"Let me guess," Aqua said while leaning against the entryway to the Land of Departure's castle, "you want help with an enchantment?"
Kairi stood at the base of the threshold. She'd been clinging to her necklace much more often nowadays, the echo of Sora's beating heart providing much more comfort than the sentimental jewel on its own.
"Is it that obvious?" She giggled.
Despite her greeting words, Aqua didn't seem the slightest bit annoyed with the endless visits. A smile pulled at the corner of her mouth, and she nodded.
"I'm glad to see that Sora's worked."
Kairi looked down to where the pendant would be if she wasn't currently grasping it. She instinctively let it go and immediately missed the sound of Sora's beating heart.
"Thanks to you," Kairi smiled.
"I only helped him with the formula," Aqua said. "The enchantment was his idea, and he crafted the entire thing himself."
Hearing how much work he'd put into such a special gift, especially when magic hadn't been his greatest strength, Kairi couldn't help but beam with adoration.
"I'd like to return the favor," Kairi stepped forward, "and give him a gift just as special."
"And I'd love to help, there's just one problem," Aqua stroked her chin. Kairi was willing to do whatever it took before Aqua even had the chance to tell her.
Little did she know that the 'one problem' would turn into a full-fledged quest. During his many attempts at creating the enchantment, Sora had managed to burn through Aqua's supply of Orichalcum, a rare synthesis item required for spell-crafting. Natural Orichalcum could be found rarely, but the best way to get the material was through the moogles of Radiant Garden. Even then one still had to supply them with the proper materials needed to synthesize it, which included a combination of several crystals. Crystals that tended to be hoarded by Heartless.
Lucky for her, Heartless still roamed the worlds, albeit less frequently. Though it took her a few extra days to slay Heartless and gather the materials, it warmed her heart to see the worlds in a more peaceful state than before.
Throughout the endless fetch quest, during every fight and every detour, she could never quite bring herself to be frustrated. Certainly whenever she clutched her enchanted necklace, she couldn't stop smiling even if she'd wanted to. A part of her wondered if Sora could tell whenever she was listening to his heartbeat.
Or if he'd just gotten used to it, considering it was nearly constant.
Finally, field-worn and exhausted from a long day's travel, Kairi arrived in Radiant Garden. She briskly made her way to the marketplace, trying to avoid drawing as much attention as possible to herself. It pained her to not visit the friends who'd trained her, but she couldn't be seen in Radiant Garden when she told Sora she was on a getaway with the other Princesses.
"Greetings, kupo!" the little floating moogle bobbed up and down. "How can we help you?"
Kairi dropped the bag of crystals onto the countertop without further hesitation, along with the munny required. "I'd like as much Orichalcum as you can make with this, please," she smiled.
The moogle jumped as the large bag thumped onto the table. "That we can certainly do! But um-" he tried to lift the bag that was nearly twice the size of his little body. "Could you help carry this, kupo?"
Kairi giggled, "Of course," and carried it to the forge for them.
Aqua had been right about the Moogles working quickly. Kairi watched as the ore was spit out of the forge at a machine-like pace. The quality of work never wavered, however, as each crystal reflected nothing but perfectly pure translucent light blue.
"There's a little excess, kupo!" one of them placed a few small crystals into her hand. "Not enough for anything magical, but we could make some jewelry, kupo!"
"You can make jewelry?" Kairi asked.
The little puffball on its head bobbed when he nodded. "Certainly, kupo! Maybe earrings, a small bracelet, or even a ring!"
For whatever reason, the later suggestion sent her heart into a flutter. She'd planned on enchanting his crown necklace, just like he'd done for her, but now she couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing from her gift. Suddenly, just repeating what he'd done didn't feel like enough.
But were they too young to exchange rings? They'd already shared the paopu fruit, intertwining their destinies forever. And when they'd faced Xehanort together, their connection had sprouted literal wings between them.
She touched her pendant and closed her eyes, listening to the gentle beating of his heart. Wherever he was, he was calm, and she wondered if he was thinking about her just as much in that moment. After a deep breath, she opened her eyes and placed the small crystals onto the table.
"A ring sounds perfect, but not in my size."
No sooner than she'd set foot on Destiny Islands did Sora seemingly manifest out of nowhere and scoop her up into a hug. She squeaked in surprise and tried to catch her breath. Had he seen her coming and waited for her to land?
