When it comes to Radiant Garden, it seems that the phrase "you can't stop progress" is more than mere justification. Looking down at the city as the Gummi ship makes its descent, Sora can see the truth of it playing out before his very eyes.
The centerpiece is, of course, the old restored castle. Gone are the harsh lines and mechanical touches of the former Hollow Bastion, replaced with bright marble and organic curves. It's not completely finished, as evidenced by the half-built clock on the fortress's face, but it certainly looks much nicer than the last time Sora saw it. He barely even shudders at the memory of what he'd done there for the sake of Kairi and the worlds.
Speaking of Kairi, the Princess of Heart is practically plastered to the window, looking down with even more awe than Sora. Understandable, considering that this is her first time returning to her homeworld in years. Sora can see that Telary is secretly just as eager to follow his sister's example, but the wizard keeps himself in check. After all, this is the first time in a while that he's going to have to actually land the Gummi ship somewhere other than the familiar Disney Castle hangar.
"This place looks even better than the last time we were here," Sora comments, also gazing out the Gummi-glass bubble. "Things really are moving fast."
"I sure hope there's more going on than there was last time," Azlyn says, moving from her seat to stand by Kairi at the window. The Princess of Heart, pulled suddenly from her reverie, jumps almost a full two feet away from the knight. Azlyn doesn't seem to notice. "Yuffie promised that the city's club scene could handle my bachelorette awesomeness." She raises her hand to Kairi for a high-five, but the redhead's returning slap takes a moment, and is hardly enthusiastic.
That doesn't go unnoticed.
"You're cleared for landing, Disney Castle One," the eager voice of Phineas declares over the radio link. "Docking bay number three, if you don't mind. The others are kinda cluttered with some experiments me and Ferb have been trying out."
"Sure thing," Telary says, beginning their descent towards a fairly large new building at the castle's base. He turns to the group at the window. "Could everyone take their seats please? And buckle up? And hey, if anybody wants to hold hands, I won't judge."
"Don't tell me Radiant Garden has chipmunks running air traffic too?" Donald Duck, Disney Castle court wizard and Telary's official best man.
"No," Azlyn replies, shaking her head bemusedly. "Just super-smart ten year olds."
"Wak?" Donald exclaims in shock. It seems there are some things in the vastness of the universe that can shock even an anthropomorphic duck magician. "Well, that's a new one on me."
"Hey, Sora," Riku leans over to whisper in his spiky-haired friend's ear. "Is it just me, or is Donald…"
"Completely impossible to understand when he's talking?" the Keybearer finishes for his friend. "Yeah, I agree. I figure it's just the kind of thing you have to get used to over time."
The Gummi ship is just a bit more crowded than usual, the usual quintet joined in this vacation by Donald Duck and Captain Goofy. Telary had insisted on both of them coming along on his "bachelor party" weekend. King Mickey had been given the offer as well, but had declined. According to Donald, the king has been getting quite involved in some secret research project lately. Not even his closest friends know anything about it. Besides, he'd said that it would be no fun having a 'father-type' along on what was supposed to be a wild weekend.
Not that anything particularly wild's been planned. Just a simple boy's camping trip out into the world's blue canyons. Sora, the self-declared planner, had thought that a perfectly nice outing, and Telary hadn't objected. Riku had some private concerns that just because the wizard hadn't objected might not necessarily mean he had no objections, but decided not to get involved.
Azlyn, on the other hand, is quite keen on her weekend being just as wild as expected, if not more so. They don't call it "the last gasp of freedom" for nothing, after all. Hopefully, Radiant Garden's reemerging entertainment district can keep up with expectations.
The ship settles into the hangar with a small jolt, proving the pilot's advice on seating to be apt. Telary lets out a little sigh of relief, killing the engines as everyone else springs out of their chairs. They all start chattering animatedly, jockeying for position at the lower-deck ladder.
Donald is the first down by sheer gumption, Goofy meticulously following after him. All the captain's carefulness is in vain, however, as halfway down he slips and crashes unceremoniously to the ground. He quickly calls back up that he's a-okay. Thank goodness for Donald, there to break his fall. Valiantly restraining a chuckle at all the antics, Riku clambers down after. Azlyn is next in the line, but she suddenly stops, turning to Kairi behind her.
"Hey, uh, why don't you go ahead, eh?" the knight asks, her voice quiet and rather uncharacteristically sheepish.
