17

Oathkeeper

"Kairi!" Riku shouted. He let go of his own hold on the Heartless's head and lunged at me. I reached for him, but I was tumbling head over heels and couldn't seem to make sense of direction anymore.

Suddenly, two hands caught hold of my arms and yanked me back to a solid surface. I looked up to see Sora and Riku, each with a tight grip on the monster's scales. Sora's eyes were filled with wondrous relief, while Riku's were filled with blind, icy fury.

"Now do you see what I was talking about?" he shouted, his furious face only inches from Sora's. "You're not right all the time, Sora! And when both of us lose Kairi it'll be all your fault!"

Sora looked startled, then angry. "We're not going to lose her! She's fine!"

"She is now, but maybe you didn't notice how—"

The monster roared, cutting him off. I looked up at it, as Sora and Riku continued to shout at each other. It seemed to be gaining strength, almost feeding on their discord. They just weren't powerful enough to finish it alone.

Alone…

"Riku, Sora!" I shouted, interrupting them, "Stop it! You defeated Xemnas together—so I know you can do anything if you just stop fighting! Please, please, please do this together! It's the only way you can save us!"

Both of them glanced up at me in surprise. Riku shot me a sour look. "Kairi, do you have any idea what you're asking?"

"I'm asking you to grow up and save us already," I said, a little more sharply than may have been necessary.

"Yeah but…" Sora was shaking his head. "That's kind of impossible at the moment, in case you haven't noticed…"

"No, it's not," I said firmly. Then my voice became low and pleading. "Please. It's our only hope."

Sora and Riku stared at me for a moment, then exchanged glances. Riku's eyes softened a little. "She's right," he said, a little begrudgingly. "Perpetual rivals make a devastating team."

"Perpetual rivals? Is that what we are?" Sora wondered. I saw a flicker of sadness cross his face.

Riku paused to think this over, his eyes thoughtful and his silvery hair whipping about his face. "Maybe more like… Perpetual friends. With a little more rivalry between us than most."

Sora laughed. The two of them exchanged glances, as though the bond between them were resurfacing to remind them who they really were, solidifying their part of the eternal triangle that would always link the three of us together. Finally Sora spoke. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Riku smiled and raised his arm, which was bent at the elbow, toward Sora. Sora raised his, and their forearms met in a symbol of eternal brotherhood and everlasting friendship.

And then with twin shouts and a blinding flash of light, both were in the air, high above the Heartless's head.

They seemed to float on either side of it, carried by an eerie light that surrounded them. And then they were throwing their keyblades into the monster's face, wreaking incredible damage with each clash and each flash of light. The creature roared and lashed its mighty head.

And then they were back-to-back, their eyes locked fiercely on the giant beast. "Is that all you got?" Riku taunted, and he seemed to glow with the power that surged through him. And suddenly Riku and Sora were spinning in a circle, and shafts of bright light surrounded them in a circle, pointing outward. Sora's were bright gold; Riku's were dark blue. They spun in a destructive circle until Riku broke away and wreaked a devastating slash to the monster's head with a confident, "I'll take 'im!"

The beast was faltering now; tendrils of darkness seemed to ooze from beneath its heavy scales. Its roar was more like a weak squawk. All of us knew that it had only moments left.

"Riku?" Sora shouted, and Riku nodded—then the two of them were lobbing their keyblades into the air, where they hung, each pointing at the Heartless's head. Each was surrounded by a glowing ball of light. Sora's, the Oathkeeper, was surrounded by golden light, Riku's, the Way to the Dawn, was shrouded in blue. Shafts of light seemed to be pouring from the tip of each one, smothering the Heartless, exploiting the darkness.

"Sweet!" Sora exclaimed, and they bumped arms in victorious camaraderie. They fell to the creature's back, laughing and panting.

"You did it! You did it!" I cried. I climbed up the slippery scales toward them, and they encircled me in a tight embrace. I could hardly believe what was happening. The three of us were together again, really, really together again. Our friendship had somehow managed to endure everything that life and love and hate had thrown at us.

