Chapter four-let's get right to it!

Kingdom Hearts: ReBirth

"Secretive as always, eh Auron?" Sirian said. "You always talk about your story, but you never care to share it with anyone."

"I just see no reason to explain more to you than you need to know." Auron's voice was rough and quiet. Sora recognized it without even seeing him.

"I know more about your comings and goings than you think." Sirian sounded more serious. "You can't just fire off your spiritual energy like that," he said, lightening up slightly. "I'm surprised half the island didn't show up here!"

"You forget," Auron started calmly, "that normal people cannot sense a warrior's energy like you can."

"Even so," Sirian said, now calmer, "I hope you didn't let the others see you. We don't need them to know you're here. It could ruin our whole plan." Hidden in the bushes, Kairi whimpered softly, a pained look on her face. Riku softly squeezed her shoulder to comfort her.

What had happened, Kairi thought to herself, what was going on? Sirian said he trusted me, he told me everything about himself, the good and the bad… Why was he being secretive? She thought back over the month and a half they had known each other. He blamed himself for a lot of things, but he was a good person. He was kind, fearless, noble and headstrong, and completely enthralled in his friendship with her. A week ago tomorrow, she told herself. Exactly one week ago tomorrow, he asked me out to our first date. It was the first time she had ever seen him nervous. He saw their relationship as a way to get to know each other without rushing into things. They hadn't even had a first kiss yet. But, the way he was talking…had he planned coming to the islands? Could their relationship just be part of his plan?

She thought back, recalling everything that had happened. She remembered Sirian ambushing them and that corny little introduction. She remembered what she had said to Sora as they watched him and Riku spar.

"Destiny gave us Sirian…" She had always believed in destiny. That's why she always found it amusing that she had moved to a place called Destiny Islands.

She remembered the leap in her heart when Sirian charged out and restrained Sora. She remembered how she could feel the air resonate with his calming aura as he battled Xemnas' spirit. She remembered how after five days of searching she found him and he refused to let her get close because he didn't want to cause trouble. She remembered how awkward he acted, bowing when he greeted her every day. She remembered the way they joked around, and how he loved Japanese language and culture. She remembered how they became closer and closer, eventually spending every day together. She remembered finding out he was an orphan with no knowledge of his parents, just like her. She remembered the first time he had called her 'benihime-san,' and how his voice shook as he explained that 'beni' meant crimson, for her hair color (which he adored) and how 'hime' meant princess. She had thought it was sweet, if a bit corny. Now she realized he may have been referring to her as one of the Princesses of Heart. But still…that couldn't explain away the way he shook the first time he had held her hand or how his voice had cracked when he gently asked her on a date for the first time. He couldn't be planning against them…he got along with Riku really well, and even though Sora was jealous they still got along, and Sirian was teaching them both to fight even better than they could already. Sora and Riku were powerful; they could float and they created huge swaths of magic energy with their Keyblades with every swing, but still they paled in comparison to Sirian. If he had wanted to, he could have annihilated them all…

But he didn't. He taught them to fight; he taught her a few magic spells; he even showed them his secret lab today, but here he was, talking to some warrior from another world about mysterious plans…could she still trust him?

She recalled a conversation, one of many that the two of them had over the last month; a conversation about trust and faith.

"Do you trust me, Kairi?" Sirian asked. He had been trying hard to prove a point.

"Of course I do," Kairi said, "You're my friend."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you trust me? Not just blind faith…can you really trust me?"

"Yes."

"Draw your Keyblade."

"What?"

"Trust me." She reluctantly drew her Blooming Flower Keyblade. "Good…now strike me down."

"What?!" Kairi was alarmed. Sirian grabbed her hands as they rested on the hilt and stabbed himself in the chest with her weapon. She squealed and pulled away. There was no mark on him.

"See? I trust you not to hurt me." Kairi still looked scared. "A Keyblade can only harm someone that the wielder wishes to harm. You obviously wish me no harm." He swung his cane around and hit her on the shoulder. It stopped quickly as a normal blow, but did her no harm at all. "My cane works the same way." He smiled. "It's nice to be able to trust someone."

"So you really trusted that I could never hurt you?"

"Yup!" Sirian smiled. "Would you like me to teach you something?"

Kairi shivered in the hot dark. She had to trust him…

"Well, I hope you planned on telling your friends," Auron said. Sirian looked down guiltily.

"I haven't told them…I should have…"

"Heh, you've ignored your senses."

"What do you-" Sirian turned and looked straight at the bush where they were hiding.

"Don't tell them." Auron's voice echoed across the beach, but he was gone.

Sirian looked ashamed.

"Come on out, guys." Sora, Riku, and Kairi stood up, revealing themselves. Sora tried to speak.

"So…what was that abou-" Kairi raced to Sirian before Riku could finish his sentence. She stood in front of him. He looked down. She grabbed his hand, his cane in it, and jabbed herself with the end, which she remembered had cut through solid stone. It did no damage whatsoever. She wrapped Sirian in a hug.

"It doesn't matter what it was about."