Once he set her down, she returned his embrace and giggled. "I missed you too, Sora."
"You were gone for so long," his hold didn't let up. "How did the ship treat you?"
"I'm getting better at piloting it, but it got me everywhere I needed to go." If only he knew the half of it. Remembering that the ship was still occupying the beach, she clicked the keys and dismissed the ship to the atmosphere.
He took her hand and began leading her towards the docks. Back on the main island, between their friends and duties, genuine alone time with Sora was going to be a rarity. All they had was here and now, on the small beach where it had all started.
She planted her feet into the sand and pulled his hand back. "Wait, Sora."
He did just that without hesitation, turning around and waiting patiently for her to continue. He cherished these little moments as well, but maybe he assumed she was just eager to rest after a long day's travel. Exhaustion did tickle the back of her mind, but she had to do something more important first.
"Do..." how could she even start? "Do you remember the day you found me on this beach?"
His head tilted innocently to the side as his bright smile graced her again. "Of course, how could I forget?"
She smiled back. "It's one of my earliest memories, and I don't remember much from then."
He noticed her clinging to her necklace and stepped closer. "Why'd you ask? Are you okay?"
"Yes," she answered too quickly. She prayed that he wouldn't misread her nerves as some sort of sickness and worry over her. No more waiting. She had to get right to it. "I have something for you, Sora," her nervous hands left the comfort of the pendant to search her pockets for not one, but two items.
"Kairi, you didn't have to-"
"I wanted to," she reassured him.
Sora's generosity knew no bounds; Kairi knew that better than anyone. But receiving a gift from someone he cared for always turned him from a big beaming smile into a puddle of emotions. He was never more bashful than when Kairi tried to shower him in affection, and she savored having this effect on him.
Her hand lingered in her pocket while she took a deep breath. "Not too long ago, you gave me...the most wonderful gift that I'll cherish forever." Involuntarily, she again grasped her pendant and smiled at the rapidly accelerating pulse. "It wasn't just the gift that made it special, but the promise behind it."
She could feel her face warming with each word out of her mouth, but Sora's equally flushed face was reassuring.
"Close your eyes," she said.
His gaze lovingly questioned her for a moment, but he complied.
This was it, now or never.
She brushed a hand down his arm and took his hand. He trusted her lead, allowing her to open his palm face-up between them. Gently, she placed the ring she'd commissioned into his hand, admiring the swirling blue material that reminded her of the ocean. Her gaze focused on his face, waiting for the realization.
His eyebrows shot up, and he waited not a moment longer to open his eyes.
"K-Kairi?!" He stared slack-jawed at the small band with wide eyes, like he didn't believe it was real.
His reaction solicited a laugh out of her, and she took his hand between her own, closing his fingers over the ring.
"I promise, Sora, to always be a part of your life no matter what, if you would have me." She'd practiced for this, yet she couldn't stop her eyes from misting. "You can interpret this however you'd like, but-"
"Yes."
"W-what?"
His face shifted from one of shock to a soft determination. Before her hand could reach into her pocket to retrieve the enchantment vial, it had been taken within his own and held to his chest.
"Whatever you want from me, the answer is 'yes'."
"Sora…"
"I love you, Kairi." With those simple words, he turned her mind into a scramble of love and affection. "How could I ever say anything but 'yes' to you?"
He pulled her into a kiss before his words could fully register, and all other thoughts vacated her mind. She'd never understand how so much love could pour out from one person. Even when she was the one showering him in gifts, he still managed to be the one giving back to her.
She parted her lips in an unspoken invitation, and he proved his words true when he answered her with affirmation.
When they reluctantly parted for air, she drank in his flushing face, messy hair, and thoroughly kissed lips. She didn't need her pendant to know how rapidly his heart was beating as she leaned against his chest and giggled.
"What if I told you," she began, slipping her hand into her pocket once more, "that there's still one more gift for you today."
"Kairi, please," he gripped her arm that was reaching inside her pocket, "you're gonna kill me if you keep being so...you."
"Nonsense," she bopped his nose and winked. "You'll recognize this gift anyways; it's not even that original."