And then the Heartless wobbled, faltered, and began to plummet toward the ground. I held on tight to Sora and Riku's hands, and they held on to creature's wing joints. I wasn't afraid, really. Surely Sora or Riku knew some kind of spell that could cushion our landing. I looked up into Sora's eyes for reassurance. But I didn't find any.

He looked anxious, terrified, even. He saw the look on my face and nodded toward the ground. "There's a ton of people down there!"

My stomach lurched. I looked over the side of the Heartless to see a huge crowd gathered beneath the north tower. Surely they were running now, trying to get out of the way of this huge, falling pile of flesh—but what if they couldn't move fast enough?

My people. My people! I had to save them. There had to be something I could do to protect them. "Sora!" I shouted above the rush of the wind. We were falling fast now, so fast that I could feel my skin rippling. "Do you know a spell that can stop it?"

"Not something this big!" he shouted. "It's too heavy!"

I looked desperately up at Riku, but he only shook his head. There was pity in his eyes—pity for us, and pity for anyone that would surely be killed in the events that would follow.

But I wouldn't let this happen. I couldn't. The Heartless was pretty well finished off, but I knew that there was one thing clinging to it, keeping it from fading away.

I looked over the monster's side again. Sure enough, on the top of the north tower, I could see a hunched black figure. It was almost directly beneath us—the monster's circling had not taken us far away. I knew what had to be done, and my keyblade warmed my hand, as though it were agreeing with my decision.

I wrenched my hands out of Sora's and Riku's so quickly that they didn't have time to object or even grab at me. And then I was diving headfirst toward the earth, my arms above my head, my hands pointing ground-ward. My keyblade was in my right hand, and it seemed to be dragging me toward the ground, much faster than the falling Heartless above us.

As I fell, the wind whipped at my face and hair and my eyes watered. The top of the tower loomed closer, closer, and closer.

Suddenly, Chancellor Tsukada's Heartless looked up. He was too weak to stand, too weak to defend himself… and yet he still managed to glare at me, flinging his hatred skyward.

So I didn't pity him as the keyblade and I crashed headlong into the tower.

~o~

I had a vague idea that I should be in some sort of terrible pain. But I wasn't. All I knew was that I was surrounded in brilliant white light and seemed to be floating in mid-air.

The light encompassed everything. For a moment I wondered if I was dead.

But then I could see that I was merely floating in a sphere of brightness high above the top of the tower. Far below me I could see my keyblade, sheathed up to the hilt in shingles and stone. Tsukada's Heartless was nowhere to be seen.

Riku and Sora were falling gracefully toward me, their hair flapping back in the wind. Sora reached out with his keyblade, and I was close enough that I could hear him when he said, "Gather!"

The two of them lurched to a stop in mid-air, then spun gracefully downward.

As soon as Sora could reach me, he took my hands in his own and guided me to the ground. Riku landed easily not far from where we did. I caught a glimpse of the oddly pensive expression that spread across his face when Sora kissed my cheek. There was a quick flash of brightness where his lips had met my skin—almost as if the very realm of Light approved of our union.

I leaned over, grabbed my keyblade by the handle, and tore it out of the roof in which it was so deeply immersed. For what felt like the millionth time, I marveled at its strength.

"So the Heartless faded away?" I asked quietly. I knew I should be badly shaken. But for once, my body didn't tremble and my heart wasn't flying.

"Yeah," Sora replied, equally composed. Both he and Riku were panting heavily. "It disappeared as soon as you hit the tower."

"That's good," I said, closing my eyes with contentment. "Everyone is safe. Finally." It was as though the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.

Quite suddenly, Sora grabbed my arm and tugged me into a bone-crushing hug. His breath whooshed across my ear, warm and soft. "Kairi," he said tenderly, and a shiver of joy went up my backbone, "You're the bravest person I've ever known."

