Hola peoples! Chapter...seven? Yes, it is seven isn't it! Yay! Here, we have the aftermath of Sora's encounter with a certain raven-haired temptress.

*Disclaimer

Roxas:....You....

Me: Oh! Hey Roxas...you're not still sore about me setting Axel on you?

Roxas.... (summons Two Across)

Me:....Oh....Okay.... (runs away)

Roxas:....bitch. Anyways...she doesn't own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. She does own her OCs though.

Promises

Kairi turned her head to look at Sora, concern and fear plastered all over her face. Riku, on the brunette's other side, also had his head turned, his face impassive, but his eyes mirroring Kairi's worry. Sora had his arms slung over his two friend's shoulders and was hanging loosely in between them. He was more stumbling then walking, dragging his injured leg across the ground. Riku was painfully aware of the injury on Sora's left arm, as blood was trickling from it down his shoulder. Sora's head was hanging down, his eyes drooping shut, and his wild hair hid most of the wounds on his face, but the gouges on his chest were painfully evident.

"You okay Sora?" asked Kairi fearfully. Sora lifted his head slightly and offered a pained smile to the redhead. "Yeah...just...a little....tired," he said slowly. Riku frowned, looking at the deep gashes all over his friend. "Really? Just tired? Because you look like you might have a painful scratch or two," said the teenager sarcastically and a little bit angrily. Sora glared sideways at Riku. "I'm fine. I just...gotta...rest a bit, so that I can...cast a Curaga," argued Sora, "Besides, you two don't...look so great yourselves. You guys...got attacked to?"

Kairi winced and let out a short laugh. "Yeah, we did. Wasn't fun let me tell you. They weren't Heartless, or Dusks, they were something...worse," said the Princess. Riku nodded in agreement, as Kairi began to explain to Sora what she and Riku had been doing since the mist rolled in.

Three wolves had attacked Kairi, and another three had attacked Riku. But the wolves hadn't been fighting fiercely, nipping them and giving them light, albeit painful scratches, but not giving them any serious wounds. It was more like the wolves had been playing with them, and keeping them busy rather than actually attacking them. The worse wound between the two of them was a deep gouge in Kairi's side, which she had received when the Shadow Wolves had first appeared. Upon hearing her pain filled scream, Riku had rushed through the dark mist towards her, being able to see through it better than his friends. Riku and Kairi had fought their six assailants side by side, Riku dealing with the brunt of it, but Kairi dealing out her fair share of blows.

"Three each...Lucky, I got hit with...four," gasped Sora with a dry chuckle. Riku and Kairi both winced for their friend. "Yeah, and it looks like yours weren't just playing around," whispered Kairi, staring at the deep, serious gashes on Sora's face and chest. Sora shook his head. "No...They were pretty...fierce, but...I think they were just...herding me towards the cave...," he said, his eyes getting a far away look in them as he remembered the events that had transpired inside the Secret Place. Riku's eyes narrowed. "Yeah...what was in there anyways? Why did they chase you there? ....When we found you there...you looked pretty traumatized Sora," said Riku darkly. Sora didn't respond, his eyes darkening.

Yes Sora, what was in there that traumatized you so?

Don't you start with me Roxas...

What? But seriously, you don't seem all that anxious to tell them what happened...don't you think Kairi deserves to know that another girl was all over her man?

No! And I'm not her man! I don't want them to find out, because I'm not even sure what happened...it was so weird...that girl...I don't know why I was so attracted to her....

Because she was a Succubus! That's what they do! They have a natural aura that draws you in!

...You don't actually think she was a Succubus do you?

I dunno! You tell me! You're the one she seduced!

She did not seduce me!

....Don't even lie.

....Okay, maybe she-,

"Sora?" Sora started as he snapped out of his internal conversation with Roxas, to see Kairi and Riku both looking at him with concern. "Sora, what happened?" whispered Kairi. Sora sighed.

"Um, okay, but...can we sit down or something? I'm....kinda...," Kairi and Riku immediately stopped walking and set Sora down on the sand. "Thanks," he said with a relieved sigh, stretching, and then wincing in pain. Kairi sat down beside him, dabbing at his face with a cloth. Sora winced again, and smiled gratefully at the red-head. Riku sat down beside them, rolling his shoulder and gritting his teeth as the motion stretched some scratches on his arm.

"So Sora....what happened?" pressed Kairi, putting down the cloth. Sora winced, not from pain, but from Roxas snidely making comments about where exactly Kairi had pulled the cloth from.

