-" A hand pressed over his mouth, silenced that answer before it could fully be spoken.
"Again, I don't want to know. For that," he continued, pointing at the chestnuts Sora held, "put one on to be safe. We don't need another popcorn incident." Riku hinted.
"I thought we promised never to speak of that." Came the protesting whine.
/ / /
Curled around the fire in various settings, Kairi yet in her armchair, Sora had claimed a second, Riku after eyeing the small couch dubiously had chosen to claim the rug before the fire, his back against Sora's chair. Pale gaze hooded, the blankness within less withdrawal, more a sense of contentment, a luxury he rarely allowed himself, if ever in the last few months.
"This is nice," Sora found himself to mumble aloud.
"Mmm," Riku hummed an agreement.
Silently, Kairi observed her boys from her seat. Noting with a spark of warmth, the honest and more frequent smiles Riku had given throughout their time in Christmas Town as of so far. Then of Sora, the ease he'd interacted with them. Their trip had been good for them all, a chance to relax before tomorrows battle.
Instantly she felt as though she'd been plunged in an icy river, the fear and nervousness of the upcoming battle killing her mood. 'She was still so new, not even battle tested properly. What if she held the others back? After all they had been fighting for years.' Then the thought which frightened her the most of all, the source of numerous Nightmares. 'What if Sora or Riku ended up hurt because of her? Because of having to protect her? What if they were killed?!'
'No.' Mentally slapping herself, she shook off her spiraling thoughts, focusing back on her boys, on the moment of now. One where they were safe, where they were together. "I want to go on the Carosaul!" she suddenly blurted to their shared surprise.
"Yeah! We were too cold and wet after our snowball fight to do it earlier. Let's go now!" Sora scrambled for his boots and sweater, enthiastic of the idea. A broken yelp escaping another at his sudden movement.
Muffling a snicker, Kairi watched as Sora turned back to find an annoyed Riku drawing back upright from where the chair he'd been leaning against; the one Sora had occupied- now lay a few feet back. His weight having shoved it back from the lack of weight; felling the teen in the process when Sora had abandoned it so quickly.
/ / /
Strolling side by side, their shoulders brushed as Sora hauled the sled back to the hills cusp, Kairi at his side. Ahead- of course- was Riku with his own sled and Kairi's. The two had fallen behind, not necessarily out of laziness, but rather they'd, or rather Kairi had figured out- that they could step in Riku's tracks and it made it easier for the two of them to travel through the deep drifts. Though after so many runs down said hill, the snow was pretty tramped down by then.
After having rode the Carosaul multiple times to Kairi's delight, they'd discovered the elves stash of sleds, commedering three which they'd been offered. Then with directions they'd hurried for the closet hills. The first few being of barely any obstacles, after that had been a competition between them, with them seeking out harder and harder hills, the current being their latest conquest.
Trees stood sporadically throughout the drifts of snow, small naturally formed ramps only added to the fun and difficultly.
"Who's first?" Riku rhetorically questioned, after they'd caught up and Sora had positioned his sled.
Peering down the incline even he felt a flicker of unease. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to have mentioned this hill. From so high up, the town was nearly a dot of light in the distance. Then the abundance of densly packed pine trees between, the heavy drifts of snow; all begged for a sledder to be dumb enough to attempt it. Wipe out! Wipe out! Wipe out! The hill seemed to scream. Mentally shaking himself, he couldn't back out now. "I'll go." he volunteered, instantly mentally face palming after he'd done so.
"Sora. . ." Kairi began hesitantly eyeing the same incline. "I don't think we should do this one."
"It'll be fine, no different then the last one." he assured, though to whom he was assuring was unclear. 'After all, if I can fall off a mountain in Arrendale twice, slide through an ice maze, and sled down a mountain on a shield this should be nothing.' he mentally psyched himself up.
"Sor- I think I have to agree with Kairi on this one." Riku spoke up hesitantly, shifting uncomfortably in the snow.