"Thanks," Kairi replies after a frozen moment, slowly and with a look that would better fit the situation if Azlyn had spontaneously grown a second head. She makes her way down, though not without a few more odd glances at the knight.
"Still getting the cold shoulder, huh?" Sora remarks, giving Azlyn a sympathetic pat. "Having been on the receiving end a time or two myself, that's rough."
The knight frowns, shaking her head. "I know I deserve it, considering everything, but… I dunno. Kairi's just the last person I'd expect to hold a grudge."
"Think of it as a compliment, then!" the Keybearer replies. His natural optimism shines through like it always does. "Probably that's something she picked up from you!"
"Thanks, Sora," Telary says with a weary sigh. Looking at his bride-to-be, the wizard turns more tender. "This weekend will be good for you two, then. Give you a chance to reconnect, remember why you're friends in the first place. Maybe walking around town will even open up some old memories of better days."
"Uh-huh!" Sora cheerily agrees. "Kairi's only been staying mad because you've been apart for a while. I'm positive that once you're together, everything you like about each other will come right back!"
The knight shrugs noncommittally. "I guess you're right. Who can resist me?"
"Would you guys hurry up?" Riku's voice echoes up from belowdecks. "I refuse to meet your friends without Sora around to be stupid and make things less awkward!"
"Riku can resist you," Sora notes, smirking as Azlyn gives him a small push toward the ladder.
"Would you believe I'm one-hundred percent okay with that?" Azlyn replies as she starts down as well. "Hey back up there, Rik. And eyes down, you're not gettin' any upskirt shots today!"
"A pity we'll be foregoing the usual Riku-Azlyn repartée this weekend," Telary comments wryly. Sora just smiles before following after him.
Only a small party is waiting outside the ship, just Yuffie, Leon, and Ferb, but Sora feels himself light up all the same. It's been quite some time since he last saw his old friends, and he's eager to hear and see everything about how Radiant Garden has changed.
Leon stands with his arms folded neatly, his slightly larger smirk subtly indicating great happiness. Yuffie is the most excited of the group, naturally. The self-proclaimed Great Ninja is practically bouncing up and down. She grins at Sora, Azlyn, and Telary while her gaze sweeps quickly over them and continues down the line. Then her eyes reach Riku, and it's almost impossible to miss the pronounced double take.
That seems odd to Sora. If anything, he'd think that Donald and Goofy would be more deserving of a second glance. Then again, the ninja had undoubtedly seen all kinds of people back in her Traverse Town Days.
"Hey, guys!" the Keybearer practically yelps, enthusiastically bounding down the ramp. "Did ya miss me!"
"Sure," Leon answers, his voice less monotone than usual. "Things tend to get quiet when you're not around, Sora."
"Not that we necessarily hate quiet," Yuffie chimes in, bouncy as ever. She pats the green-haired boy next to her on the back. "Isn't that right, Ferb?"
The young engineer merely blinks back up at her. By now everyone on the Restoration Committee has taken that to be a sign of agreement.
"We have made a lot of progress since the last time you all were here," Leon says. He turns his attention to Kairi, giving the Princess of Heart a more sincere smile than Sora has probably ever seen on him. "We're especially glad to be able to show another returning native around."
"It's, uh, good to be back," Kairi replies, smiling. Sora knows her well enough to note the hint of uncertainly behind it. "I'm really eager to get a good look around."
"You're in good company, then!" Yuffie declares, throwing her hands up in the air. "The only thing I might be better at than ninja-ing is playing tour guide! Speaking of which, not all the members of our group have introduced themselves." She steps closer to Riku, Donald, and Goofy, who stand together.
"Captain Goofy of the Disney Castle Royal Guard, ma'am!" Goofy says, his back stiffening to ramrod straightness as he gives the ninja a snappy salute.
Yuffie giggles, smiling softly. "Uh, at ease, I guess?"
"Donald Duck," the court magician says with considerably less formality.
"Watch yourself," she warns him, her grin turning mischievous. "We may still be restructuring the old laws, but I'm pretty sure there's one about having to wear pants." As Donald turns red, Yuffie turns to the last unfamiliar guest. "Though of course, exceptions can be made for those who really have the desire."