I pressed my face into his shoulder. "Hmm-mm," I disagreed. "That'd be you."

"Kairi?"

I looked up. Riku stood beside us, his eyes downcast, his face troubled. His mouth opened, but nothing came out. I could tell that something was worrying him.

"What is it, Riku?" I asked, pulling away from Sora's chest.

Riku looked up at me, and for the first time in a long time, his icy eyes had reached the melting point. They weren't cold and bitter. It was a strange, somewhat satisfying sight.

He turned his head to the side and huffed a sigh, but it wasn't filled with its usual frustration—rather an uncomfortable sort of acquiescence. He cleared his throat, but still didn't say a word.

Sora and I exchanged quick glances. I knew it would be best if Riku just said whatever he needed to say, but at the same time… I'd rather he were never in pain, never in any discomfort. I'd caused enough of that already, after all.

"Well, whatever it is, you can always tell me later," I said simply. "Don't worry about—"

"I'm sorry." He said the words so quickly that they sounded harsh. I was a little taken aback—until I recognized the look of personal victory in his eyes. It was the kind of look that accompanied a fatal blow to a particularly powerful Heartless. It smoldered with conviction and determination. "I'm sorry, Kairi."

We stared at one another for a long moment, and Sora looked at the ground—giving us what privacy he could, I guess.

"Riku," I breathed. "You don't have to—"

"No, I want to." He took a deep, steadying breath. "Seeing you together—I understand now. I'm sorry for… everything. Everything I thought I knew. I guess I thought things would change, but… I was wrong. And… I underestimated you. Both of you. You've proved yourselves to me, now."

My throat was starting to constrict and cut off my airway.

"And Sora?"

Sora looked up, surprised.

Riku cleared his throat gruffly. "Same goes."

Sora smiled, and it was the kind of smile that warmed his eyes up like a tropical sea. "Thanks, Riku," he said affectionately. "That—that means a lot." He reached out, and Riku grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. Then he grinned.

I choked back a sob and flung myself into Riku's arms. He started in surprise, then hugged me back in a tender, protective way. I wanted to say something, something about how sorry I was for all the crap I'd put him through, but no words would come without any tears.

Finally I opened my mouth. "Promise me something," I said, and my voice wavered, despite the fact that I was trying my damndest not to cry.

"Whatever you want," he said, without any hesitation.

I buried my face so that he wouldn't see my eyes glitter. "Promise me you won't go away. Promise me you'll be around whenever we need you. Whenever I need you. Even though I don't deserve it."

"I will," he said. "And there's something else I want to promise. I swear, Kairi, to love you right," he gave me a gentle squeeze. "I'll love you right forever."

Crap, crap, crap, I thought, as moisture trickled from my eyes and ran in rivers down my cheeks. What could I possibly say to that and still manage to stay in one piece? I had to stay strong, I just had to—

"Me too," I choked out. "I'll love you right, too." And then the dam burst, and I was sobbing on his shoulder. "Oh Riku, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," he said, rocking me back and forth. "It's okay. I understand now." And suddenly I changed hands, and found myself in a different set of arms, my tears soaking a different T-shirt altogether. "Sora!" I wailed. "Sora, I—"

"Kairi," he interrupted firmly, yet soothingly, "it's okay. Everything's alright now. Look at us! We're together again!" He laughed, and it was a quick, joyous sound. "I mean, really, how long has it been?"

I looked up at the two human beings that I loved most. They were smiling, and Riku was standing at Sora's side in brotherly camaraderie, just like in my memories.

It was true. It was real. We were together again. And this time there was nothing strong enough to tear us apart.

As I stood there, my tears of misery flowing to tears of peace, I became vaguely aware of a strange roaring sound in my ears. It immediately took to me back to the island—to the rushing of the waves on the sand. I wondered, wryly, if I'd ever be able to conjure up another image for any roaring, rushing sound that I happened to hear.