"We walked all this way up, we can't just not go down it on our sleds. It'll be faster than walking."
Unfortantly they agreed to his theory, though a gut feeling yet persisted otherwise.
"Let's go on a different hill," Kairi persisted. "Maybe the last one? It was tough, but. . . it looked a lot a safer. . ."
"Kai~ it'll be fine. If you don't want to go down it, then you can walk back down or take the other hill, unless Riku is chicken too?" he threatened, azure twinkling with mischief, intentionally seeking a rise of the age old competitive streak in the elder teen.
"SORA!" As said set himself to launch into empty space for the rush down the hill, (yes, he was trying to cheat with a head start) he found himself yanked back by a grip on his sweater, leaving him to watch his sled shoot down the incline and his butt sitting in cold snow.
"What the heck?!" he protested to having found Riku's grip as the culprit to both events. "Why'd you do that for?"
"First, cheating?" Riku called out, then jerking a thumb towards the incline, Sora winced at the sight of the sled now in splinters littered across the snow, a result of meeting a tree after launching itself from one of the jumps. Which with the sleds passing was now revealed to have been a sturdy base of a boulder. One of which had his weight been added to the sled he would have met, and none so gently. "Oh," he cringed.
"Yeah, and we both know you'd have aimed for that very spot. We're aiming for." Riku accused.
"I had a Keyblade!" Sora protested, trailing off at the conitations the boulder poised. "I could have. . . okay, yeah. Thanks." he eventually agreed with a sheepish laugh. Surveying the damage, he frowned. "Something tells me we're done sledding, and I owe an elf a new sled." he rhetorically announced.
"You think?" came a snort.
/ / /
"Are we there yet? How about now? Are we there yet?" Sora whined.
"Now I remember why I like traveling with Mickey, it's quieter!" Riku threw over his shoulder.
"Rude!" Sora shot back, sticking his tongue out with all the maturity of a five year old.
"It does seem longer going back down," Kairi added.
"You're not going to start with me too, are you?" Riku groaned.
A mischevious grin, she and Sora exchanged glances, a silent signal between. "Are we there yet?" they chorused in unison.
/ / /
Half way back down the mountain they encountered a small locomotive which circled both town and hills. A hitched ride, the rest was history as they stumbled back into the living room, collapsing before the fire which some elf had tended to in their absence, light be praised! Although Sora swore some of the cookies were missing in return.
"I'll take a few missing cookies if we get a warm fire to come back to." Riku murmured, laying before said on the small rug. Kairi was at his back tugging at his sweater trying to encourage him upright at the least to draw it off. A soft groan he complied a moment after, collapsing back once it had been removed.
"Lazy bum," she teased, hanging both sweaters up to dry once again, casting a heavy blanket over him once she'd finished.
"Yeah, yeah." he dismissed.
"Excuse me, but I thought you were the Keyblade Master here, shouldn't you be in better shape?" Sora teased, a plate of cookies in one hand as he came to stand over the silver teen. Pale lashes cracked open at that particular jest, an annoyance within gaze and furrowed brows.
/ / /
Warmth; not to mention feeling having returned to their limbs, an imprompt fire spell finished the drying of their sweaters.
"Ice skating." Sora announced, herding his best friends back out into the chilly night.
"Ice skating?" Indigo shot in his direction. "I've never ice skated. I don't even know how to ice skate!" Kairi protested.
"How hard can it be?" he questioned, the familiar grin spreading across his face as he crossed his hands behind his head.
"Wait! You've never skated either?" she accused.
"Well~ no, but again, how hard can it be?" he shrugged. "Besides, it looked fun, didn't it?" Eagerness shone within azure depths, the gaze slipping into his pleading of a puppy's.
Kairi felt herself caving with the request, "Fine!" she agreed, throwing her hands up, surrendering. How could she deny? And, it did secretly sound and look fun from the glimpses they'd caught on their train ride back.