"Uh," Riku says, unsure of what to make of the jibe. Sora doubts anyone else notices, but the silver-haired Keyblade wielder's eyes widen slightly. "I, uh, I'm good, actually. Riku. I'm Riku, I mean. You wanted introductions, so… That was it. I'm Riku. Did I say that already?"
"And people say I'm a motormouth!" Yuffie laughs, linking one of her arms with Riku's. His spine stiffens immediately. "I can tell that you and me are gonna get along great!" Riku just nods, suddenly tight-lipped.
"Relax, Yuffie," Leon gently chides his young friend. "Anyway, we did actually set the afternoon aside to show you guys around. I know we weren't leaving until after dinner…"
"Wait a minute," Telary interrupts, frowning. "We? As in, you're coming with us? On the camping trip?"
"Um, yes," the gunblade wielder replies. "I mean, you did invite me, right? Or was Cid just messing around?"
"No, you're definitely welcome to join us," the wizard says, sputtering a bit.
Sora can't really blame him either. Who would've thought Leon would be in for some outdoorsy male bonding? They'd really been expecting a rejection when the offer had been extended. "More is always merrier!" he declares.
"Now that we're talking about parties," Azlyn jumps in, snapping at Yuffie to draw the girl's attention away from Riku, "I hope what you said about the nightlife around here is true. I'm ready to dance it up on my last night of freedom!" Quickly, she turns to her fiancé and clarifies, "Not that I think being married to you is in anyway the same as a prison sentence. Well, except for the conjugal visits part…"
"The sentiment is noted and appreciated," Telary replies, shaking his head.
"The east end is jumping, I promise Az," Yuffie says. "No way would I mislead you when it comes to partying." She looks up at Riku with a sly grin. "I take my fun very seriously."
"A good attribute," the silver-haired young man replies. He's still barely moved.
"Sounds good," Azlyn declares, smiling happily. "Ain't that right, Kairi?"
The redhead gives her a smile. "Yeah, sure thing Az."
"If everything's settled," Leon says, drawing everyone's scattered attention back to him, "then lets get that tour started. There's a lot to see."
KH-KH-KH
Leon certainly lives up to his word. So much has changed in the months since Sora, Azlyn, and Telary had last visited. Without any major crises, things well and truly are back to normal in Radiant Garden. People walk about free and happy, not worrying about the dangers that even recently were on everyone's minds.
As the tour begins passing through residential districts, Kairi and Telary decide to split off from the group and go searching for something on their own. Azlyn is offered a chance to come along, but declines. It isn't long before Donald and Goofy go wandering off on their own as well. Everyone else continues on without them, Leon providing a running commentary on almost everything they come across. Yuffie chimes in occasionally, but mostly seems focused on making sure Riku is never more than a few feet away from her. As time goes on, the silver-haired young man actually manages to relax a bit. They pass small parks and shops, weaving their way through town before they climb up the city's central hill to the castle.
Its refurbishment has gone swimmingly as well. The towering keep, once a hollow shell occupied by the forces of darkness, stands once again as a bastion of light and hope. It's a near-dead ringer for the picture Tron had once shown Sora. Recalling what had happened there still ignites a hollow ache in the Keybearer's chest, but with the new appearance it's far less noticeable than it once was.
"We've been able to move most of the Restoration operations here," Leon is explaining, leading the group into the grand foyer. "Merlin practically did a backflip when we told him we were taking the old computer out of his house."
If the outside's changed a lot, then this room has gotten the architectural equivalent of extensive cosmetic surgery. Instead of the foreboding hall where Sora and Riku had once clashed, it looks like the reception area of any number of businesses. Right down to the actual receptionist. An energetic-looking young woman dressed in a dull pink suit sits behind a desk in front of the waterfall, exactly in the middle of the two round staircases leading upwards. It seems that it's been a slow day, if the way she's leaning back in her chair while painting her nails is any clue.
"G'day, Mr. Leonhart," she says in an odd accent, not bothering to look up from her pinky paintjob. When she finally does, a huge smile spreads across her face. "Entertaining guests today, are we? Do'm a favor and skip the cafeteria, if I may say so. Ol' Quina is having one of 'er experimental days."
"I'll take that under advisement," Leon says in his standard deadpan. "Everyone, this is our daytime receptionist, Vanille. It may not look like it now, but she's pretty efficient."
"Hey there, I'm Sora!" the Keybearer greets.
