"Leave it not up to the imagination. If any of you set down the path towards the darkness, there is less than the slightest of chance any of you will return." Maleficent's words dropped heavily through the air. "Even knowing that, you will still go?"
Kairi shivered at the assertion, hoping that at least this time she was wrong. Even though everything she had said before had been...eerily accurate.
"But it's only after me! Surely it won't hurt-"
"You may be its target, but it is merciless. Moreso than I. No, my dear, I'm afraid it is just as likely to lash out at whatever it sees. Though I do suppose there is a chance for them. That's more than I can say for you."
Oh...
Bitter words to swallow.
However, she didn't take the slight dig to heart, instead only focusing on the two looking grim yet determined at her side.
"A chance..." Her eyes pinched shut. "That's all I needed to hear. Whatever happens to me doesn't matter."
"Kairi..." Sora kneaded her shoulder gently. "Saying stuff like that...I'm glad you're so concerned about us but you still matter. You matter to me a whole lot. Don't forget that."
The sweetness of his expression made her heart melt all over again.
He then gestured over to his friend with a jab of his thumb. "And I know Riku is over there looking particularly grumpy but that's only because he is really worried about you and is trying to hide it."
All at once the dour face in question morphed into such shock that Kairi couldn't hold in her light, unexpected giggle.
"You're right. I'm sorry I said it that way."
Maleficent once more caught her attention with the slightest sarcasm-laced coo.
"How sweet. But as far as I'm concerned, this is farewell." The sorceress, as emotionless as ever, gave them the slightest tip of her head. "It has been...unique."
There was a burst of emerald fire, and just like that she was gone.
Seifer groaned, staring into the abyss of darkness that was ever so eerily churning at the back of the tunnel. "I guess there is no point in trying to talk you out of this. You always were a complete sap."
"Sorry." Sora could only shrug and try to maintain a smile. It was a heavily burdened one. While his face went through the motions, his eyes told a far different story. "Seifer, there's a third sword here, but..."
Another typical scowl. "Oh, let me guess: you just want to take all the glory for saving the day yourself, huh? What makes you think I'm gonna play the coward now and run when you're all gonna make some grand final stand?"
Seifer kicked out at the sword in the dirt, knocking it over. "Only thing is, I'm doing it with my own blade. I've had more than enough magic and mysterious gifts, thanks."
Sighing, Sora gave his friend a weakly regretful look. "All I meant is...you have someone back out there you still need to protect. If you really wanna stay I won't stop you, but...I think you should go to her."
To her surprise, Seifer didn't scowl, or even argue back. He only just looked sad, dipping his head in Sora's direction. "I hate that you're not wrong."
"...sorr-"
"Will you stop apologizing already? It's girly." He rolled his eyes. "You know you're the only person I know who could be fully committed to doing the most heroically noble act possible while still managing to muck it up and seem unmanly somehow."
Sora gaped back at him, clearly flip-flopping between reactions. "Wh...but...h-hey!"
Chuckling, Riku responded for him. "He certainly does cause trouble pretty much everywhere. Maybe that should be the title he never got: heroic mucker-upper."
Kairi stamped her foot in protest, despite Sora at least finding it amusing. "Riku, that's awful! Besides, if I have my way he won't ever have a title."
Baffled, very boy in question tipped his head at her. "Why?"
"It suits you better that way. To me, you're Sora. Just as you should be."
Siefer huffed, not quite angry but not quite laughing either. "You know, it's kind of a shame. Those dumb little mistakes, even of the most simple stuff...I'm going to miss-" He abruptly cleared his throat. "M-making fun of you."
It was sweet, in a tough-guy sort of way.
Sora clearly got the message and grinned broadly, rapping his friend briskly on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about me. You've got a lot of stuff to look forward to. You'll do great helping your sister, I know it. And when you can, give her our thanks. She's done an awful lot for us."
"...yeah."
Kairi felt uncomfortable addressing him, considering all that had happened, but she felt it at least necessary to let him know she didn't have any more hard feelings.
"Seifer, please find your way out of here. Stay safe. And...when it is all over, if you could...maybe also keep an eye on my cousin for me? She's quite lonely, and I would be happy knowing she will have someone trustworthy at her side she can call her friend."
To her shock, he knelt as formal as a knight could be, bowing his head before her.
"I'll be sure of it."
After straightening, and with one more pained tip of the head, Seifer began to march with forced determination back out of the cave. Stalling a moment, he spun around while still making his way backwards, gesturing to Sora with a sharp finger.
"And don't you think I'm gonna ham this thing up as a noble sacrifice! Anyone who asks is getting the straight truth."
Riku raised an eyebrow. "And that is...?"
"That you're all idiots. Brave, but idiotic. You'd better come back alive or I'll hate your guts even more!"