She pulled out the enchantment vial without any further hesitation. Compared to Sora's luminescent red, hers shined in light shades of gold. She remembered Aqua beaming with pride when Kairi had successfully created it on her own within a few tries, saying she expected no less from her successor. Sora's eyes betrayed his recognition, and his body quickly followed as his hand covered hers.
"Kairi," he said, "I don't deserve…" he paused, and she gave him space to find his words. She waited only because there was no way for him to talk her out of it. He took a deep breath when her gentle silence lingered. "I've watched you slip away from me so many times. What if-" he stopped himself and looked away.
She cupped his face in her free hand. "What if it stops beating?"
He said no words at first, but the growing sorrow in his eyes told her she'd guessed right.
"I've always held onto hope no matter what happened to you. No matter what separated us, I've believed we'd find our way back to each other," he leaned into her touch. "But to lose you and know...I wouldn't be able to take it."
Subconsciously, he reached a hand around and began lightly tracing her scar through the back of her dress. It wasn't the first time he'd done this, having become his mind's way of communicating that his fears and worries were creeping forward again. She welcomed the habit, especially if it grounded him.
"Hey," she said, turning his face to meet hers. "I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I know you'll keep me safe." A knowing chuckle escaped with her next thoughts, "and we've defied crazier logic to save each other."
She was grateful that her laugh still had the effect of making him smile. His hand came to rest at her waist before pulling her closer against him.
"Hearts will always be connected," he sighed into her hair.
She nodded against his jacket. "The paopu fruit isn't just a legend anymore, Sora. I'm always with you." She pushed herself back to look up at him. His palm still held the ring securely. "It's okay if you're not ready-"
"N-no, I definitely am! I just," he paused and gave her a soft reassuring smile, "you're amazing, Kairi."
"You've given me strength," she smiled in return. Slowly, he freed her hand that held the vial, and she held it up. "May I?"
He nodded in preparation, but still his eyes were reddening. She began the incantation and quickly understood Sora's own nerves when he'd been the one performing. She only had one chance, and even the slightest misplaced recital or hand motion could ruin it all.
As expected, the magic shattered the vial and scintillated the air around them in a rosy glow. The fact that this had all come from her made her swell with joy, but when she turned her attention back to Sora, she found that his focus had never left her. The expression on his face was enough to make her waver for a moment, wishing to capture the occasion forever.
Careful to keep the hand she'd used for the somatics suspended in air, her free hand came underneath his open palm to hold it steady. If only her own hands weren't shaking.
It had only been a few seconds, yet each moment felt like an eternity. Every movement dragged on as if happening in slow motion.
Her casting hand floated down and ever-so-lightly brushed along the cold metal. The magic rushed into it, and without breaking contact, she slid it down his palm and onto his third finger. The evening sunset returned, and she released his hand.
His breath hitched the moment he touched the band and twisted it around his finger. She glanced back up to his face that had already begun to stream with tears. Through her fingers she couldn't tell if it had worked, but based on his reception she surmised that it had. Her own reaction to hearing his heartbeat through her pendant for the first time was still fresh in her mind.
His gaze wouldn't leave the ring on his finger.
"It'll still work even when you're not looking at it, you know," she leaned in teasingly. "Do you like it?"
His eyes found hers. To see him tearing up and smiling at the same time felt conflicting, even if the tears were from joy.
"Kairi," he cupped her face, and the enchanted metal cooled her cheek, "you have no idea."
"I think I do." She held her necklace and smiled at the calming heartbeat echoing in her mind. "See?" she giggled, "And you're still alive and well after all those gifts."
"I don't know," he teased, "this feels pretty heavenly to me."
Sora had gotten much more bold with the words he used on her since his return, but it still didn't stop him from blushing just as much as her.
Of course, just because he could hear her heartbeat whenever he wanted to didn't mean he was going to stop falling asleep on her chest at night. Feeling his weight on top of her as he breathed peacefully had brought her a sense of comfort and protection as well, and she wasn't going to let that go so easily.
Now, whenever she'd glance at him and catch him fidgeting with his ring, she could know that her love and her light were fighting away any demons trying to get a hold of him.
She wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N: Thank you for reading! I was wrestling with the kind of gift Kairi would give to Sora. She would definitely want to take it a step further, and what better way than with a ring ;) Hope you all enjoyed, and thank you for your patience!