Fluttering petals,
A transient world of dreams,
But love lasts beyond.
A sudden rough breeze rattled the branches of the tree, startling the two resting beneath it. The princess saw the shadows swaying in unison across the grass as if dancing along with the wind and giggled. Like most young children, she immediately drafted an idea for a new game to play and began leaping between the patches of shade, always trying to keep her toes touching at least one. Also like most young children, her games were laughably simple. It didn't make them any less endearing, however. Her grandmother, while not able to join in leaping around playing leaf shadow hopscotch, still seemed quite content watching.
"Do you remember who we thank for these trees, Kairi?"
The small girl paused in her play, considering the question. "Um...Sir Arnold?"
Her grandmother found it amusing, that the child had named the castle's chief gardener, rather than the correct response she was going for. She shook her head and waved the precious bundle of light over to snuggle with her under the shade of the maple.
"Light is a wonderful, warm, comforting thing. To me, it's like...reading a good book in a quiet place with a nice cup of tea ready. What is light to you?"
Kairi cuddled close to the only person she could. "Um...light is like...bubbles! Big flowers, and raspberries with cream..." She started rattling off her favorite things, using her tiny fingers to count them off. "Cute stuffed animals, drawing pictures with Namine, dessert time with mommy—oh! And seeing grandma! And-"
"And what do all those things have in common, sweetheart?"
Kairi blinked, her mouth hanging open slightly as she searched for the right answer. Her grandmother found it incredibly difficult not to smile at such a caricature.
"Maybe some day you'll understand. But it's important to remember how lucky we are that the light protects us. You know where it came from, don't you?"
The small princess snuggled down closer to her grandmother, experience telling her that story time was about to begin.
"The Seven Holy Ones of the past were once each rulers of their own kingdoms. Eventually they joined them all together to form our Gardens, but back then those kingdoms were a very different place. The scent of darkness filled the very earth, the trees, the air. There was so much to be afraid of."
A small hand clenched at the shawl that the queen mother had draped over her lap to shield it from falling leaves, and she knew to to dwell on such frightening notions for too long.
"No one wants to live in darkness forever. Even when all seems hopeless we all yearn for even the tiniest speck of light to guide us. Somehow the Seven managed to collect the light and banished the darkness from our home. They purified it all."
Kairi bobbed her head in understanding, but was trying to wipe the sleep away from her eyes. She wouldn't be able to remain awake for much longer.
"Their journey isn't over. Outside of our Gardens, outside our protective wall of light there is still darkness. Frightening creatures, hatred, disaster and calamity. But we are spared all those things so long as we keep the barrier of light standing tall and proud. And you know how we do this, right Kairi? The Gods trusted us with the light for generations. As they trust you and me, now."
The queen mother stroked her grandchild's auburn hair protectively as the young girl was slowly pulled into an afternoon slumber.
"Darkness is always trying to corrupt our light. It seeks in ever deceptive ways to destroy our protective wall and shatter our hard earned peace. This is why we must separate ourselves from the world and from others as much as possible, Kairi. To keep our hearts pure, even if it means we can no longer touch others, or let them touch us. It is...lonely. But I will always be with you, for as long as I can be."
Another breeze, lighter this time, bounced the branches and leaves about in the spring air. The young child giggled in her sleep and clutched her grandmother's shawl a bit tighter.
"Together...grandma..." Her little voice briefly sighed as she tried to regain her comforting bubble of warmth and snuggled closer.
"My sweet little one..."
The unmistakable scent of her daughters' chamomile perfume caught her nose, and the former queen searched the garden until she found her face. Her daughter was standing far from the shade of the grand maple tree, her expression twisted with longing as she watched the two of them share a lazy afternoon. As much as she wanted to wave her daughter over, she knew that was impossible.
The Queen, as regal and loving as she was, was among the others.
She tipped her head sadly in their direction, and tip-toed off, alone, through the rose bushes.
Kairi's grandmother faced the sky, trying to not let her eyes spill over with the tears that threatened to streak down her cheeks and stain her blouse.