The girl's expression turns thoughtful for a brief moment, only to light up again when she makes the connection. "Aw, so you're the big hero everyone's always going on about. Well, it's certainly an honor to meet the boy who saved our fair city! You must be Azlyn, eh?"
The knight nods, smirking at the recognition. "Yep. And don't let the official stories fool ya, I'm the real force keeping this universe-saving boulder rolling."
Vanille giggles, gently wafting her hand through the air to get her nails dry. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Isn't there one more?"
"Telary and my girlfriend Kairi went to do some exploring of their own," Sora explains. "They're natives."
"Is Cid in the new computer room?" Leon asks.
"Sure thing, boss man," the receptionist confirms, switching tactics and blowing on her wet fingers. "Gotta warn ya, though, he's in a mood. LeBlanc came to bring him lunch, and ya could almost hear him yellin' not to bother 'im without the intercom!"
"I guess he hasn't changed much, huh?" Azlyn declares, grinning.
"Things have been a bit… stressful in his department lately,' Leon explains, waving a goodbye to Vanille before he leads the group up the righthand staircase to the lift stop above. "After some deliberation, we decided it would be best not to keep the computer in Ansem's old lab as our primary workstation."
"How many people got accidentally digitized before you made that call?" Sora asks, wincing a bit at the memory of his first trip into the computer's world.
"Three interns, and then one time Merlin," Yuffie answers, shaking her head. "Though the thing with Merlin actually wasn't an accident. Nearly had to restrain the old coot when he got outta there."
Leon shakes his head at the memory, palming the orange crystal at the open elevator shaft's edge. "It's been something of a process, even with Tron's cooperation. But it's for the best to get some distance from the below-ground lab. Not everyone in the city was convinced when we told them about Xehanort's coup against Ansem."
"I guess I could see that," Sora says, nodding.
The elevator platform arrives, grinding to a halt with a loud series of clanks. Three people stand on it, ready to disembark. Sora and Azlyn immediately recognize one of them, a tall blonde in a faded orange dress.
"Hey, Quistis!" Sora immediately greets her, friendly as always. "We're back!"
"I heard!" she replies with a grin. "Good to see you kids again! And I guess this that friend you were always talking about. Rocky?"
"It's Riku," the silver-haired Keybearer replies, quite sullenly. The first words he's spoken since the group approached the castle.
"Oh good, another upper!" Quistis jokes. "Three's enough to make it a club, right? Leon? Lulu?"
Leon rolls his eyes, and so does the girl standing behind Quistis. She wears a long black dress that covers her legs but leaves a generous portion of her chest exposed. The young man next to her has his long-for-a-guy blond hair tied up in a ponytail beneath a black hat. A long white coat hangs off his muscled frame, and a gun is holstered on his right hip. He apparently thinks the quip is quite amusing, concealing his laugh beneath a gloved hand.
"Hilarious as always," Leon says in a practiced deadpan. "Anyway, this is a good opportunity to introduce you, Sora, to our top two soon-to-be graduates at the Defense Force academy. This is Lulu and Irvine."
"Please to make everyone's acquaintance," Irvine says, his twangy accent somehow making the greeting sound more friendly than it already is. His eyes stop on Azlyn. "A real pleasure."
The knight just rolls her eyes, holding up her hand to show the engagement ring on her finger. Irvine recoils like she'd just waved a torch in his face. Now it's Lulu's turn to conceal a laugh. Quistis visibly gets a kick out of it as well.
"Surprised you didn't spot that right away, Irv," the blonde instructor says with considerable amusement. "I thought your sharpshooter's keen eye caught every potential danger?"
"Good to meet you both, anyway," Sora says.
"Wish we could talk more, but we're late for a training exercise outside the north gate," Quistis explains. With a quick round of goodbyes, the trio is off and everyone else boards the elevator.
It's something of a tight fit with so many on one platform. Not a problem for Yuffie, who just takes the opportunity to squeeze in closer to Riku. In doing so, she notices something odd. In fact, if it weren't for the silver-haired young man's reputation for fearlessness, she'd almost think he was shivering.
Eventually the platform grinds to another stop, on a floor Sora can't remember if he'd visited before or not. Either way, Leon leads the group through some more corridors. Along the way, they pass several people dressed in lab coats, most consulting clipboards and electronic tablets as they stroll by. The hustle and bustle is quite odd for Sora, Azlyn, and Riku, who most vividly remember these corridors as being devoid of all life.