"Um..., oh, yeah, the four wolves attacked and I kept hacking them down, but they kept coming back!" exclaimed Sora, stopping to catch his breath. "Take your time," cautioned Riku. Sora airily waved off his worry. "Don't worry, I'm getting better. I'll be able to cast a Curaga soon," he said with a confident grin. Riku sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't persist. Sora continued.

"So, um, after they'd hit me pretty hard a couple of times, and I'd managed to...get them down, Roxas suggested that I...get away while they were down....So I ran for it, but I think I went in circles for awhile...the wolves were right behind...finally I ended up in the Secret Place and uh, there was this girl...," Sora trailed off, blushing profusely. Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Girl? What girl? Why was there a girl in the Secret Place? Who was she? What was she doing? What happened?" she growled, leaning in towards Sora threateningly. Riku watched the proceedings, his eyebrows raised in amusement, but secretly, he was just as curious as Kairi.

Sora chuckled nervously. "Um, well she asked me to come help her save her world. She said that I was the....only one who could help her, and then, um...there was a commotion at the....front of the cave and she vanished," said Sora rapidly, stopping only when his injuries caused him to halt and catch his breath. Riku's eyes narrowed. "She was just there? Right after we were attacked by those weird wolf things that chased you into the cave? That's a little suspicious...," said the dark warrior. Sora didn't hear him, however, as he was preoccupied with someone else.

"She asked you for help? That's it? That's all she did?" asked Kairi, blue eyes narrowed into little slits. Sora bobbed his head up and down fiercely, wincing as he did. "Yep! That was it! Nothing else! All that happened!" he squeaked nervously. Inside his mind, Roxas was killing himself laughing at the predicament his other was in. Kairi's eye twitched. "You look guilty, I don't believe you," she growled. "Soooo, I'll ask someone else!" she said with an evil grin. Sora looked up at her, puzzled. "Someone...?"

Just then, Namine slid out of Kairi, her hands tucked shyly behind her back and a slight blush on her face. "Uh....," she began bashfully, "Roxas? Can I talk to you?"

All the colour drained out of Sora as he realized Kairi's plan. Roxas materialized beside Sora, an absolutely malevolent look on his face. "Yes Namine?" he answered with an evil grin. Kairi smiled, clearly noting the fear on Sora's face. Namine giggled shyly. "What really happened in the Secret place?" she asked, looking up at Roxas from under her long eyelashes. Roxas smiled, completely taken in by his girlfriend's subtle beauty, and he shrugged apologetically at Sora. "Well, that girl-," he began.

"Roxas!" squeaked Sora indignantly. Again, Roxas shrugged. "Sorry Sora! I can't lie to Nami!" he said with a smile at his blonde girlfriend, who giggled.

"Well, Roxas?" pressed Kairi. Roxas grinned. "Ah, yes. I'll just get straight to the point. That girl did something funky with Sora's head, made him fall completely in love with her in the space of about twenty seconds, made out with him, asked him to help her, made out with him again, threatened him, explained her life story, made out with him again, then disappeared," he said rapidly, with a cheeky wink at his spiky-haired Somebody. Sora glared at the blonde, while blushing profusely.

Riku's jaw dropped, and he stared at Sora in disbelief. Kairi's eyes widened, and she clenched her fist. Roxas held out his hand for Namine. "C'mon, Nami. I think World War Three's about to break out. Let's skedaddle!" he said with a wink. Blushing, Namine took his hand and allowed him to lead her to a spot further down the beach.

Riku, Kairi, and a flustered Sora, all sat in silence.

Sora sat with his head down, his face an unnatural red colour, Kairi's face was even redder, making her look like she was going to explode, while Riku was merely staring at Sora with a mix of surprise, awe, and grudging admiration.

Suddenly, Kairi got up stiffly and left without another word, causing Sora to jerk his head up and stare after her. "Kairi, wait!" he cried, jumping to his feet. With a squeal of pain, Sora crashed back down to the ground painfully. Gritting his teeth, Sora summoned Oathkeeper, and cast a much needed Curaga. "Thank God," he muttered under his breath, than ran off in the direction the fiery red-head had taken. "Kairi, wait!"

Riku watched his friends' receding figures and then turned his head the other way to see Roxas and Namine, farther down the beach, in each other's arms and watching the ocean. The silver-haired warrior shook his head and lay down on the sand.

Hmph, I need to find a girlfriend before I'm the ever unwanted, 'third wheel'.

Kairi could hear Sora behind her, but she ignored his desperate cries.

Stupid Sora, she thought angrily to herself, I don't care if he kissed some other girl...three times. Why should I care? He could hook up with every girl on the planet and I wouldn't care...