"Okay then! Come on, Riku!" Sora pumped his fist into the air, leading point towards the frozen lake they'd seen.
"You two have fun,"
"If I have to embaress myself here, you can join us." Kairi threatened.
"I know my limits, and the answer is no. You are not getting me out there." he denied, the soft twinge across his left side and back accenting his decision. Teal leveled with azure as Sora paused, fixing Riku with his patented puppy stare. Having grown up with that very stare, he'd long since become immune to it's charms. "Answers still no." he quirked a brow, daring Sora to challenge further.
"Fine~, but you'll be missing out!" Sora enticed.
"Yeah. . . no, I don't think so."
/ / /
It wasn't until hours later; after they'd been ice skating- well, she and Sora had, Riku had found and cleared a small snow covered bench to perch on. A suspicious shape; Gummi Phone related, appearing within cupped hands, a sly if no less fond expression lighting his feature with every wipe out, or near ones. The next time Sora uttered the words 'how hard could it be?' she was going to punch him, then remind him of ice skating.
She'd lost track how many times she ended up on her butt on the cold ice. Skates shooting out from under her just when she thought she'd gotten a grasp on them, on her balance, she'd take a step forward and- ice meet bottom. Exhaling a huff, she could at least tuck away the memories that Sora hadn't been any better, though he had grasped it faster then her. His excuse being to blame it on the Winter Woods. Where ever that was. . . In fact, a suspicious Sora shape still marred the once perfect snow banks that surrounded the lake. Light, she hoped Riku had gotten a shot of that, or a video at the very least. (She wasn't that stupid to think he wasn't getting pictures or videos.)
She'd tried at one point during her worst times to bribe or even blackmail the silver teen into the bruising she was receiving to her pride, to get him to join them. Maybe to even knock his own down a peg or two, but each time he'd managed to dodge her attempts. An amused glint to his gaze as she threatened.
Now, settled before a roaring fire, mugs of cocoa heaping with mimi marshmallows within grasps; sleepily, if content continence on their faces. Even curled as she was amongst her cocooning of blankets, Kairi found her gaze to ghost towards the silver teen. A slight frown tugged at her lips, noticing then how he kept curling the fingers on his left hand; a flicker of something appearing in his gaze each time he managed a loose fist.
"Riku, are you okay?" she spoke up.
Silver snapped up at that, blinking seemingly in confusion.
"You keep working your hand there, I was wondering why." she explained.
"It's nothing." he dismissed, letting his arm rest at his side.
"Riku," Likened to before, Sora had claimed one armchair wrapped in his own cocooning of blankets, Riku propped against it once more, which let Sora tower over the elder, or at least give him enough height to peer over one shoulder. "Why do you keep doing that? You did it earlier too after we went sledding." Kairi was surprised by that remark, having missed that particular moment.
Indigo to azure leveled with his own teal. With a heavy sigh he knew neither was planning to ignore this now, like dogs with bones they would keep nibbling until they cracked through to the marrow. "About a year ago, when I was in a fight, my wrist got messed up," he quietly admitted. "and now, whenever it gets too cold, it tries to lock up on me."
"Why didn't you tell us before?" Kairi prompted.
"There wasn't anything to say."
"You could have told us, we wouldn't have stayed out so long." Sora added.
"Which is why I didn't say anything." Riku retorted. "It's nothing, okay? I've dealt with it for a while, it's not that big of a deal." he shrugged.
"You still should have told us." Sora protested. Then like a light bulb, the sudden inkling caught him off guard. The flicker of a memory, of Riku protecting him from Xemnas, then how he begged off from ice skating. "If your wrist does that, what about your side? Does it hurt from the cold?" The barest of flinches, had he not been looking for it he'd have easily missed it. "It does, doesn't it? Riku~" he drawled the name, earning another flinch.
"Would a Cure spell or a Potion help?" Kairi offered.
"No. I've used so many on them, I'm pretty sure their immune to their effects now." he attempted a wary jest.
