~o~

18

Wedding Bells

I opened my eyes.

Darkness flooded the space over and above and around me. I was awake, but I didn't have to wonder why.

I felt him near me. His movements sent vibrations through the realm of light—the kind that I was particularly attuned to. I heard the whisper of his fingers on my sheets as he lifted them and slid beneath them.

I stirred, reaching for him. He was everything good and clean and light, come to nestle into me, come to bury his freckled face in my neck.

"Mmmm," he breathed. His eyelashes trembled against my neck. "Are you sleeping okay?"

"No." I drew his head away from my neck and kissed his lips. Once, twice, a third time. "I keep having nightmares that Yuffie is going to turn me into a walking cupcake."

I kissed him again. His lips smiled under mine.

"Or," I continued, "that you'll be short a best man."

He shook his head. "Don't doubt him, Kairi. He needs your confidence."

I sighed. I knew that. Besides, I'd chosen my path. And Riku had chosen his. I couldn't let any more darkness into my heart—I wouldn't.

"I love you," I said simply, and kissed Sora's button nose.

He buried his face in my neck again and inhaled deeply. "You'll always be the center of my universe, Kairi."

Always.

~o~

"So-RA!" Yuffie exclaimed, combining a growl and a shriek.

Sora and I shot up off our pillows, blinking at the blinding light.

Yuffie stalked to our bedside with her hands on her hips. "What… exactly… do you think you're doing in here?"

"Not again," I groaned.

"Well up until recently I was sleeping," Sora said.

Yuffie snarled. I half expected to see a lashing tail protruding from the seat of her bathrobe. "Don't you know what day it is?"

The realization that I would be married within a few hours hit me, and my stomach clenched. Sora must have seen my panic, because he took my hand in his and squeezed it gently.

Yuffie didn't seem to notice. "We're going to pretend"—she shot Sora a venomous glare—"that you haven't seen Kairi yet today. You weren't supposed to see her until she came down the aisle."

Sora rubbed his eyes. "Well from the look of things it's not morning yet. So I say it doesn't count."

I looked at the clock. It was just past four.

Yuffie clearly wasn't appeased. "Look mister—out, out, out! I'm tired of your dumb speckled mug, I don't care if you're the prince or the king or whatever, I want you out of here, and I want you out NOW!"

For some reason this struck me as tremendously funny. No matter how old I got, no matter what my titles or accolades, Yuffie would always be the boss of me, and Sora too. I giggled and giggled until I was bent in half, my whole body shaking with mirth. Sora's smile widened until he was laughing too.

Apparently this was the wrong thing to do.

Yuffie grabbed Sora by the arm and dragged him out of bed. Luckily he was somewhat clothed, but seeing him there in his underwear being dragged along by Yuffie, storming mad, only added to the hilarity.

"Sora!" I half-giggled, getting up on my knees and reaching for him. He gave me a swift peck and allowed Yuffie to drag him out of the room and shut the door behind him.

I fell back to the bed, laughing uncontrollably.

~o~

While Yuffie escorted Sora back to his room, I went out onto the balcony.

The sky was fading from black to deep blue. In a short while, it would be powder pink. I wrapped my dressing gown more tightly around me and leaned on the railing, smiling gently.

How long ago was it that I stood on this exact spot, hardly daring to hope that I'd ever see Sora again? Hardly daring to whisper his name?

I'd tried to convince myself that life without Sora was simply reality. But nothing could have been more unnatural. Slicing myself open from neck to navel and ripping out my own heart would have been easier than living that twisted half-life.

And now it was over. The darkness was passed. Sora and I were a package deal now; no matter what destiny had in store for us, we would face it together.

All I had to do now was survive my wedding day. And what were a few lacy frills compared to a giant heartless dragon, anyway?

I grimaced.

~o~

"Yikes!" I gasped, wrenching my leg out of a pair of ice-cold hands.

Yuffie emerged from beneath the skirt of my slip. "Calm down, it's just me," she said exasperatedly. She'd been up since the crack of dawn, fussing with this and that and working herself into a frenzy. The last few days of preparation hadn't done her much good; there were bags under her eyes and she rarely cracked a smile.

Still, I couldn't help but flinch away from her touch. "Dare I ask what you're doing down there?" I grouched. The whole "you can't see Sora yet" thing wasn't boding with me well; I'd been surly and irritable all morning.

"I'm putting your garter on," she snapped, lifting my leg again so that she could place the tiny, springy loop of elastic over my foot. I shivered as she pulled it up my calf, over my knee, and onto my thigh.

I blushed furiously. "Okay, okay, I think that's high enough."

She laughed aloud for the first time today. "Aw, don't you want Sora's hands up there?" she said slyly.

"His, yes. Yours, no," I returned as my face continued to flood with color. I bit my lip and looked at the metal clock on my wall—the one Sora had given me, with the curly sliver hearts for hands. "Where's Aerith?" I wondered aloud.

"She's got a surprise for you. I think she's picking it up at the moment," Yuffie said evasively, emerging from beneath my skirt and eyeing me critically, "Kairi, are you sure—?"