Grinning, Sora cupped his hands around his mouth to call out after him. "Never change, Seifer!"
It was a goodbye. Warm in some ways, strange in others. But it was still a goodbye. Once he was gone, there was an unsettling quiet surrounding the three who remained.
For now, they were alive. For now, they could sing their songs out loud. But the path ahead loomed ever so threateningly.
The darkness beckoned.
Somewhere deep, in caverns dark.
It lingers, waiting, for its mark.
The beast of black, the seed of death
once more will rise, leave us bereft.
Fear all, the call, for that foul day,
the day our light for'er fades away.
What can be done to close its maw?
Allow the ice of hatred, thaw?
Coward, this beast has made of me,
Targets it my frailty.
My love, I will not let you fall,
Even if naught else stands at all...
I pledge my life, devoted oath.
Destiny's bond connects us both.
Lives like pebbles, mixed up sand,
tumbling, drifting, hand-in-hand,
down the shore of fate's grand river.
Our adventures-hither, thither...
Where I flow I flow with you,
'til time eternal, time anew.
As the end begets the night,
Our mem'ries glow with dim starlight.
The world will not be truly void,
So long as love is not destroyed.
It was conviction that carried them deeper into the depths of that horrible cave. The closer the three of them drew towards the source of the inky black darkness now tracing its way across the floor and ceiling, the more nauseated she felt.
Focusing her light she was able to maintain a very soft glow around them. Enough to be sure not to trip, but not good for much else. Either her light was too weak, or the darkness was just too...thick.
Kairi almost felt as if the whole cave was alive around her. While she couldn't see them with the lack of illumination, she almost sensed the walls trembling. She could still hear it in the back corner of her mind, begging her to move closer. It lustfully slobbered over itself, and she cringed.
Disgusting. Horrible. There weren't enough words for it.
Just like Maleficent had warned, the darkness was too impatient to wait, and globs of jet-black sap dripped down, lunging like sentient beasts towards her. Her hands occupied with maintaining the light, she would have been defenseless on her own.
But she didn't fear the waves of dark tendrils that threatened to scoop her up and carry her off into the abyss. The moonlight swords that Maleficent had gifted her knights swung true, their icy blue blades slicing evenly through the darkness, leaving faint traces of glowing embers in their wake that hovered in the air like fireflies.
Sora breathed out in awe at the weapon at work. "Man, I should've gotten a magic sword way earlier!"
Cutting down the nearest assailant, Riku tutted in reprimand at his distraction. "You only like it because of the flash."
"What's wrong with that? So long as it, I dunno, swords the same why wouldn't I go for one that's got a little extra...shing." Just to accent his point, he cut through the closest vine squiggling too close for comfort and gestured to the aftermath proudly. "Makes it look that much more awesome when I win."
Riku glanced at the sparkling motes and sighed. "Makes you look like a show-off."
"Already?" Sora cast a mischievous grin over his shoulder at her and winked. "I'm just getting started."
Kairi appreciated him trying to cheer her up even now, but that didn't stop her from fretting slightly at his carefree attitude.
With each step they took, the more ferocious the fledglings of darkness dripping down from the core of the darkness were becoming. Not wanting to chide him childishly, she only gave him a worried smile in return.
Perhaps she should have been more concerned about her own surroundings. A lone flail of a vine slithered its way up behind her. Or so she assumed, after Sora had already reached out and spun her around behind him so quickly to block it that she tripped and collapsed against his back.
Catching her breath she hastily re-balanced herself. Almost instinctively, she took the opportunity to touch her forehead against his unruly hair before pulling away to give him room to move.
Sliced in two, the vine flopped impotently on the ground and evaporated into smoke like all the others. Nothing was left behind, save the trails of firefly-like lights drifting upwards towards the sun they couldn't see above.
She breathed out, watching the lights scatter. "That was-"
"Another!" Riku shouted, his moonlight sword cutting into another fleet of charging worm-like fingers.
Sora reacted immediately, apologizing just as swiftly for handling her as he wrapped her close to his chest and pirouetted her once more away from the reach of the creatures. Even with one of his arms occupied, he didn't seem particularly impaired in his ability to fight.
Eyes closed, face pressed close into his shoulder...
It actually felt like a dance.
She let him lead, knowing one misstep, one miscalculated errant foothold might disrupt the rhythm that those two had long practiced. They knew each other. They knew where to turn and when to strike.
It was as impressive as it was frightening to be so close to it all.
While she was used to seeing him with that determined look on his face, there was something far more fierce about it now. Riku pressed in on the offensive with just as much furor, his brow furrowed, strikes clean.
Not wanting to cower under Sora's grip the entire time, she twisted around and extended her arms out over the one that still tightly clenched her waist. Pressing her back against him where she felt safe, she focused. The intensity of her light grew. Faint shrieking hisses of the creatures followed.