"Kairi, I fear sometimes that we are all mistaken. For what light would force such suffering onto children, still filled with hope for the future?"
The shadows continued to shift across the wizened time-worn skin stretched over her bony hands. The very hands that had, for her entire life, perpetuated the loneliest family tradition. 'The tragedy of the royal house,' they all called it. And the rumors that the holy waters in the fountains were really made of generations of tears and unrequited dreams still persisted.
"Perhaps the light we carry is a mere projection, a copy of something greater and yet untouchable that is still hiding beyond our reach. Our light is but a refraction, after all. And if this is so..."
She moved to rest her hand against little Kairi's cheek, hoping her granddaughter would not forget the warmth of another in the cold years to come. It was such a burden that she would be leaving her. If only her health could hold out just a touch longer...
If only...
"I want to believe that you will find it some day, Kairi. But perhaps it is not something that can be found by one person alone. Even if that is the case, never doubt your own power. Because I know you will understand what light truly is, and what it should be."
But the sleeping princess heard none of this, her mind drifting content through the world of dreams.
The dirt clod thumped against the courtyard and split open, scattering into pieces, but it didn't seem to do anything to satisfy Seifer's frustration after chucking it. He clicked his tongue and stabbed his sword point down into the sand, slumping against the stone wall.
"This is a waste of my time."
Says the guy who lost… Sora mumbled inwardly, trying to shake the numbness out of his wrist. While a quip like that would be satisfying, it certainly wouldn't ease the tension between the two of them. He finally sighed and tried to say something slightly more diplomatic.
"Look, you're the one who challenged me. If you didn't want to in the first place then why di-"
The meaning behind Seifer's glare was pretty clear: stop talking. Sora complied and clamped his mouth shut.
"You must be cheating somehow. I've always won before. You're too pathetic to possibly beat me fairly twice in a row."
Come on, I'm right here! At least save the insults until when you are training with Fuu and Rai later...
Crossing his arms, Sora tried to quell his rising frustration and just let the other knight vent. Seifer was full of a lot of hot air but he wasn't a bad guy, didn't mean most of it, and was a pretty dependable teammate, in the end. Sora knew it was important to not jeopardize the success of any future missions by antagonizing him further. Keeping this in mind, Sora tried to swallow his own opinions down. But that guy made it real hard sometimes.
"I was fighting you fair. Really."
Not to mention, he wasn't even sure how he could cheat in a one-on-one spar. The rules were just whoever got the first touch or disarmed their opponent won, and Sora had definitely knocked Seifer's sword away with his parry. It's not like he had wiped Seifer's sword down with lard from the kitchen pantry beforehand. Ugh, that'd be pretty gross. Besides, he might have technically won, barely, but it still hurt.
And despite Sora choosing not to say quite a number of things to keep the peace, Seifer somehow looked even angrier than before.
"Oh, I get it. Not cheating, huh? Is it because you think you're better than me now? All because she picked you, you're suddenly the expert."
Is that what this was about? He was still upset about the selection ceremony? Surely there had to be more than that.
"I got lucky that she picked me, that's all. Besides, I was training really hard just before the ceremony bec-"
"Because of your promise, blah blah, blah. You never shut up about that. You think you're the only one who is fighting for something? That you're special?"
"Of course not. We all have our own reasons, but we all have the same goal and that's what makes us all work so well together."
Seemingly not getting the reaction he was looking for, Seifer instead glared up at the star strewn sky and smacked his fist against the stones behind him. Against his better judgment, Sora plopped himself down nearby, offering a water pouch over. There wasn't much left, but it was better than nothing. Seifer might get under his skin now and again, but it was obvious he was going through something difficult and needed somebody to talk to who wasn't going to come back swinging.
Seifer eyed the water for a moment, then scoffed, turned his head to the side and spat out across the dirt.
"...Why are you always so damn irritating?"
"Sorry. I'm not trying to be."