The halls all lead up to a set of wooden doors. It's obvious they've been sanded smooth only recently, another reminder of what this place once was. Leon doesn't seem to notice the underlying symbolism, simply pushing the doors open and striding confidently into the room beyond.
The room is large, the floor sloping downward with half-a-dozen tiers set up on either side of the main aisle, each one occupied by three computer workstations. At the bottom sits another console, this one considerably larger and more elaborate than the last. A huge screen hangs on the wall behind it, currently blank.
Sora can't help but be impressed, far from used to seeing this much technology in one place. Before he can verbally express his awe, though, a familiar gruff voice cries out from the vicinity of the main console.
"YEEOWCH! Dammit all to…!"
"I told you, Cid," another voice replies, the syllables of its words colored with a slight electronic tinge, "it takes a minute for the system to fully power down. You insisted on touching the wires anyway."
"Yeah, well I wouldn't have to do that if your digital ass woulda just…!"
"Ahem!" Leon announces, clearing his voice loudly and cutting off a surefire rant before it can gather steam. "Cid, Tron, we have visitors!"
"We what…?" A sudden thump resounds from beneath the computer, a collision between metal and skull. "OW!"
As Cid begins muttering up a storm, a metal sphere about the size of a blitzball rises from beneath the desk on some sort of repulsors. Two small manipulator claws extend from the device along with a camera lens.
"Well, as I collate and process, if it isn't my old friend Sora!" the floating orb declares in the familiar tones of Tron, Hollow Bastion OS security program extraordinaire. It begins floating up the aisle. "And I see Azlyn is with you as well."
"Good to see you too, Tron!" Sora declares as the sphere stops to hover in front of him. "Except, um, how exactly are you in this… thing? I thought you were running the computer system?"
"The bulk of my programming still resides in the main system," Tron explains, bobbing up and down slightly with every word. "But oftentimes I find it useful to break off smaller subroutines and house them in mobile platforms. They gather what information they can before reintegrating into my primary system, which is able to absorb the memory into my main processes."
"Cool," Sora replies meekly, not really understanding what was just explained. "Anyway, it's good to see you again. Especially up and about."
"Ya say that now, kid," Cid declares, slowly coming up the aisle with a grin on his face. "But just wait until you have him hovering over your shoulder twenty-four seven, handing out advice ya don't need!"
"Always great to see your sunshiney face too, Cid," Azlyn remarks with a smirk.
The engineer snorts. "Yeah, well, you'd be on a short fuse too if you had to spend most of your life cleaning up the messes those morons we call a science and engineer corps are always making!"
"Those are the best and brightest this city has to offer, Cid," Leon scolds the older man. "Without them, we wouldn't have come half as far as we have."
"Sure," Cid concedes with a halfhearted snort. He looks the group over, frowning. "Hey, where's the man of the hour? Too prissy to even show up for his own bachelor shindig?"
"Watch it, gramps," Azlyn declares threateningly. "That's my future husband you're talking about."
He snorts, holding up both hands defensively. "Easy there, Blondie. Just messin' around, didn't mean anything by it."
"That's good to hear," Telary declares, entering the room with Kairi in tow. The pair stride into to room, followed closely by Donald, Goofy, and Aerith. "It would be a real pain to rethink my party invites so close to the event."
"Gwarsh, this sure is a fancy, high-tech room," Goofy declares, looking around wondrously at the machinery on display.
"Don't even think about touching any of this stuff, ya big palooka," Donald grouses at his counterpart.
"Aerith!" Sora declares happily, receiving a bright smile in return.
"Good to see you, Sora," the brunette replies with her customary sweetness. "And of course it was lovely to meet Kairi. Even after just a few minutes, I see why you're so fond of her."
The Princess of Heart blushes, moving to stand by Sora and put her hand in his.
"Did you two find what you were looking for?" he whispers in her ear. She smiles, nodding contentedly.
"Oh, dear," Telary says suddenly, catching sight of a wall-mounted clock. "It's getting pretty late, isn't it? If we want to get to a camping spot before dark, we'd better hurry things along!"