Stave them off. Keep them out. Lessen the number.
But even her safe space wasn't a guarantee. The darkness was pouring from all sides now. All she could do was keep up that small illuminated bubble, like the walls of a moat stemming the overwhelming force of water pushing against it. Even then they still leaked through.
Her light kept the forces manageable. They cut down what breached it.
Sora clenched her tight against him as he fought. Breath hot against her ear. Fast, from exertion. Heart beat so strong she could feel it against her. Through her.
A flush of strange feelings washed across her body and she almost buckled at the knee. She wanted him to kiss whatever he could reach. Wanted his warmth to discover the sensitive little spot under her ear. As depraved as it seemed to her, she would have given so much just to feel his mouth on the nape of her neck.
She twisted, ever slightly.
Her eyes matched with his. No words were exchanged; only a glance.
He smiled, gripped her tighter, and kept fighting. Her light never faltered.
And so they moved further into the depths, the air of joviality long forgotten.
Sora stumbled slightly and tried to hide his wince from her view. She knew it would do no good to fuss. It had taken too much out of all of them to reach this far. Her light shield was nearly spent, and maintaining it now was all she could manage.
Somehow they had made it though. The path had run to an end. The gauntlet of darkness was no longer a swarm, but a steady lull. Up above she could see it: one massive writhing mess of vines and inky black goop staring her down.
Riku breathed out slowly, flicking his eyes across the unknown terror that somehow seemed to sense their presence. It seemed calmer, and it was now inwardly seething, pulsing in anticipation.
The core was...ugly, to say the least.
"Not exactly what I expected."
Kairi chewed on her lower lip, struggling to find the right words. "Riku...Sora...now that I am here, perhaps you can take this chance to esca-"
"Enough of that." Riku silenced her before Sora even had the chance. "We've already talked each other in circles. I'm staying right here. Sora isn't budging, either. It isn't a logical decision, no, but something tells me...the only chance we have of seeing tomorrow, as slim as it might be, is if all three of us face this together."
Sora bobbed his head, somehow looking as cheerful as ever. "That's how we always managed before!"
He laced his fingers around hers and squeezed. "I'm not leaving you. I promise."
Maybe there was a chance. Just maybe.
Clenching her fists for a moment, Kairi breathed in and out as slowly as possible. Everything inside of her felt numb. How else was she supposed to feel? She was so terrified she couldn't even think straight. Terrified, and yet somehow not terrified at all.
It really did defy all logic, and she resolved herself not to question it. Listen to her heart, and let it lead her down this road of destiny that she had chosen.
No.
That all three of them had chosen.
"When I lower this shield...it's going to..."
She wasn't sure, exactly what it was going to do to her. Eat her whole? Suck her dry? Part of her wished she knew, considering it might be far less frightening that way.
"I'm so sorry you two were dragged into all of this. It's something I deeply regret, and yet..." She appreciated the faint prickle of rising tears in the corners of her eyes, wondering if she would ever feel such a sensation again.
"If I'm being honest, I-I'm...happy I'm not alone."
Sora gave her hand another tight squeeze. "You won't be. Not ever. No matter what dark place you find yourself in, I'll come find you."
Her light flickered.
She smiled.
"Then we'll go together. All of us side by side. I guess it can't be any other way."
Kairi stared down at the inky black vat of darkness lunging its way towards them, roots snapping, yellowed teeth gnashing into the air for the one thing it hungered for. It was horrible. She etched it into her memory, despite knowing it would not be long before everything that was her memory would be scattered, lost to the wind. But for right now she remembered it all. All her memories stretched out before her like the silken strings of a spider web, glowing silver. Woven together like a beautiful faerie tale, every connection so intricately placed and strong, yet at the same time far too fragile.
How she wished she could be there to see the ending. But she didn't fear the end now. She knew it would all be alright. Namine would take care of the rest. And even if Beatrix were to finally retire, Seifer would be there to watch over her cousin as well.
All of the people in town could have hope again without worry it would someday be ripped away. All those outside of the walls could finally feel the light that had for so long been stolen from them.
Kairi took the first of her final steps, leading straight to meet fate itself. All three of them together, side-by-side.
In her mind she wondered how things could have been different had they all grown up as normal children, playing together under the summer sky. She could almost hear the laughter echoing across the endless gardens of flowers in the fields. Chasing after flighty grasshoppers, stopping to giggle at the skittish tadpoles scrabbling away from leaves dropping from above, gazing in awe at the fluttering rush of birds in the twilight looking for a place to roost. Three inseparable friends always together, ever and always.
Perhaps in another life they could be.
"Thank you. Both of you. I know that maybe these thoughts mean nothing now...but I'm so happy we met. I'm so happy we were able to share a small part of our time together."
One last breath, calm and deep.