Seifer batted the pouch away. "Whatever."
Flippant dismissals like that didn't bother Sora one bit. It meant Seifer was acting normal again. Sora tried not to let him see the smile he felt creeping up inside. He had been worried something really serious had been wrong with him, the way Seifer had been lashing out at everyone lately. But now he was lightening up a bit, thankfully.
The two of them sat up against the wall, staring at the stars silently. He tried not to consider the fact that Riku was probably sleeping easy right now while he had to deal with this extra night watch stuff. At least it was just another hour or so. But another hour with Seifer could get...tricky.
While they sat, silently tolerating each others' presence, Sora thought he heard a faint mumbling coming from the spitfire next to him. It almost sounded like he just said 'happy birthday...alone,' but that was such a bizarre thing to say Sora just assumed he misheard.
It wasn't Seifer's birthday, right? No, definitely not. His was pretty late into winter, just before the evergreens were lit all over Trabia to celebrate the rising north star. Sora celebrated his own birthday in the spring, after first thaw, so that wasn't it either. After all, surely Seifer wasn't talking to him. He really wanted to ask, but had the distinct feeling it was something he wasn't supposed to hear.
Before he could decide if he was brave enough to try questioning him, Seifer broke the silence.
"Of all the people I had to get stuck with tonight, it had to be you." He kicked at a loose pebble, sending it skittering across the hard ground. "Hey dunce, you believe in all that crap about destiny? That there's supposed to be some grand purpose for all of us?"
The fire in Seifer's eyes had petered out a bit, and he seemed quite poignantly sad about something, as if he was searching for an answer to form itself in the twinkling lights above. Sora wished he could say something smart, or even philosophical like Riku. His friend was always good at that sort of thing, but as hard as he tried nothing was really coming to mind.
All he could do was be honest.
"I'm...not sure. I just try to do my best. Sometimes it's not good enough but when that happens I dust myself off and try again."
"Heh, well isn't that just a hunky-dory life motto. I'll never understand where the hell you get that optimism from. It's nauseating. Guess that's the one thing they didn't chew out of you?"
Sora scuffed his shoe against the dirt and sighed, trying not to remember. That was such a low blow to bring up, seriously?
"I...guess not."
Surprisingly, Seifer actually looked a tad regretful at his choice of words, and offered a conciliatory sigh.
"Look, don't take me the wrong way. I get it. Destiny's never done me any favors, so screw it, right? Make your own."
That wasn't...exactly what Sora had meant. He didn't particularly mind if some mysterious person or thing called destiny was out there or not, but to Seifer, destiny seemed to be some force that was actively trying to kick up trouble for everyone. It was something he had to actively shut down from intruding into his affairs. That or it was something to show off to, prove something to. Seifer did like being a Mr. Bigshot, after all.
Sora felt like people would be better off if they were more okay with themselves, flaws and all. But that was often easier said than done.
"I think...the most important part is making sure to never give up. If there is destiny or not doesn't matter. If something is controlling when I fail or not that still won't change me wanting to keep going. Keep moving forward from one day to the next! Or...something like that."
At first, Sora was worried Seifer was going to berate him again, but his teammate was finally not glaring in hatred at something for probably the longest stretch of time since their night watch had started.
"You're still a nauseating optimist. But it looks like we can almost actually agree on something, after all." Seifer leaned back against the wall, finally seeming to be a bit more at ease. Finally.
In the silence, Sora felt his thoughts drifting back to a certain feisty princess, who was probably by now sleeping off the pain of the day in her room just over...in that direction. Hopefully she wasn't having any more of those horrible visions in her dreams. She had been suffering from those day terrors more and more frequently now. He hated seeing her face twisted up in pain like that, but the worst part was not being able to do a thing about it. Just having to sit there and wish all the ways things could be different. Wish that he could just wrap her in his arms and tell her all the things he wasn't allowed to say. To comfort her properly, dang it!
These suffocating rules were the worst.