Urged on by the groom-to-be, the large group make their way back down the castle. They have to wait a bit for the next elevator, most of the refurbished citadel's staff retiring for the night. Eventually they get a platform clear enough for the whole group to ride down together. An unmistakable air of excitement seems to surround everyone.
One member of the party, however, finds himself considerably less excited by what's waiting at the lobby's lift stop. Or rather, who is.
"Well, isn't this a fine sight!"
LeBlanc, Radiant Garden socialite and Restoration Committee financier (and also Cid's kinda-sorta-a-little-bitty-bit special lady friend), stands with her arms crossed over her (generous and prominently-displayed) chest. She doesn't look terribly pleased.
"Aw hell," Cid mutters, shaking his head. "Uh, hey there Blanc. Sorry about the lunch date, I was just…"
"Oh, to hell with the lunch date!" LeBlanc rages, shaking her head. "You're an industrious man, it's one of your attractive qualities. My quarrel is not with you, but rather him!"
Leon grimaces as he realizes that the socialite is pointing straight at him. "Um, how's that?"
"How could you neglect to inform me of our friends' arrival?" she explains huffily. "It's been so long, and as the ladies' host for this weekend, I really should have been there to greet them. It's basic etiquette!"
"Slow your roll there, Blanky," Azlyn says, holding up her hands. "It's all good. As long as you still live in that super ritzy mansion, that is. And, y'know, give us a ride? And I guess maybe pay the cover charge."
"Why not just get her to build you your own club?" Riku declares, snapping briefly out of his interested-girl-in-proximity haze to deliver a little snark. Beside him, the cause of the awkwardness giggles.
LeBlanc appreciates the humor as well, smirking as she examines Riku for the first time. He just sighs, internally cursing his good looks and easily-clogged brain.
"As long as it has a back room I can stick you in forever," Azlyn jabs back at the older boy.
Once again, Telary brings up the time. He really wants to get things settled in the canyons before nightfall. Actually, what he really wants is to go back two weeks and stonewall Sora's request for a camping trip. But it's too late for that now, and time travel usually just makes things worse anyway.
The sun is definitely closer to the horizon than Telary likes when the large group finally reaches the Defense Force's northern barracks/wall command post. It's too late for students to be practicing, and instead two large jeeps sit in the courtyard. Each is packed tightly with all necessary camping supplies, plus the offworld guests belongings. The groom-to-be had final decision on what qualified as necessary, resulting in a much larger store than might be considered usual.
Quistis is waiting beside the vehicles, along with Phineas and Ferb for some reason.
"Everything checks out," the blonde instructor reports, mockingly giving Leon a crisp salute. "According to the kids, anyway."
"Aren't you a little young to be car mechanics?" Donald squawks.
"Yes," Phineas replies, the age-old question bringing a smile to his face. "Yes we are."
"If you don't mind, I think I'll give it a last once-over," Telary insists, making a beeline to the vehicles while fashioning a mental checklist. Azlyn follows after him with a fond smile, and the others decide now's as good a time as any to start their goodbyes.
"Be safe out there," Kairi requests, holding Sora's hands and staring into the Keybearer's eyes. "This city is amazing, but if what you told me about all those Heartless is true…"
"Everything will be alright," he assures, raising one of her hands to his mouth and giving it a quick kiss. "Actually, I'd say that you have the more perilous time ahead of you this weekend."
The Princess of Heart sighs, nodding. "I know. It's been months now, and I really should get around to actually forgiving Azlyn. It's just, every time I see her, I think of what she did and…"
"Yeah, I get it," Sora agrees softly. "But I'm as over it as humanly possible, and it's time you were too. Your brother could tell you a lot about how useless it is to hold grudges for me. Besides, this is a weekend to have fun."
The Keybearer smirks, looking over his girlfriend's shoulder. A few feet away, Riku is bemusedly watching as Donald Duck and Perry the platypus circle each other warily. Yuffie stands beside him, no longer holding him but still close enough for their arms to occasionally brush.
"Speaking of fun…" Sora practically giggles.
Kairi drops his hands and looks over her shoulder, at first thinking he's referring to the odd cross-species introduction. Then she realizes what it actually is that has him so engaged. She looks back at Sora, frowning slightly.
"You really think?" she asks. "I mean, it's about time he started noticing girls again, but…"
"Oh, Yuffie is exactly what Riku needs," Sora says, like it's the most obvious thing in the worlds. "She's fun and pretty smart and kind of mean sometimes. Besides, my heart-senses are tingling."