She imagined herself sinking far into the ocean, down below the waves, watching the sunlight play on the surface of the water.
"It was brief but...so, so wonderful."
And she lowered her shield.
Kairi didn't tremble as she looked up into the gaping maw of the darkness, eager to swallow her whole and drain every drop of blood from her body.
Kairi didn't flinch as it lunged towards her.
All she could think to do was softly sing, feeling a lone tear trace its way across her face. She clenched his hand tight, and let her voice float free.
Her last thought lingered on the beautiful tapestry of a rainbow, and how she wished she could have seen one, just one last time with him. How she wished she could lay with him one more night under the stars, peaceful and warm...
So remember little cloud…
If all the light has gone…
I am always here with you.
Let's make a-
...
The dark felt so cold.
Her hand even colder.
Lets go back to a warm place.
Let's go together.
...
Stillness.
Lost?
I...Re-mem-ber...
...
"Just let me know...if you need..."
Something soft tapped his nose, startling him slightly. Sora snapped back awake in an instant, not even realizing he had been that close to drifting off already.
"Actually..." Kairi paused a moment, her eyes listing to the side as if suddenly lost in thought. "Can I be a bit more nosy and ask one more question?"
Sora stifled a yawn and bobbed his head in agreement, trying to shake off the fringes of sleepiness. "I already told you earlier to ask me anything, and I'm not going against my word now."
She inhaled deeply and let it out just as slow, as if preparing herself for something altogether dramatic. Her eyes blinked up at him. Sweet and hopeful and so, so beautiful. "I was only wondering...and it's okay if you don't want to answer, but...when did you first realize..."
Her voice trailed off, and Sora felt a slight stab of panic. She was looking at him so desperately but he actually had no idea what she was talking about.
"Realize...?"
Kairi fidgeted and rolled off of him slightly to sit up in the grass. The sudden lack of her warmth left him particularly unhappy.
"Your feelings. That maybe you and I..."
Oh.
He hadn't expected a question like that.
Maybe he should have.
As he searched for his response, her ever hopeful face was all the more distracting to his thoughts.
"I...don't really know. I wish I did. The truth is maybe I always did. For the longest time I was trying really hard not to admit anything to myself because I knew the situation we were in was...complicated to say the least. But then after all that time I got to see you again and...I didn't even have to think twice about it. I just knew."
She didn't say anything, and in the silence he felt a second wave of panic. He messed up, didn't he? His answer had made her sad. It must have. She wasn't saying anything.
"I made a promise to protect you. Lots of people thought I was crazy for chasing after an oath that I made before I was even old enough to understand it but whenever I thought about you, it made me feel stronger. And besides that, I just like seeing you happy. I don't know how else to explain it. Maybe it really can be that simple. Don't you think?"
A sorrowful frown flickered across her face, only slightly. She tried to hide it.
"M-maybe..."
He gave her a soft little jab into the side of her arm, hoping a slight tickle might make her smile again. "Come on, I never figured a girl like you would doubt that whole faerie tale 'love at first sight' thing. You don't believe me?"
"N-no, it's not that!" She pressed her head against his shoulder and sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just...my whole life I was told over and over that no one is ever supposed to care about me. That I can't possibly let anyone ever consider me anything more than the barest minimum. Respectful, but distant. Part of me, perhaps, still feels like it shouldn't be possible for anyone to genuinely..."
He heard the faint telltale sniff of incoming tears. Her whole body sagged as if she was ready to melt into a puddle of sorrow. Immediately, he gathered her up tightly in his arms just to try and keep her together a little longer.
Her voice wobbled. "I'm so sorry, I really should be stronger than this. Especially now."
"Kairi...it's okay if you need to cry. It's been a lot to take in over the last few days. I know I'm still reeling from a few things and I had way less to deal with."
She shook her head against him before tipping her chin back up to regain eye-contact. It wasn't like he enjoyed seeing her upset, but even when her face was screwed up and puffy from holding back tears there was something indescribably beautiful about it. She was finally expressing herself, nothing held back.
"You're sweet, but I would really rather not cry any more today if I can help it."
Nodding to himself, he gave her her a gentle and playful tug at the end of her bangs, clearing them away from her face and hoping he could at least get her smile to come back.
"I know it might be hard for you to accept yet, but there are lots of people that care about you! In fact, we can go visit them any time you want."
She perked up. "Them…?"
"Yeah. With Riku's help I eventually managed to track down where everyone ended up after we got separated as kids. I know for a fact they've all really wanted to see you again."
A shaking hand cleared her eyes of wayward tears.
"You mean...they remember me?"
"Of course they do! They still tease me about how I sai-uh..." His voice skidded to a halt and he began inwardly kicking himself for the abrupt slip of the tongue. This was not the time to bring that up...
At least he saw the slightest shimmer of a smile start to appear. She narrowed her eyes slightly up at him, suspicious.