He wondered if at least she was cuddling a certain little unicorn close to her as she slept. This time he wasn't able to hide his smile in time, and Seifer grunted in disgust.
"What are you smiling about now?" Sora opened his mouth but couldn't even respond before Seifer grunted at him again. He liked doing that. "Don't bother answering. Whatever you say'll probably just tick me off."
Fair enough. Sora knew he probably couldn't tell the truth about it anyway.
Gazing upwards, he kept trying to push her out of his mind, but it was nearly impossible. She was everywhere. The fountains, the streams, heck even the little puddles of water that pooled under the watering cans reminded him of all the kindness she offered to everyone, at the cost of her own happiness. She was so...inspiring? No, even inspiring wasn't a good enough word. Sora wished he had a deeper vocabulary to express the swirling clouds of thoughts and feelings that always bounced around inside of him. Wait...did clouds bounce? Not likely.
He shook his head to try and clear it.
Something about the way the stars gleamed in the night sky made them seem so much brighter, but he couldn't tell if that was just the fault of the clear weather or the love tinting his eyes.
Oh man, was he seriously admitting he was in love now? Dang it, dang it, dang it, just thinking the word out loud in his head felt really good.
I think I love her.
'I told you.'
Ugh, that snarky voice in his head couldn't help but get the last word in there. This time he didn't even bother fighting it, the thoughts of her were just too nice. She could make him laugh. Heck, she could make Riku laugh, too. And while she was undoubtedly as sweet as pie she had just the right amount of tart to make things interesting. Kind of like raspberries: the best berry ever.
Was raspberry pie a thing? He wanted it to be a thing. Maybe she would taste like...
He realized far too late, embarrassed, that his heart was thumping hard in his chest, and his face no doubt was tinged with a pink which would be a bit difficult to explain away if it was spotted.
That, and...it really wouldn't be good to linger too long on thoughts of her. Not in that way. Because Riku had been right. The more he fell for her the more it...kinda hurt.
Because he could never...
Better to change the subject.
"Seifer, why are you fighting? Against...destiny and all that?"
The knight next to him hawked and spit again out into the sand. "A little birdie told me to."
"Uh..."
"I know what's important and that's all that matters. Plus, it's not like I'm gonna sit here and spill my guts to some dunce who can barely remember how to saddle his own wyvern."
That was one time, and he was super tired that day…
Seifer, grumbling, stood up and smacked at his uniform to clear away the dirt, getting ready for the change of guard call that would be sounding out soon. Sora started copying his move, kicking off the wall and trying to pat the dust off. The courtyard was much drier than normal, mostly due to the drought that was still carrying on. Sora still found himself often looking up hopefully at the clouds whenever they tinged a bit more gray than usual, but there was never any rain to show for it. Several water reserves were hitting their record lows, and that meant certain spots low on the priority list, such as mostly empty courtyards like this, were going to wither up first. He hoped for Kairi's sake at least that it would rain soon.
Feeling clean enough at least to head back without dragging too much of the courtyard with him, he gave Seifer a quick glance to see how he was coming along. His teammate was just finishing up brushing off his shoulders. As he did so, Sora got a slight glance at a shimmering brass swallow Seifer had pinned to the back side of his lapel, hiding it where it was harder to see. It was remarkably delicate, looking more like a brooch worn by a free spirited young woman or someone quite delicate themselves. Of which Seifer was neither. And Sora suddenly wondered if this was his 'little birdie'.
Someone important to him had given him that bird, no doubt. Racking through his brain, Sora was trying to remember him mentioning any girls before. But there was only one name he had gotten second hand from when he had been doing exercises with Rai. Rai was pretty chatty during warm-ups, but it was usually about athletics tournaments. Every now and again, though, he let slip something he probably shouldn't have. Pretty sure he had said once that Seifer had an older sister named...Elaine? No...Ellone.