"What is that?" Riku wondered.

Sora twisted his head around; I could feel the muscles in his neck stretch taut. "I dunno," his voice rumbled, deep and familiar beneath my ear. "Waves?"

I smiled and pulled him closer. Could we be any more alike? Even our imaginations were synced up.

"No," Riku said, and his eyes brightened with sudden comprehension. "It's the people."

Together, we walked to the edge of the roof and looked out over the postern area. Sure enough, a huge crowd was still surrounding the tower, and their combined shouts seemed to be resonating upward as they bounced off the vast blue cliffs surrounding us.

"Do you think they saw the whole thing?" I wondered, leaning cautiously toward the edge.

Riku was smiling. "Probably. Hey—did you catch that?"

"What?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder. All I could hear was the same, incomprehensible roar.

Riku paused again, inclining his head toward the noise. Then he smiled. "Our names. They're saying our names, one after the other." He laughed, obviously pleasantly surprised.

Sora beamed. "Well let's get down there," he said. "Give 'em what they want. C'mon, guys!"

And I took Sora's hand in my right, and Riku's in my left, and we began our extraordinarily light-hearted journey back down the tower.

~o~

We emerged on one of my favorite marble balconies. It hung well over the crowd, which seemed to stretch on for miles. As Riku closed the doors behind us, the noise that erupted around us nearly split my eardrums.

And suddenly Donald and Goofy were there. Goofy gathered Sora up in a clumsy, long-armed hug, and Donald threw his chest out and smiled importantly over the crowd. Again, he was so cute that I just wanted to giggle and wrap my arms around him, but resisted.

"Kairi! Kairi!" Yuffie was screaming and jumping up and down directly beneath the balcony. I was amazed that I was able to single her voice out through all the tumult. And then I could see Aerith, beaming, with Cloud at her side, who was looking as sullen and disinterested as always. Cid was not far away, chuckling and chewing on a toothpick, and Leon's arms were folded, but he smiled up at us in a way that made me glow with pride.

There were reporters everywhere, struggling to get closer with their microphones and heavy cameras, but they weren't the only ones in the chaotic mass that wanted to press in on us. People's hands were lifted toward us, their eyes full, and though I couldn't discern their voices I could see their lips framing our names.

I beamed at them and clasped my hands together joyfully. Finally, I could ensure their safety. Chancellor Tsukada was gone, and now there would be peace in this beautiful place—peace that was well-deserved. Now I could pass new laws and rule without any interference from my selfish uncle… or his Heartless, anyway.

"We did it, everyone!" I shouted, and a sudden hush fell over them; enough that my voice could carry across the expanse of the postern. "Radiant Garden is ours again!"

The tumult was absolutely earth-shattering; I wished for a set of ear plugs, but at the same time, I didn't. It was good to witness their raw power of their victory. And it was good to feel it for myself.

"Here, Kairi!" Yuffie shouted. From Leon's shoulders, she passed a microphone up through the railing. I bent over and grabbed it.

"So you can sleep soundly tonight," I said, my voice amplified, now. "Thanks to your own bravery, and thanks to Sora and Riku, the heroes!"

Sora yanked the microphone out of my hands. "And your princess, Kairi," he added. I blushed as the crowd roared their approval. "She's a heroine!"

Toward the back they began chanting something, but I couldn't quite catch what it was. I took the microphone from Sora. "This is the third time Sora's saved Radiant Garden, you know," I said, glancing up at him from beneath my eyelashes. "You could definitely say that he's the hero."

The chanting was growing louder. I strained my ears, but still, I couldn't quite catch the words.

Sora yanked it back. "Well it's not like I've always been here to take care of it. I haven't ruled it like Kairi has, without a single care except what's best for her people."

The noise was deafening. I reached out to reclaim the microphone, But Riku beat me to it. He was laughing and rolling his eyes as he yanked it out of Sora's hands. "Suffice to say, they're both the heroes of Radiant Garden."