"Teasing? About what…?"
"...s-stuff. I-it's not important. Anyway, Penelo and Ven run this orphanage and-"
"Sora, if it's about me...you don't have to be embarrassed about it."
Sure, she could say that, but…when she looked at him like that, with those eyes, it made his mind go kind of fuzzy. She made all of him feel...funny, and not in the laughing sort of way. He gulped and tried to arrange his thoughts in order but they kept skittering away from his groping fingers like startled minnows.
Great.
What a fantastic time to bring up awkward kid stuff and memories of their first actual tiff. Way to go, Sora! That'll be a sure way to cheer her up.
"I know it sounds like I'm...but it really isn't about...I mean, it kind of is about that, but it's more because I was a dumb kid and didn't understand half of anything, not that I understand stuff now but I mean basic, basic stuff..."
"Slow down, I can barely understand you."
He sighed, tipping his eyes down to the parched grass. "It's something I'm sorta...hoping you don't remember because I regret what I said."
"What? I don't remember you saying anything that terrible. You were always very sweet. Socially clumsy, but sweet."
She made it sound like being socially clumsy wasn't a bad thing.
"It's not that it was terrible, it's just something...uh..."
Embarrassing. Problematic. Better left forgotten.
And...judging by that devious sparkle in her eye, most definitely something she is not going to let him drop until he confesses completely.
"Spill it. You know you have to."
Yep, she had that part right. He had already promised to answer every question she could think of and she already knew his stance on keeping promises. In other words? He was more trapped than a tree in a flower pot.
"Okay well first of all, if it's any excuse, back then I didn't really have any idea what a family was or much of anything. I didn't even really get what having a family meant."
"Mm-hmm. I remember."
"Somehow...I ended up thinking getting married was some kind of horrible fate where you had to get stuck following all sorts of strict rules under pain of death. I blame Hayner, for that one..."
Thankfully, she giggled, and tipped her head, urging him to continue.
"Anyway, uh...I guess there was a misunderstanding about some of that and one of the girls said something like 'hey, you two are gonna be married some day' and...well...I basically threw a fit about the idea. You got mad and said-"
"'I'd never marry you anyway'...right?"
He blinked, a mixture of stunned and horrified. "Y-yeah...you said if you ever did want to get married it would be to some perfect princely gentleman or something like that."
Well, so much for hoping she wouldn't remember. The one silver lining, however, was being able to hear her brightly giggling once more at his childish missteps.
"I believe I also said that I was resolved to never, ever kiss you again."
"Y-yeah, that too...everyone kept teasing me about that time, saying I really kicked myself good if I ever wanted to, you know..."
She hummed, and put a hand up to her mouth to try and hide her ever broadening smile. "Oh dear. And now that you've reminded me, I simply can't go back on my word now, can I?"
Hopefully she was just joking.
"I knew it was a mistake to mention it..."Sora slumped his head to the side and laughed hesitantly. "But, uh...what about all the...stuff earlier? I guess that doesn't count?"
Clicking her tongue, she gave him the slightest reprimanding tap on the forehead. "I told you that was a special reward. It doesn't follow the rules."
"So...does that mean you really won't..."
In response, she playfully hummed again and winked, flicking her fingers through the grass. "It certainly would be unbecoming of a princess to lie, wouldn't it?"
There was something so irresistibly cute about her when she was trying to play coy with him. He really liked that about her. It was perfectly fitting that she smelled like raspberries after all. Sweet, with just the faintest hint of tart. The best balance he could ask for.
She reached over to grab up his hands and gently played with them, feeling along each of his fingers. It must have been so hard for her to be deprived of any contact at all for so long. The least he could do was lend her his hand now and again until she felt more comfortable and less alone.
He watched her for a moment, her hair sweeping over her shoulders and falling in a cascade of rose across her face.
"Hey, Kairi…I know you said it's a bit hard for you to accept right now, but..."
"Hmm?" She released his hand and sat up.
There was no question in his mind how he felt. And he realized that maybe more than anything else, right now Kairi needed to hear it. He had probably told just about everyone in the castle before her, and he never wanted her second guessing his feelings. Gripping her shoulders tight, he once more pulled her close to him, right against his heart.
"I love you."
She gasped, her whole body freezing up as she struggled to comprehend those three small words.
"I love you and I'll tell you over and over until you are completely and absolutely so used to hearing it that you beg and plead with me 'No more! No more!'...because maybe by then it won't feel so strange for you to hear."
She shivered, relaxing into him, her voice nothing but a soft whisper. "E-even...if it takes a very long time?"
"Yep!" Releasing one of her shoulders, he used the free hand to lift up her chin so she could look right into his eyes and be sure he was telling the truth. "Even if it takes forever. I promise."