"Oh. . ." she murmured. To know of such wounds that he hid from them this long, of the consequences to their placements, as well as the elements themselves wrecking havoc. At times she was unsure whether to admire his stubbornness to bear everything alone, or to be appalled by it.
/ / /
"It's starting to get pretty late," Riku warned some time later, to Sora's protest of- "Soooooooooooo. . ."
"So, we do have an obligation tomorrow,"
"But we haven't exchanged presents yet, or told stories by the fireplace or-" Interupted by a jaw cracking yawn, the younger teen slumped all the further in his seat.
"We can exchange presents if you want, but after that, we should get going."
"Fine~" he drawled, though the prospect of exchanging gifts did perk him up.
/ / /
"Hold on, hold on!" Sora protested stacking the last gift beneath the tree, his gaze lit by excitement. "There!"
Brightly wrapped gifts littered the base of the tree, stacked haphazardly amongst one another, until only the wrappings distinguished one from another. Kairi's expertly wrapped, cutesy paper; bright blue with flamingos in Santa hats danced across hers, while Sora's less expertly wrapped consisted of a suspicious amount of hodge podged pieces of wrapping paper to a couple of recipits from a Moogle shop. Though he had gone all out with the ribbons to the point the paper was barely seen beneath such. Large bows attached to their tops, were surprisingly larger than the gifts themselves. Then to Riku's, naturally his were wrapped with about the same care as Kairi's own, though like Sora's; without the recipits- were a hodge podging of paper scraps.
"Kairi first!" Sora announced, handing off his own gift to her.
The usual taunt was used to prolong the suspense. A careful measure of size, then weighing it, she even teased him with shaking it, until he was squirming in his place by the tree with anticipation. "Kai~"
Ribbons and paper at last removed she came to find a bracelet within.
"It's an Imperial Crown. Lea said that you were really good with your magic, so I had that syntheisied. Not only does it boost your magic, it also has an ability that lets you keep going during a combo even if you take damage, and when your magic starts getting low the other ability kicks in making your magic even stronger than ever!"
"Oh, Sora, thank you! But, now I feel bad about your gift. . ."
"Hey, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it!" he beamed with reassurance, to which unintentionally brought a blush to her cheeks.
/ / /
With the gifts dwindling to the last few, well one to be exact or so Sora claimed, the younger teen excused himself to the kitchen for moment.
"Riku, thank you for the synthesis ingredients."
"Sure. I figured since your one of us now, you'd like it better then my trying to find anything else." Riku shrugged, almost shy of admitting his otherwise lack of ideas. Or rather the fact that it had been a spur of the moment, last minute decision.
"It's perfect. I can't wait to make something with them." Noting Sora's absence yet, she couldn't help exchanging a glance with the elder teen. "What do you think he's up to?"
"Who knows." he shrugged.
"Sorry, that took a little longer than I expected." Sora apologized as he returned, a plate clutched in his hand, which was covered by a silver cloche. "Any ways. . ." Suddenly shy, he set the plate before Kairi and Riku, his gaze remaining downcast the entire time as he explained. "So, I know I already gave you guys your gifts, and I really do like what you gave me! But, this- this is. . ."
"Sora," Riku prompted, gently resting a hand on the younger teens shoulder for support.
"This is for us." he announced, sweeping the cloche to one side to reveal-
"A Papou Fruit!" Kairi gasped.
Teal searched Sora's downturned gaze, trying to understand what exactly the younger teen was trying to offer. The sharing of the Papou Fruit was between two people, usually lovers, so why had? Withdrawing his grip, he understood too clearly. 'Of course, he wants to share it with Kairi.' As if any other idea could have ever been an option.
"Riku, where are you going?" Sora protested as he rose.
"You and Kairi, I'm sure you want some space," Riku offered waving at the fruit. "It's fine."