They laughed, but the sound was lost in the steady, synchronized roar that seemed to be spreading from the back of the crowd to the front like a highly infectious virus.

Now nearly all of them were in on the chant—I could see Yuffie and Aerith jumping up and down, their fists in the air, as they said the same words, over and over again…

There was one stressed syllable, followed by a stressed and unstressed syllable… and then another stressed syllable, followed by another stressed and unstressed syllable…

Two words… followed by another two words… repeated, again and again.

"Oh my gosh," I whispered. I watched the pattern of their lips. My heart flew, and my breath stopped whooshing in and out of my chest. "Oh…Sora…" I grabbed his arm.

Sora's eyes were wide, flying back and forth between us, and his chest was heaving. "Wait… Riku… what are they saying?"

Riku chose to ignore him. "So tell them what you want," he boomed into the microphone, voice carrying easily across the vast expanse. He graced us with a sly smirk, then flashed a perfect, gleaming smile out at the crowd. "Tell them—what is it that you want from your hero and heroine, now?"

The chant was nearly shaking the ground with its volume; every face was turned upward, toward us. Fists were in the air, eyes were bright… and I knew then that it couldn't be real. It had to be a dream. Because I could discern what they were saying now, and it wasn't sane. It wasn't logical. It belonged to the world of fantasy and fairy tales.

"KING Sora!"

My knees were suddenly very weak; I had to grab onto the railing for support.

"QUEEN Kairi!"

Sora's mouth fell open. He could only stand there, staring, as dumbfounded as I was.

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

The words thundered across the postern, seeming to resonate from the great blue cliffs around us, bounding and trumpeting and flooding the entire world in their tumultuous glory—

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

"KING Sora, QUEEN Kairi!"

And suddenly, all the confusion seemed to leave Sora's face. His muscles relaxed, and his face split into the most exultant smile—the smile that I loved more than anything. The smile that warmed be to my very core and filled my heart with joy and light.

Still, I was in an immeasurable amount of shock. I looked at him incredulously; where did he get his resilience from? I was still trying to restart my heart.

And then he turned and looked straight into my eyes.

There were a lot of questions. I was sure my eyes were brimming full of them as they bored into his—and I was worried that they must go unanswered. They were things that I couldn't ask aloud—not here, not now. Oh, why here, why now? Why did it have to happen like this?

I couldn't ask him if it was too soon, or if we were too young. I couldn't ask him about our parents back home, or what they would think. I couldn't ask him for a reason. I couldn't ask him why.

I couldn't ask, and neither could he. But our hearts were one. Deep in one another's eyes, we could find the answers.

Why not here, why not now? These people were witnesses of our undying love, witnesses of our victories and defeats, witnesses of our blood and tears. I thought of Yuffie, Aerith, Leon... and suddenly, I wanted them there—they would fill the void of our privacy with their genuine love for us.

Was it too soon? Truly? I thought back over my relationship with Sora—the little boy who I'd known since before I could remember. I remembered those sunny days on the island, when we'd played in the warm, shallow ocean and made sand castles on the beach. I remembered how he was the one who'd patronized me with hopscotch and jump rope whenever Selphie couldn't come over. I remembered how his eyes had always followed me wherever I went, and how, when I'd fallen down and scraped my knees on the dock, he'd helped me up and planted a moist, tender kiss on my cheek. He'd always wiped the tears away, always been patient and eager to play with me, even though I was small and delicate.

He'd always been there when I'd needed him most. He'd always been my dearest friend. Even Riku could not boast such devotion.

I thought of a secret cavern, the entrance of which was concealed beneath the roots of a massive tree. I thought of the boy who scribbled alongside me there until the walls were covered in wriggling white artwork. I remembered two pictures especially, and how small they'd looked when I'd viewed them again as a fourteen-year-old. Through my tears, I'd seen the outline of a Paopu fruit that was a little whiter and newer than all the drawings surrounding it. To this day, it arced away from the picture of Sora and toward the picture of me, representing an act of sharing. An act of love.