Smiling, Sora gestured over to the pin. "Hey Seifer, is that cute bird from your sister?...Ellone, right? Oh!" Something clicked in his head from the mumbled words he had overheard, wishing someone a happy birthday. "Is that what you were saying earlier? Is it Ellone's birthday today? Are you going to vis-"
The air was instantly slammed out of his chest. He wheezed, not sure what had even happened before Seifer reared back to punch again, changed his mind, and shoved him hard against the stone wall, gripping a fistful of his shirt.
"Is that some kind of sick joke? You trying to mock her!? Mock me for wearing something girly? Huh!?"
Gasping for breath, Sora tried to push Seifer off just to get a bit more room, but he was only pressed harder against the wall.
"Wh...at are you talking about? I-"
"Don't you ever say her name again. She had more grace in her little finger than you can even conceptualize in your pea-sized brain. I'd never let her associate with average pond scum like you. Not even her memory!"
Bright stars like the ones in the night sky started popping into his vision and he struggled again, this time managing to kick Seifer off enough to free his lungs. Sora stumbled backwards clumsily, feeling equal parts relieved that he could breathe again and baffled that he got attacked in the first place. But he also felt pretty bad when he realized what Seifer seemed to be implying about her.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know she..."
Rather than explain, Seifer kept glaring at him, the flames burning brighter than ever in his eyes. "Gods, just looking at you always pisses me off!"
Sora apologized again, not caring about the pain in his stomach. "I wasn't making fun of the bird. I think it's really nice that you keep something of hers to remember her by."
"Ugh! You don't know anything! You just bumble around with that stupid grin on your face and don't know anything!"
Sora ducked away the arm threatening to shove him again. "I might not know much, but I understand when something is important."
Like a beast bearing its fangs, only looking for the right place to strike, Seifer circled him.
"I doubt that. You can barely go a day without mucking up, and the way you're so careless with the princess, it feels like you are just trying to get us all killed, starting with her."
Careless!? Sora couldn't hold back his rising anger this time. This is where he drew the line. Insult him, fine. Insult his intelligence, wyvern saddling or fighting ability, fine. But never question his desire to keep Kairi safe.
"You're wrong! I care about her more than-"
Seifer didn't even let him finish.
"Oh, trust me, I know. It's written all over your face." He reared back to punch again, and Sora had to dodge again, this time getting clipped slightly on the shoulder. Sora winced, but his teammate refused to back down. Seifer continued his rant, trying to rain blows down as he did so.
"Our oaths are one of the most important things we have and you throw them to the wind like they're just suggestions!"
A left hook swing and miss.
"Calling her nicknames, bouncing and smiling when you talk about her like some lovesick puppy..."
Another full body punch, aimed at his stomach again.
"It's like you think she actually cares about you!"
"She does care!" His voice retaliated back so loudly it startled Seifer into stunned silence, and the attacks ceased. How could he question something like that!? The fact that she cares causes her so much pain and loneliness. It was her greatest struggle, and anyone should be able to see that even if they only met her once. The way she gazes out at the world around her with eyes that yearn to be a part of something she can never be. It was obvious. And maybe the way Sora felt about her was obvious on his own face, too. But right now that didn't matter.
"She cares about all of us! Every one! She cares so much it hurts her every day, every moment, because she knows she isn't supposed to but can't help it. That's the kind of heart she has! She appreciates everyone for who they are, and is willing to give up everything just to keep them happy! How could she not care!?"
Finally regaining his composure, Seifer snarled back at him. Thankfully not punching any more.
"Idiot! You're just a tool to her. We all are. If an enemy comes knocking you're nothing more than a sword and shield. If she tells you to throw down your life you do that without question, and that's it."
"I will."
Sora's stern, unwavering answer echoed into the night sky. Seifer faltered, at least until the echo died out, but then narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.
"Really?" Backing up a few paces, Seifer yanked his sword out of the sand and pointed it directly at him. "All of us swore an oath to uphold the honor of the royal family. My sister gave her life for that oath. And I'm willing to follow her lead, if I must. I have chosen this to be my path, my self made destiny. I will defend true justice, no matter who I have to cross blades with. No matter even if I have to break the brotherhood code by striking down a former friend should they jeopardize the good of the kingdom. Are you wiling to do the same?"