Kairi's soft features were looking a tad flushed now, but otherwise he clearly saw that same shimmering sparkle, that same comforting warm glow inside of her that always had let him know she was someone he always wanted to be close to. He couldn't help but want to stare into that deep pool of her eyes forever. And, if he was allowed to be greedy...well...
He also couldn't help the cheeky grin he felt spreading across his face.
"Besides, I thought of a catch!"
"E-eh? For what?"
"You said you were never, ever gonna kiss me again, right?"
Her head gently tilted to the side, curious. "Y-yes, but I was only-"
He didn't give her a chance to finish. Just once more, just for the slightest brief moment more he wanted to feel the warm and sweet touch of her lips on his. Head spinning, heart dancing, he cupped her face under his palm as he eagerly pulled her over. She gasped, her breath brushing across his face like the gentle ebb of a wave on the shore and he felt suddenly swept adrift in a calm ocean. Floating, peaceful, whole. The rest of her words seemed to catch in her throat and only fell out as a contented sigh that he all too eagerly gulped down.
Warm. So, so warm. Heat spreading to every tiniest smidgen in his body, in places he never even knew had ever been cold before. All filled with the brightest light.
For something supposedly supremely taboo, it certainly felt natural. While it was true that no one, let alone someone like him, should ever have been doing such a thing; it never felt wrong at all. It was also clear that Kairi was more than eager to participate.
He had to gasp for air briefly against her demanding attention, trying to regain the control she was so easily wrenching away from him. But as soon as he brushed his fingers against the nape of her neck, she melted into his touch.
Like the swaying flow of the waves, washing up against the shore they once more danced willingly into distraction. When they finally parted, she kept her eyes closed as if not wanting to let the moment pass again.
"I'm not sure I understand what you meant by 'catch'...and I'm not entirely sure that's a problem."
He chuckled and tried his best to hide the satisfied look on his face before she caught sight of it. "Well, you said you wouldn't kiss me, but you never said that I couldn't be the one to start it. So from here on out that's what I'm gonna do."
She finally let her eyes flicker back open and she smiled. "I won't complain about that. But you do know I was only joking? I didn't really mean it as a child and I certainly would never say that now."
"I had a feeling. But had to be safe just in case..."
Kairi hummed again and cuddled up to him. Gently, she pushed, forcing him back down to the grass so she could snuggle against his side. As if instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her back to keep her as close as possible.
"Sora, you made such a grand promise...I've come up with one as well. It's only fair."
He wanted to tell her it was alright, but he decided to bite his tongue. It was clear she had already decided on something anyway. Maybe it was selfish, but he really wanted to know.
"Okay then, let's hear it."
"I promise I'll never forget you. Even if the memories of you are torn from my heart once more, nothing will ever be able to remove the echoes that will inevitably remain there. I know you didn't always have a home, but you will forever have a home here." She tapped a few times on the place where her heart was beating, warm and fast beneath. "Right here."
"That's...I..."
"And...there's one more thing."
Sora tipped his head to the side, watching her bashfully try to hide the rosy glow on her face. "...yeah?"
"If you had any doubts..."
Four words.
His breath caught again in his throat. All it took were those four words from her to make his brain go absolutely numb.
I. Love. You. Too.
It was so simple. Each word only one syllable each. They rolled off her tongue melodiously. But in this moment, in this one simple moment, he didn't need anything more poetic or fancy than that.
And it made him understand even more what Kairi had meant before. Even if his body and soul were driven back into the ether of timeless nothingness of death, nothing could ever make him forget this feeling. He would forever clench it so tightly it could never be taken away. His feelings of this moment would follow that last flickering gasp of his consciousness and march right alongside it into the dark. He would never be alone again, just knowing that in this time, in this moment, there was someone so very special in his heart and he was in hers.
...
"I can't help but remember all the nights we used to spend like this. Sleeping on the ground, looking up at the stars." She snuggled back down to the little space into his neck. "I don't want you to leave me ever again. Not even for one night. Can we just stay like this? Fall asleep right here?"
He didn't have a word to say in opposition. He clutched her close and laughed. There was really only one response he could ever consider.
"I think...I'd like that too."
Hand in hand, the two of them held each other close...waiting for sleep to take them.
As the night closed in from above, they remained there under the stars.
Together.
Montblanc sighed, ever wistfully, into his mug.
Not a soul spoke though this part of his tale. Every voice held silent behind still breath. Even the younger folk, far too young to have lived through these days remained respectfully somber.
One crackling ember of the fire seemed to snap Montblanc up from his lost reverie.
"An act full of love. A powerful stand to change the course of destiny. This was what marked the end of the Seven Gardens, forever. It fell not with a shuttering whimper, but with a cry out to the sky above that they were no longer going to be shackled by what came before. A hopeful plea that whatever, and whoever came after them could use that gift of freedom without fear. Without ever having to suffer the same shadowy grip preventing their hearts from singing the songs it was meant to.