"Heart-senses?" Kairi repeats with a sigh. She knows it's probably better to let that go, but still asks, "And what exactly…?"
"I know love when I see it, Kairi," Sora says, proudly puffing up his chest. "Aladdin and Jasmine, Belle and the Beast… Heck, I saw it all over the place with Az and Tel, and now we're a week out from their wedding! I never fail."
Across the yard, Yuffie tires of Donald and Perry's staring contest. After a moment's thought, she bumps her arm in to Riku's more forcefully. He snaps to attention, turning to the ninja with an inquisitive look.
"Before you go, I have to ask," she says, smiling brightly. "How did you enjoy your Radiant Garden tour experience?"
"It's a, uh, great place," Riku replies. "Big improvement over my last visit. Like, really huge improvement. Colossal."
"So, you'd come again?"
He nods.
"And your day's tour guide? On a scale of one to ten…"
"TEN!" Riku blurts, loud enough to gather attention from the others. Coughing awkwardly, he quietly repeats himself. "Ten, definitely. Very knowledgeable. Friendly, too. I'm sure your hospitality is famous."
"I hear good things from people," the ninja says with a playful smirk. "Usually not such handsome people…"
Riku's face turns red as the setting sun.
Meanwhile, Telary is just finishing up his third recount of the sleeping bags when his fiancée decides she's had enough and wraps her arms around him from behind.
"Would you calm down?" she declares, rolling her eyes as he turns to face her. She looks up at him, playful exasperation on her face. "If I had to guess, I'd say you're just stalling so I can't go get my party on without you."
"There might be an element of that," the wizard admits. "You're a hard woman to leave."
"I hope you're still saying that after we've promised to bond our lives together forever."
He kisses her, soft and slow. "No doubt about that." He pulls back, suddenly pulling a stern face. "Do try and be careful though, hm? I'd tell you not to do anything I wouldn't do, but that flew out the window the moment you decided to put dancing on the agenda."
"I'll be careful," Azlyn promises. "As long as you promise to not have a heart attack if you hear something in the middle of the night. And if you do end up in some kind of attack, trip Riku before you start running. Now that would be a wedding present."
"I'll trip Riku if you remember what I said about Kairi," Telary bargains right back. "She'll come to you in her own time, don't try and force anything before she's ready. I can't have my two favorite girls not-speaking on my wedding day."
"One week," Azlyn says with a blissful, slightly glazed look.
"Longest week of my life." Telary leans down and kisses her for several long, slow seconds.
A few minutes later, all necessary goodbyes have been said, and the sun's slid low enough on the horizon to make Telary rethink that heart attack promise. With one last wave and a rare joke from Leon to Quistis about not letting the city burn down, the men are off on their wilderness adventure.
"Here we go!" Sora declares, raising his hands high as they clear the gate to the (relatively) unknown. After a few moments of that, he turns to Leon. The gunblade wielder is quiet, concentrating hard on driving their jeep. "Hey, Leon?"
He doesn't even turn his head. "Yeah, Sora."
"It really is cool you decided to come with us this weekend."
Leon just grunts and gives the Keybearer a little nod. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he lets his other drift downward to rest on the zipped pocket of his jacket. Inside rests two items, and the secret of his real reason for tagging along on this outing. The reason he needs to leave Radiant Garden behind, even if it's just for one weekend.
Two items: a small black transmitting device, and a handwritten note emblazoned with pink angel wings.
This took entirely too long to get out. I just want to say that I know that, and I'm sorry. It just took FOREVER for this part to solidify in my mind. I knew the general ideas of what I wanted, but organizing it into anything coherent was a nightmare. This is probably the most important story for setting up KttK III, so I want to make sure everything I need to say gets conveyed in a way that (hopefully) works.
There are actually two stories in this part, one for the men and the other for the ladies. Each chapter switches between them. Each one is a very different take on the KH universe than I've seen, so be prepared. The men's is more plot heavy, while the ladies' is more of a character piece. Hopefully it all works, and everyone is at least mostly satisfied.
It's a bit overdue, but shoutouts to Bezerker21, Spiderfan626, and TheIrishWriterf or their reviews. And also to Nightwing2013, who's recently caught up on the whole KttK experience.
Until next time, everyone. I promise it won't be 5 months from now.