Sora didn't even hesitate.
"I already told you. I made a promise."
There was a moment of cross tension, as the two knights stared each other down. But Seifer broke first, clicking his tongue and sheathing his sword, this time in its scabbard instead of the ground.
"Fine. Maybe you do understand. But I'm still keeping my eye on you."
Another flippant dismissal. That meant things were okay again. Sora immediately relaxed, glad that things had somewhat been resolved, trying to ignore the ache in his body where he got punched earlier. And...new rule: don't mention his sister again.
But on the bright side, he thought to himself with a slight grin, Seifer had definitely called him a friend. Sure, it was stated in anger as a threat with a sword pointed at his face at the same time, but he was gonna take what he could get with this guy.
Seifer took one look at him and swore under his breath. "What, thankful I didn't stab your heart out? How are you smiling again? Unbelievable."
"I'm just glad I have such a dedicated friend on my side I can count on."
Seifer's face reddened and he punted away a small dirt clod chunk broken off from the one he had hurled earlier.
"Idiot. We're supposed to be rivals."
"Why can't rivals be friends?"
He knew Seifer wouldn't answer that one, and sure enough, the other knight started huffily stomping his way across the courtyard. There was the light dong from the bell to signal the guard change and Sora felt an intense yawn coming on. Great, he could finally get some sleep now. Somehow he had managed to survive a night shift with Seifer, and at least patched things up slightly with him in the process. It wasn't a fantastic way to spend the evening, getting beat up and insulted, but it wasn't too terrible all things considered.
After having sat on his response for a minute, Seifer half turned to shout over his shoulder.
"Just focus on your job. Be her shield. One slip up and you're dead. Because if the enemy doesn't get you, I will."
Sora didn't doubt he meant it.
As the two knights started their walk back to get some rest, neither of them noticed the midnight black raven perched high up on an upper balcony railing, its sharp yellow eyes piercing through the darkness with its gaze. Those eyes that had been watching them initially out of idle boredom, now flashed in interest.
It was hard to say why. It was a raven, after all.
The bird tilted its head curiously at the boy with the bright sky colored eyes and bouncy spikes for hair, almost as if it could place his face somewhere in its memory. For good or for ill, the raven then clicked its beak twice, then alighted from its perch.
It was about time to fly.
A little birdie said so.
There is a special flower they say, that only blooms in the dead of night and guides enamored lovers to its presence. The flowers are rumored to glow the same pale luminescence as the moon, the petals easily scattering along the breeze and filling it with so many fluttering pale lights it was almost like being in the center of a blizzard. Were it not for the warmth of spring, it would easily feel like winter had come again. The legend says that together two lovers can dance through the gale of flowers, unseen and undisturbed by the expectations of the world.
Kairielis reached her fingers towards the image of her face reflected on the surface of the mirror. The tarnished edges were chipped, her eyes looking back at herself trapped and desperate. But as her fingers brushed across the cold surface, she realized it was actually a pond. Her fingertips sank into the water, sending ripples across it, rattling the reeds in the distance. Her knees were pressed against the grass, getting slightly soaked from the wet soil. And it was the image of the moon reflected back at her, not her face. The sad, lonely pale moon, its image shifting across the rippling water. She felt such a strange melancholy. The moon shouldn't be lonely. It should be beautiful and mysterious and glow with a silver hue. But the moon can't cry out for help even if it wanted it. It just has to hover above the earth it loves, providing a gentle light, looking on, moving the tides under its gentle power.
Before she could stop it, she tumbled head first into the dark pond water, feeling it fill her lungs as she sank dreamily down into its depths. It hurt a little, but she couldn't move. The water filled her, consumed everything about her. And all at once she remembered the existence of those strange moonlit flowers and yearned to see them. She didn't want to be trapped inside this mirror. Or this pond. She wanted to be there, in a storm of flower petals, comforted by someone, anyone.