While it was tragic to have such beautiful souls make that sacrifice, it was not in vain. All the world was changed forever.
And while the Gardens were no more—the central castle lying half crumbled and silent-the true sign it was all over came from above. The barrier of light that had always hovered in the sky shattered into millions of pieces, scattering like rain to the barren earth below. It was a sign that the light buried for generations in the royal line had been completely consumed. Or, as some might see it, returned back home.
Suddenly the sky above looked so much more vibrantly blue than ever before. A sky that connected everything.
For so long we had been looking through tainted glass that we had almost forgotten how stunning the sun could really be. And as all eyes gazed upwards at the new world, they couldn't help the tears that followed.
The light above was so beautiful, and so, so bright. So bright it stung their eyes.
Such is life and love, sometimes. The most wonderful things can often be the most ephemeral, and the most beautiful of things can be the most difficult to truly see.
But do not cry now.
It was not the end. Of course not.
Far, far from it."
Rain can wash away everything, given enough time.
So much pain and suffering would take much longer to erase, but everything was born from the water, and eventually returns to it some day.
The precious light of the seven gardens crumbled, but had returned back to where it had always belonged. The heart repaired, everything could finally return back to the way it was always meant to be. A new kingdom was going to have to grow now in its place. A new kingdom that this time included all that had been so deprived of light that its citizens had almost given up on hope itself. They had been locked outside, only able to observe, noses pressed against the glass. Now that the wall had fallen, they were going to be able to take their first tentative steps forward across that barrier line.
Over-parched, the earth opened up to the torrent of rain that followed, as if the world itself was finally ready to wash away its long period of suffering, ready to begin anew. Despite all the fear and uncertainty, for the first time in generations it felt like the storm to dissipate it all had finally come. Genuine laughter echoed across the cobbled streets as nearly everyone tilted their heads towards the unexpected shower. Despite the rain, the sky was just as blue, the sun shining down from above as if to comfort anyone with doubt that it was all truly going to be okay.
However, the most unexpected thing that no one could truly explain was the tree.
No one really knew how, but from the center of the ruins of the old temple, a camphor tree, massive and wonderful had burst from the very core of the world where the dark seed had once lived, stretching its fresh boughs towards the sun, shooting up into the sky.
It was magic, most claimed, because there seemed to be no other way to explain it.
When both halves of the world heart united, this new form had burst forth, born from the seed almost instantly. What were once vines of darkness filled in with color and life, becoming roots that flowed all the way to the core of the earth.
It was a tree that bridged it all. The very symbol of the heart of the world, fully restored and brimming with life. The seed, now whole, sprouted into something new.
As the water of the fresh rain splashed down among its leaves, the whole world could be seen reflected, shimmering. Within each drop were the memories of the world, even if only in echo.
The pools of rainwater traced their way to the tips of the leaves, then when too heavy, dropped down to the next. Each brief fall letting them gaze once more upon the world and take in new sights and memories.
Every drop had already seen so many things. So many dreams of the past.
For water flows in all things. It seeps into the ground where it will some day rise to become the rain and fall again. An unending cycle of time, of life, of memory.
All was once more as it should be. The cycle reconnected.
Among the leaves of that grand new tree, however, one reflection in particular kept catching the light, playing out across the pools of water. A reflection of something that should not be.
Something that had somehow defied all fate to be.
"The world is in balance once more." Maleficent hummed to herself slightly, stroking the jet black feathers of her raven as she continued observing the pouring rain as it bounced across the leaves of the great mother tree.
And while her eyes caught sight of the unexpected image reflected in the water, she did not comment on it, nor did her face betray any emotion at the discovery. The dollop of water pooled and eventually grew too large for the tiny leaf to handle. The greenery tipped the weight off, and down it fell.
Maleficent adjusted her attention to the girl sitting next to her, balanced daintily on a thin branch.
"Where will you go from here, might I ask?"
"I could ask the same of you." Ellone's sing-song voice chirped out, and her pale hand reached down to adjust one of her sandals back into place. "But, to be candid, I believe I have actually found a promising pupil."
Maleficent pondered for a moment. "Ah. The quiet one? Yes, she seems to have quite a bit of potential. Reminds me of you, in a way. At least drawing is far less distracting a hobby than feeding wild sparrows."
Ellone laughed jovially and rested her elbows on her knees, leaning forward. "My sparrows can't have been that troublesome. Either way, I have quite a lot to arrange. I also cannot altogether forgive you for the terrible mess you dragged my dear brother into. It will take quite a while to shake him from those ghosts."
Feeling the mood had changed and saying nothing more on the matter, Maleficent tapped her shoulder, beckoning for Dante to return to his perch there. She then turned, and took a few steps away, but paused briefly as if caught in thought.