"What? NO!" Latching onto the leg of the elder teens jeans before a step could be made, azure gazed at him pleading. "It's for us, all of us." he desperately tried to explain, his words slipping into a rambling plea to be understood. "You, me, Kairi. I mean, I know it's supposed to just be between two people. But your both important to me. I can't, I won't chose just one of you." Trading glances with Kairi to assure that this was acceptable to the auburn princess, the silent nod was enough to allow himself to be drawn back to their sides.
With Riku back to their imprompt circle, Sora set to picking up the Papou Fruit, having already split it into three pieces. The fruits juices trickling down his fingers, left a sticky if slightly gritty feeling in turn.
"Tomorrows fight will be our toughest yet," Kairi suddenly prompted, grasping her own piece.
"Yeah." Sora agreed, sombering slightly at the mere thought. "Which is why I wanted to share this with you both. I want to be apart of your lives no matter what. That's all."
"Sora, Kairi," his voice low, the sincerity in gaze enough, to prompt them into silence; long enough to hear him out. "Tomorrow I'll keep you both safe." Riku promised, picking up his own piece.
"No," Glances exchanged, Kairi and Sora smiled in turn. "We'll, keep each other safe."
The fruit rejoined for the briefest of seconds, the promise spoken over such cemented with the first bites taken. Sweet like a mango with a hint of coconut, too soon the fruit was eaten, until only a couple of leaves and the stem remained.
Maybe it was merely a legend- a story told to children as a Fairy Tale, but the warmth that filled their chests spoke otherwise to the truth.
/ / /
"Merry Christmas, you guys." Sora grinned sleepily as they boarded his Gummi Ship.
"Merry Christmas, Sora." Kairi murmured, leaning heavily on Riku. "Merry Christmas, Riku." she added, half hugging him in turn.
"Merry Christmas, both of you."
/ / /
Whatever would come next, their destinies were now cemented, forever would their lives be intertwined.
/○-^ 🔔🔔🔔 /○-^
Hey everyone! First off, thanks to those of you who read this piece. Please excuse any typos, I am human and we are prone to mistakes in grammer, etc. Also, spell check for some reason doesn't check half the words and the ones it does it won't give me the proper spelling to correct them. . . go figure. (shrugs)
Another thing I do want to note upfront. The only romantic pairings here are between Sora and Kairi. The relationship between the two of them and Riku is strictlyly platonic. More big brother with little siblings than anything else.
So, fun fact: Orignally this story was planned to go in a completely different direction. Was going to end up a kind of make fun of Charles Dickens classic, but with Kingdom Hearts characters instead. Plan A was: Sora wants to spend Christmas with Kairi and Riku, but with the war coming up, he can't. So after watching A Christmas Carol, he gets this brilliant idea of going and haunting Xehanort into letting them have the day off and set the war a few days later. That was Plan A.
Plan B, was about the same, only difference was instead of Xehanort, it was going to be Yen Sid, and more of the cast would have been involved on the 'ghosts' end.
Plan C. . . This was the one that decided to take over and next thing I know I'm listening to the Nightmare Before Christmas What's This song on repeat and WHAM'S Last Christmas, and this is writing itself instead.
As for Plan A and B. . . I think I saw a few sentences not written over there. (Looks over shoulder at non existent pile of paper) Soooo, Plan C it was. XD
Even I'll admit, when I was writing this, I was like aww, this is cute with all the fun in the snow for them. And then I got to the Papou Fruit scene. I wrote it, went back to edit it later and stared at it for a good five minutes rereading it because I had not planned to make this a rewrite of that scene. It was definitely a Plan C thing, because A and B would have had nothing to do with it. But it fit in so well, and I just couldn't take it back out or delete it, and it wrapped up my chapter so nicely. . . so, Plan C won and got to keep it.
I have about five chapters planned of this story, mostly because two of them are just short fillers than anything else. Also, I'm planning on posting them consecutively, once a day. So, expect another chapter tomorrow. Albeit, a much shorter one. Okay, it's one of the filler chapters. But it's cute!
Well that's all I have for now! Until next time, LRW