Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters from Kingdom Hearts I or II, or Advent Children

Notes- Gomen. I know it's been awhile, but all you that read loyally are going to be happy… Because it's time for Fleur's party! Let's go…

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Chapter 19- Happy Birthday

The sun peaked through Fleur's thin curtains. Her eyes slowly cracked open and a smile graced her face. She stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She got out of bed and went to her bathroom to splash cold water in her face. She put on her morning robe and went down for breakfast. Aya and Hari were already toiling away in the kitchen. When Fleur entered, they greeted her loudly.

"Happy birthday!" They both shouted. The quickly took off their dirty aprons to give Fleur a birthday hug. She hugged them back with a newfound awaken feeling. The sweet scents that came from the food in the kitchen had woken her senses. Just as the Aya and Hari were putting their aprons back on, Cloud stumbled in.

"What's going on? Why are you guys being so loud?" He said, leaning on the doorframe and rubbing his eyes.

"We're cooking Fleur a birthday breakfast." Aya told him as she kissed him on the cheek. A small smile graced his face. He turned to go put on clothes, and just as he did so, Sora and Kadaj came barreling down the stairs and into the kitchen, knocking Cloud to the ground. Cloud, now rubbing his head, looked up to see Sora and Kadaj lifting the lids on the pots and pans and sniffing the sweet aromas that wafted from each of them.

"Out, out, out!" Hari pushed them. "It's not ready yet. Besides, you need to make yourself presentable for Fleur's birthday!"

"Speaking of… I haven't heard any of you wish Fleur a happy birthday yet!" Aya scolded. All at once, the boys wished Fleur a slightly apologetic happy birthday. Fleur, who had made herself comfortable in a chair at the table, smiled and thanked them. Then the boys all went upstairs to dress.

They all ate breakfast together. Even Sholto and Hilda were able to join them. After breakfast, it was time to prepare for the party. First, the girls went about decorating the ballroom while the boys were put to the task of grooming the courtyard so as to make it presentable for the guests. At three in the afternoon, they began to get themselves ready for the party. The girls all joined each other in the sauna while the boys took their suits to Yajai for some finishing touches. Yajai even embroidered the usual symbols into Sora's suit. Then they all retired to their own rooms to bathe and dress.

When Sora was done dressing, he went to Fleur's room and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" He heard her voice from inside.

"Fleur, are you ready?" He asked.

"Um… almost, but you shouldn't wait for us. In fact, us girls are supposed to make an entrance to the ball. You three should go and welcome guests until we're ready." Fleur told him as she looked at the clock. It was almost eight, time for guests to begin arriving.

"Oh… okay…" Sora said softly. As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Oh, someone is here! I'll go get it. See you at the party!"

"See you there!" She smiled.

Sora ran down the stairs to get the door, where he ran into Cloud, who was also there to answer the door. They looked at each other for a moment. Sora decided he should get it, so he opened the door. There were four people in the doorway.

"Hi! We're here for the party!" A small girl with dark hair smiled big. "Oh, hi Cloud!" The girl smiled.

"Hey Yuffie! Come on in!" Cloud stepped aside and let her in. She was followed by another girl with long, light brown hair. "Aerith, nice to see you again!"

"Hey you guys!" She smiled. Behind the girls were two guys in black suits.

"Leon, Riku, glad you're here!" Cloud welcomed them as well. He then turned to Sora, who was quietly standing by. "Everyone, this is Sora. He's Fleur's escort, and, well, boyfriend." The girls giggled and whispered, which made Sora blush, but he was distracted quickly by the two hands extended towards him.

"Hey, man. Nice to meet you." Leon said as he shook Sora's hand.

"Likewise," Sora replied.

"Name's Riku. Good to meet you." Riku said when Sora switched to his hand.

"Yeah, you too. Hey, why don't you guys come on into the ballroom? Everything's set up." Sora suggested. They all agreed, and Leon offered Aerith his arm. Riku did the same for Yuffie, and they all made their way to the ballroom. When they got their, Sora played host.

"Okay, well make yourselves at home, there are refreshments over…" He was stopped by another knock on the door. "Ah, one second…" he turned and hastily ran downstairs. Cloud picked up where Sora left off, showing everyone around. When Sora answered it, he was met by two more unfamiliar faces. One was a tall girl with black hair, wearing a long black dress.

"Oh, hello. I'm Tifa. We're here for the party." She smiled politely.

"Oh okay, I'm Sora. Come on in, I'll show you to the ballroom… and who might this be?" He asked, indicating a younger boy with light brown hair.

"I'm Denzel. It's nice to meet you." The boy replied.

"Hi Denzel. Well, shall we?" Sora said, stepping aside and inviting them in. He took them to the ballroom, where they sat with the others.

For about an hour, Sora was up and down the stairs, bringing people into the ballroom. By about nine, the ballroom was full. The sounds of laughter and glasses clinking filled the room. Sora, Cloud, Kadaj, sat date-less on the couch while they jealously watched Riku and Leon dance with their girls. Just as Sora was slouching down in the chair, a dinging noise filled the room. It was Hilda, hitting a knife on a glass.

"Everyone, everyone your attention please!" She called out, craning her neck above the heads of the guests. "The guest of honor has arrived, accompanied by the ladies of the house. Please welcome Princess Fleur, Lady Hari, and Lady Aya!"

All was silent as Fleur walked in gracefully, with Aya and Hari following behind her to the left and right. Jaws dropped and the other girls began to whisper. Sora, Cloud, and Kadaj rose from the couch, ready to accompany their dates.

The entrance looked rehearsed. As soon as the girls were inside the room, the doors shut behind them. Then, the boys waltzed up and each offered and arm to their date. Once they were paired, the three couples bowed and curtsied in unison. The room rumbled with the applause and cheering of the guests.

The night went by quickly. Fleur was presented with a few small gifts from her closer friends, and she danced with Sora for most of the songs. When the clock struck midnight, Fleur moved to the front of the room and clapped to get everyone's attention.

"My dear guests, thank you for attending. I'm so glad all of you could come, and I must say this is the most wonderful birthday I have ever had. But, all good things must come to an end, and so I must bid you all goodnight. Have a safe journey home, and I hope you enjoyed your time here." She said, later realizing how royally she had acted all night.

The room erupted with applause once more, and Sora met her at the front of the room to open to doors and see off the guests. A cleanup crew Cloud had hired got to work immediately, and everyone went off to their rooms to dress down and get ready for bed.

When Fleur got to her room, she found a note on her door that read:

My dear princess:

Meet me in the foyer at one thirty in the morning

I wish to give you a special gift for your birthday

Please do not disappoint me

Signed, The Key

Fleur smiled when she realized who the note was from. She quickly went in her room, realizing that it was already one in the morning. She quickly threw off her dress and adorned a warm night robe and slippers. With her she took the note and a lantern to light the hall. She left her room right on time, two minutes till her date with the "stranger."

Once to the bottom of the stairs, she used her lantern to light two more in the room, giving the whole room a dim, but warm glow. She set her lantern on the table in the center of the room. Just as she did so, she felt a hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist.

"Gotcha…" said a familiar voice. She smiled beneath the hand covering her face, and turned around in the grip to see none other than her beloved Sora. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a finger on her lips. "Shh… I want to take you somewhere." He said. He took his hand off her mouth and grasped the key that was around his neck. She immediately knew where they were going.

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Notes- I loved writing this. I hope you loved reading it. Tell me some of your thoughts on this… do you know where he is taking her? Read a few chapters back and you may be able to find out… for now, I must bid you goodnight. R+R!

-VarekaiSoleil