"I do have one more question, if you will enlighten me."
"Hmm?"
She gestured quietly towards a nearby raindrop, still reflecting the unexpected image across its surface. The faces were warped across the curved surface, but unmistakable.
Three souls, clinging to each other though waves of slumber, hands still clasped tight. Battered, exhausted, shivering and cold...
But despite all that fate had written, there they were.
"Your doing?"
"Not entirely." Ellone smiled towards the reflection in the nearby raindrop. "All of them together threw destiny off her course. A destiny that would surely have ended in tragedy. They pitched themselves off together in complete free-fall with only the slightest chance to survive. And had but one piece not aligned, it would have all been for naught. They are the ones who brought the pieces together. I merely...rearranged a few to click into place. Not to mention what beautiful threads they have connecting to one another."
"I thought you could only transfer memories. I never recall ever teaching you something as complicated as blood magic."
Ellone sighed and smoothed down her skirt across her lap. "Sometimes desperate needs breed fantastic results. I also could not have acted if they had not desired it first."
"Indeed. I suppose its also a basic math problem in the end. Three bodies. One empty, two full. Split among the three...two thirds surely is enough to survive, just barely. I am quite envious of their luck." She once more continued her exit, her shoes lightly clacking along the cobblestones. "When they finally awaken, do give them my regards and tell them it was all quite...amusing."
It was just like Maleficent to never properly say farewell. She was quite stubborn in that regard. Tipping her eyes higher up the world tree, Ellone smiled in the direction of the three she knew were still there, resting quietly under its protective boughs, their dreams comforted by the light pattering of rain on leaves.
Their sleeping image continued to be reflected among the droplets that passed them by.
It was a new dawn. And perhaps quite fittingly, the first thing those three were likely to see upon waking up to the expanse of the newly free kingdom stretching before them, was the brilliant and bright shimmer of a rainbow breaking its way through the rain. Perched on the branches of the guardian tree they could take in a fresh gulp of freedom and sigh it out in awe at the beauty of the world.
Ellone hummed her song, a smile playing across her lips.
A new kingdom. One that fostered compassion and friendship, built upon the connections and love.
"I wonder what such a place will be called..."
She had felt the darkness.
She had felt it rip into her, but she couldn't even cry out. Everything was so cold everywhere but in her hand where he held on tight. She could hold onto little else. The memories were being torn from her. Her very existence being erased into the night.
Sora. Sora. Sora.
Somehow she felt like if she said his name enough it would be the thread that would keep her from fading completely. That was what she clung to through the void, even as everything else scattered apart.
There was no sound, but she could still hear his desire to save her, echoing in her ear.
"Even if you forget yourself, Kairi, I'll remember."
Kairi. I am Kairi.
And from the fringes, color began to soak back into the tapestry of her vision. Glowing and bright, soft and gentle, much like the steady illumination of a landscape at dawn, the light spread.
She continued to repeat his name, steadily, slowly...feeling warmth prick the edges of her fingers and move up her arm.
...feeling warmth.
"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."
The memories flooded back.
"...there's always something good and wonderful out there that's worth fighting for. I know there are a lot of people you can still help somehow just by being you."
Feeling.
"You must survive. Your compassion and kindness is what will save this world, I know it."
Hope.
"Their love helped my true strength awaken and I could save countless others in turn. It is ever so clear to me that this kingdom cannot survive on our traditions alone, by burying our hearts in the sand!"
Faint drops of rainwater tickling her nose.
"The path I want to follow is the one with you at my side."
A hand tenderly brushing her skin dry...
"All you have to know is that a kiss that means you want to be together forever with someone special. That's all."
The quintessential ending of any faerie tale, and the ones she always liked best, were the ones when all hope seemed lost, with storm clouds looming, with the princess lying in a death-like sleep...when she is gently awoken by the affection of her loving knight in brilliant armor. One who turned usually turned out at the end of the story to be a prince in disguise.
Her eyes flickered open and she saw such a beautiful wash of color it took her a moment to try breathing again. She loved how sky blue his eyes were. But more than that, she had missed that genuine, yet slightly carefree smile.
Sora really was the most unconventional knight she had ever known. But maybe, just maybe, he actually had that whole...'princely' thing down after all.
A/N: It's been a long journey, way longer than I anticipated initially, but I can finally say this is, for the most part, the end. (Sorry about all the incorrect notes before...whoops). Once again I want to say thank you for reading. Maybe for my next story I'll try something a bit...shorter. Though I suppose that always starts off as the intention and then, well...
There will be one final chapter following this with an epilogue of sorts. Mostly I wanted to wrap up a few more things that didn't fit in this chapter, but also as I was editing there were just a few more scenes I really wanted to write. I'll save my final thoughts for there. (^^)
-A. Moth