No. Not just anyone. She wanted him.
She blinked, and he was there, petals circling around and between them. He batted a few away from his ever bright eyes and laughed.
"It really does look like it's snowing! But it's definitely not winter, right?"
She took one step out into the field, feeling the soft touch of the flowers against her ankles. No, it wasn't winter. But it might have well been winter for her whole life. So cold, so unable to feel the warmth of another person. She yearned to feel comforted like that, even just once. And he was right there, so close to her.
Almost as if he was wondering what was taking her so long, he called out to her, his voice so encouraging and hopeful that she felt all her fears fading to nothing.
"Kairi!"
He didn't have to call her twice. Her breath caught in her throat as she ran. She chased towards that beautiful moment, her hands outstretched towards the sky like how the faraway treetops yearned to meet the sun. And she crashed straight into his arms, knowing that at least in this moment, in this brief glorious moment she was sheltered in the silver light of the moon, the caress of the wind, and Kairi was no longer a princess.
She was just a regular village girl, and that was more than enough.
It was all she wanted.
Yet this mysterious world lit by the light of falling petals was only a dream. A dream she would look back upon fondly, even as it shifted from the sincerely beautiful to the downright bizarre, with the two of them dancing hand in hand through the swaying flowers to a musical score sung by miniature instrument-carrying moths. But he was there by her side through it all, never once pointing out the sheer unrealistic nature of that place. His fingers entwined around hers, never letting go.
She had never felt more safe.
And accompanied with his sunshine smile, he told her all sorts of things. So many stories that she would soon forget, slipping away from her like the seeds of a dandelion puff on a strong breeze. She could watch them float away, scattered into the abyss of memory, slipping through her fingers even if she wanted to catch them. Because like all dreams, it had to soon come to an end.
Just before it did, there was one sentence of his that remained in her mind. One breathless phrase he whispered to her, as he held her tightly amid the falling petals. She could almost feel the warmth of him, even through the illusion of it all. His breath, soft on her neck as he leaned towards her ear.
"Kairi, I'll never forget you. And even if you don't remember me, please don't forget who you are."
It was such an odd thing to say. Maybe that was why it stayed with her. Or maybe because, just after he said it, he brushed a hand affectionately through her hair, his other arm protectively up against the small of her back, pulling her closer. His touch was so warm, so comforting, yet she still shivered as his fingers lightly traced lines down her cheek.
She could never forget something like this. Nor would she ever forget that unbridled lightness that made her want to fling her whole body into him, clinging to his shoulders as he spun her in circles, both of them laughing into the non judgemental night.
And if she could be a little selfish, she wanted him to kiss her, too. She lifted up to her tip-toes, hoping he would see her raised chin and grant her wish.
Nothing else in the world mattered more.
Her heart pounding sharply in her chest, filling her with the most swelling, pure fear was nothing compared to his gentle unyielding kindness. He melted every inhibition away, and his nose brushed lightly against hers, filling her entire being with warmth. Every single fairy tale she had ever read, all the happily ever afters finally felt like they could soon be real.
Limbs trembling, a stuttered gasp, lips parted, only slightly. All that was left was to fall forward that small space between them and she would-
One of the little moths suddenly started playing a very sour note and Kairi turned her attention to it, confused at the ruckus. It sounded almost like an...alarm bell?
How odd! They only had alarms like that at the...castle.
Castle.
That's right...she lived at a castle.
And all at once she was standing alone, freezing cold in the night air, his arms no longer embracing her, his lips no longer mere centimeters from her own.
She heard him call her name again, eyes panicked as he tried to reach out to her through the ever increasing flurry of petals that looked so much like snow. A wall of snow that now was trying to separate them, pulling him even further away. She tried to grab his hand, but the sound of the alarm only grew louder, more painful in her ears, and she was forced to cover them.
"Kairi—n't forget who yo-"
No, no...that wasn't right. She already knew who she was, and who she wasn't. She knew that dreams were the realm of the impossible, where the wildest fantasies can get carried away. And that was where this had to remain.