Love. That was what it really came down to. It wasn't too soon. It wasn't soon enough.

I smiled at Sora, and his answering grin was absolutely triumphant.

True, we were young. At eighteen, we thought of ourselves as adults, but we were really just children. What would everyone say?

And suddenly, I found that I didn't care. I searched Sora's eyes for some sign of doubt, but they were a deep, steady blue and did not waver. He didn't care, either.

He took my hands in his own. Everything was quiet, all except the ringing in my ears. I swallowed convulsively, looked at the floor, and then, after a long moment, reclaimed his steady gaze.

Would I want him forever?

Yes. Yes! How could I possibly refuse him? I loved him more than my own life. I loved him more than anything and everything. Forever was a long time—but it was exactly what I wanted.

I wasn't sure how long we stood there, staring into each other's eyes, communicating through the steady connection between our hearts and souls. It could have been a minute—or it could have been forever. There was nothing but silence all around us. Not a whisper or a breath of air could be heard. To me, there was nothing in the world but Sora. And I was okay with that.

He released my hands, but not my eyes. And suddenly, there was a loud clang and a flash of light.

Sora held a keyblade. And not just any keyblade. It was the Oathkeeper. It hung there, shiny, silver and resolute in his hands.

I looked from the weapon to his face, then back and forth again. What was he doing?

He smiled at me, and then his hands found the end of the silver chain that was attached to the keyblade's handle.

"I gave the Paopu charm back to you," he said, and the microphone in Riku's hand projected his words to the whole audience. "Remember? So I had nothing to keep on the end of the chain."

I nodded. Of course. It was somewhere in my room—in the bottom of my sock drawer, to be precise.

"I couldn't just leave the end of the chain with nothing on it. I had to have some kind of a charm on it… an object of reunion." He looked up at me, a smile playing around the corners of his lips. "So I bought one. It isn't a charm, exactly, but…" he blushed a little and looked at his hands. "At least it gave me hope."

I tried to catch a glimpse of the end of the chain, but it was concealed in Sora's hands. I wasn't the only one; out of the corner of my eye I could see people craning their necks for a better look.

He got down on one knee, and I could see him prying one of the silver links apart. His eyes left mine, only for a second, and then he let the keyblade clatter to the ground.

"Kairi," he said in a calm, clear voice that echoed over the postern. His eyes found mine again. "My one," his voice shook a little, "my only. I love you more than anything and everything. You're my life. You're my destiny. And it looks like fate has finally found us."

He turned his hand over, and pinched between his thumb and index finger was a tiny silver ring. Three minute, pale diamonds stood against its shiny surface. I gaped at it for a moment, dumbstruck. How was it that I had never noticed it dangling from the end of his chosen keyblade before?

Our eyes met. His were like an ocean at sunset, golden in their triumph, shining with the glories of his heart as though it were swimming directly beneath their semi-transparent surfaces.

Tears escaped and ran in rivers down my cheeks. I wondered, idly—could it be possible that they were liquid joy rather than just plain old saltwater?

I glanced out over the crowd and noticed that I wasn't the only one crying. Their faces were full of that same triumph that I knew must be etched on mine. I could see Yuffie bawling on Aerith's shoulder, the latter looking more contained, but no less awed in her quiet delight. And at my side, Riku. There was no bitterness in his aqua eyes, no sign of regret, and no sign of remorse. Only love. Only elation.

Sora took my left hand in his. "So now I'd like to know… if what you want is forever, then…" he was positively glowing now. "Will you marry me?"

In his ocean eyes, I saw eternity. It was mine for the taking. And there was no question that I wanted it.

"Yes," I said softly. And then a little more loudly, so our loved ones could hear, "I will."

Thunderous applause. Exaltation. And then a tiny silver ring, sliding to rest on the second smallest finger of my left hand, where it would bask, forever, in the light.