Kairi's thoughts trailed off with a sniff, and she increased her speed.

Stupid. If you don't care, why are you running?

"Kairi! Kairi, c'mon! Stop!" cried Sora, not to far behind the princess and desperately out of breath.

Kairi cursed internally and once again increased her speed, silently praising herself for training her body so hard over the past month.

I don't care. I'll run forever. I don't want to talk to him! She screamed internally, painfully aware of how childish she was being.

I don't want him to see how much he hurt me...

"Kairi! Please wait!"

Sora gasped for breath as he saw Kairi run across the bridge to the outcropping with the papou tree. "Wait!" he cried, wincing slightly. The Curaga had healed his wounds....mostly. He could still feel a painful ache in his chest and leg, and running after Kairi had been unpleasant and extremely uncomfortable at best. Letting out a frustrated huff, Sora raced across the bridge, cursing Roxas all the way.

When the Keybearer finally reached the other side of the bridge, he found Kairi, sitting on the bent Papou tree and facing the ocean, a somber, stubborn look on her face.

"Hey, Kairi, why'd you run off like that?" asked Sora, panting as he approached the tree. Kairi didn't respond, turning away and retaining the stubborn pout on her face.

"Kairi?" said Sora, worriedly, jumping onto the tree to sit beside the red-head.

"Go away Sora, I don't want to talk to you," growled Kairi, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. Sora frowned, and looked down at the ground, knowing full well the reason for Kairi's anger. "Listen Kairi..." he began. "I SAID I DONT WANT TO TALK TO YOU!!!" screamed the Princess, pushing Sora off the tree. With a yelp, the keybearer fell to the ground with a thump, where he lay, unmoving. Kairi turned her head away with a snort.

A few minutes passed and Sora didn't get up, remaining face down in the dirt.

Kairi began to fidget, fighting with herself to not jump down and see if he was okay.

He's just faking, he's just faking....he's trying to get you to talk to him....oh who am I kidding?!

Kairi jumped down from the tree and ran to the brunette, rolling him over and leaning over his prone form worriedly.

"Sora! Sora are you okay?" cried the Princess. Sora cracked open one crystal blue eye. "If I said no would you talk to me?" he asked with a slight pout. Kairi let out a screech and kicked the brunette in the side. "OW! Kairi!" screamed Sora in agony, clutching his side in extreme pain. Kairi immediately regretted kicking her friend and proceeded to help him to his feet. "Sorry," she muttered under her breath. Sora winced notably. "S'okay, I deserved it...ow," he groaned, staggering over to collapse onto the Papou tree. Looking extremely guilty, Kairi jumped onto the tree beside him. "Sorry," she muttered again. Sora sighed and looked down at his feet. "No, I'm sorry. I should have told you the truth about Fawn..." he said guiltily. Kairi immediately tensed up. "Fawn?" she said between clenched teeth. Sora nodded. "Yeah, Fawn. That's her name. She was the girl....that....um....," Sora trailed off as a blush slowly crept into his face. Kairi's eyes narrowed, but the red-head composed herself and released her emotions in a truly exasperated sigh. "The girl that kissed you...three times," said Kairi dully. Sora nodded solemnly.

There was silence.

Kairi looked to the ground, and made as if to slide off the tree, but was stayed by Sora's hand.

"Kairi, wait," said the brunette softly. "I know what you think, but it's not true. That girl...she kissed me. She caught me by surprise...three times. I know that sounds hokey, but it's true. It was weird...I think she was doing something with my head....she was weird..." Sora trailed off, a puzzled frown on his face. "But it doesn't matter, 'cause they didn't mean anything! They were just some random kisses! Kairi, I promise you, I'd never ever voluntarily make out with a random girl I'd just met. You know that right?" said the Keybearer sincerely, staring into Kairi's bright blue eyes. Kairi blushed. "Yeah, I know," she muttered, her head down as she tried to hide her blush. Sora smiled. Kairi looked up, her eyes glinting fiercely. "You promise you're not gonna run away with that girl?" she growled, somewhat playfully. Sora smiled.

"I promise you Kairi, I'm not going anywhere."

Ta-da! This chapter is sort of like a filler chapter, so if it was monotonous with not enough dialogue...meh. Tough. Anyways, here we have a nice So/Kai moment and Sora making a cute little promise....will he keep it? Hm...

The next chapter will take us back to our fave Succubus, and bring us face to face with one of my fave OCs. I have two of them, but the second one you won't meet for awhile. So the OC you'll meet next chapter will have to be awesome enough for both of them...

xoxo, natcat5 ;p