She wasn't Kairi.
She dropped her arm limply to her side and watched him fade away into the white void.
Not anymore.
The white abyss cracked and shattered around her, leaving her with nothing but the sound of a horribly jarring dinging bell, and the sound of Sora desperately calling her name.
"Kairi! Please wake up!"
She gasped and flung herself up out of her dream and away from her pillow, back to her room in the castle, sitting up like she had been stung.
Wha—who…
Her eyes swept the scene in front of her, unsure if she really had fully woken yet. Because she certainly wasn't expecting to see her door flung wide open, letting the night air blow through, or having one of her knights hovering at the edge of her bed. A certain knight, of whom she had just been having a very inappropriate dream.
The sight of his eyes so close to hers made her heart flutter slightly. She swallowed. What was she thinking? What had she been thinking. And...oh no.
Any and all previous confusion was replaced by the horrific realization that she was only wearing a rather thin linen night gown. She clutched her covers up to her chest and tried to quell the shriek rising up in her throat.
"S-Sora! What are you-" She snatched the nearest stuffed animal in her bed to use as a possible projectile against him. "Y-you'd better explain yourself this instant!"
"The alarm..."
She lowered the stuffed rabbit aimed at his head and listened.
He was right, she could hear it now. The castle alarm bell echoed through the halls even now, still being struck repetitively to signal something very, very wrong was happening. She had only ever heard that alarm once before. And that was a time she didn't want to dwell on right now.
Her eyes widened, and she remembered exactly what had been told to her at one of her lessons.
"Should a knight ever come bursting into your room in the middle of the night with the sound of the alarm, it is pertinent for you to suppress any coy modesty about your state of undress and instead be prepared for an emergency, where you must conduct yourself calmly, regally, and lead with decisiveness if necessary."
Her panic at him being in her room was dwarfed by the other feelings now sweeping over her. Swallowing all her pride, she immediately tossed the sheets off of herself and jumped out of bed. Quickly slipping on some sandals she readied herself for whatever actions she would need to take. However, thinking better of it, she also reached over and threw a silk robe on to help cover up a little. She didn't care how much of an emergency it was, she wasn't going to parade around half naked in front of everyone at the castle.
Especially not in front of Sora.
Thankfully, he didn't even seem bothered by her lack of proper clothing and was instead glancing nervously out her door into the hallway, as if expecting someone or something. She had only ever seen his face looking this serious after one of her terror episodes. It was the same look of concern that she thought endearing, but at the same time seemingly oddly misplaced on someone like him. She wished he could always keep smiling, because his happiness was so contagious. He could even make someone as serious as Riku smile, it was that powerful. This last thought, however, made her realize something other than Sora's expression was currently misplaced.
Kairielis glanced around the room, just to check.
"...Where's Riku?"
She saw Sora fidgeting, keeping one hand on his sword and she tried her hardest to keep calm.
Riku's strong. Riku can fight. He's okay.
"I'm...not sure. I know he should be on his way, but..."
"You weren't together?"
"I had an extra night shift. The alarm started ringing while I was out, so I came straight here."
What was going on? Surely it couldn't be the darkness. She did Refraction every day! It couldn't be…
"Sora...is it..."
He turned away from the hall and focused on her, seeming to understand what she meant without her having to say it. And all at once the concern evaporated from his face and he gave her a reassuringly bright smile.
"It'll be alright, don't worry!"
She wanted to be convinced, she really did, but…
Sora took a step towards her, reached out for her hand and paused. She knew he couldn't, but at least knowing that he wanted to give her that comfort was some comfort in itself.
All he could offer was his unbroken smile.
"We'll stay together through this, okay? No matter what it is that's out there, I'll keep you safe."
Kairielis took a deep breath and tried to stay focused.
He was right; no matter what was out there she knew that she wasn't alone.
Gazing from its perch,
The crow offers a warning.
Ah! What sorrow comes.