"Yes," I cut in firmly, reaching up to smooth my dark, straight hair around my face.

"But I could curl it," Yuffie whined. "I could three-barrel it! I could put it up a bun or a half-bun with ringlets! Or—I could even crimp it! Well, maybe not crimp it, that would be too casual, but—"

"Yuffie, please. This is the way I like it."

She wagged her head back and forth so tragically that I found it somewhat comical.

Suddenly, the door flew open. I whirled around in time to see a brown-haired figure come flying at me.

"Kairi!" Selphie squealed, taking my hands in her own and jumping up and down. "Oh, Kairi, just look at you! I haven't seen you in years!"

"Selphie?" I gasped, eyeing her over in shock and disbelief.

"Yuppers!" she giggled, squeezing my hands. "Can you believe it?"

Aerith came through the door, followed closely by a girl with long, wispy brown hair—Olette! What on earth?

"Aerith," I said, amazed, "what's going on?"

"I thought you would like it if I invited some of your friends," she replied, smiling sweetly. "After Yuffie was finished inviting dignitaries and stuff, anyway."

Yuffie stuck her tongue out. "I would have left room for them. You know that."

"Congratulations, Kairi," Olette said. She'd matured a lot since I'd last seen her; her voice was deep and her figure curved and comely. "I'm so happy for you."

I couldn't doubt her sincerity, even though we barely knew each other. Her soft, round eyes seemed to glow.

I smiled. "Thanks, Olette. Thanks for coming such a long way! I mean really, I… I'm honored."

"What about me?" Selphie said, putting her hands on her hips. "I came a long way too!"

I giggled; her feigned sulkiness took me back to our island days. "Sure, Selphie. I'm glad you're here, too." I looked at her carefully; it seemed as though she hadn't changed a bit. The same familiar tuft of brown hair stuck up in the back, and she was still a beanpole with overlarge green eyes.

"How many people did you invite, anyway?" I asked.

Yuffie and Aerith exchanged nervous glances. "Um… wait and see," Yuffie said surreptitiously.

I frowned. "You can't seat very many in that entrance hall, you know," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe about a couple hundred, if you're lucky."

"I know, I know," Yuffie said. "Don't you have any faith in me? I told you I'd take care of everything."

"I know. That's what worries me," I replied, making a face.

"Well, let's do her make-up now!" Selphie squealed, clapping her hands together. "Aerith said I could help!"

Before I could stop her, she dashed into my bathroom and flung open every drawer in the vanity. "I'm so excited! What should we use? I wonder what kind of fancy makeup a princess would have in her—" another girly squeal, "Ooooh! Butter London! Stila! Cle de Peau Beaute!"

Yuffie scowled at Aerith. "Well now look what you've done. You've created a monster."

"Don't worry, Yuffie. There's always room for one more," I teased.

Yuffie's scowl deepened. "Ha ha ha."

A loud squeal came from the bathroom, followed by rapid clapping. "Oooh, look at this curling iron! You've got to let me do your hair, Kairi!"

And then the primping began. I'd never felt so much like a Barbie doll in my entire life.

Together, the four girls made short work of everything that needed to be done. First they sat me down in a chair and gave me a manicure and a pedicure. While two of them worked, the others fussed over jewelry candidates. When my nails and toes were finished, I could only gape at them; they were pink and silver, and seemed to be modeled after the silhouettes of many rose petals with their sharp angles and silver curves.

Next, Selphie was allowed to go over my hair with a large porcelain straightening iron. Yuffie decided to be persistent as the iron rose and fell beneath her tortured eyes. "Please, Kairi, if you'd just let me—"

"Yuffie," I cut in, "I said no."

"But Kairi," she moaned. I glanced in her direction, and was startled to see that her bottom lip was quivering. "I want to! Please!"

"Yuffie," Aerith said gently and firmly, "It's Kairi's day. Let her choose."

Yuffie's sigh came out in one giant huff. "Fine," she said, plopping down on my bed. "Fine."

After Selphie pronounced my hair perfect (at which point Yuffie inserted a petulant "humph"), Aerith began to apply my makeup. She used a very small amount of foundation, telling me that she'd never seen skin "so gorgeously rich and creamy, so au naturale." With a liberal amount of mascara, my eyelashes hung like thick black shadows over my eyes, brushing at my cheeks whenever I blinked. And then with a little eyeliner and a touch of eye shadow, I was ready.

Yuffie gazed into my eyes, and for a moment, her surliness seemed to be forgotten. "Oh," she sniffled, tearing up a little. "Kairi, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Yuffie," I said, in what I hoped was a steady voice. "Thanks, all of you, for your help."

"Sure. What are friends for?" Selphie said. Olette nodded, and Yuffie smiled.

After Yuffie had pulled herself together, she was all business. "Now. The dress."

"Alright," I agreed, all too willingly. "Let's get this show on the road." I looked at the clock again and groaned; there were still two hours left. Two hours in which I wasn't allowed to see Sora. Two hours before he was officially mine. The idea was almost intolerable.

Yuffie shook her head. "Be patient Kairi."

Selphie giggled. "Well, I can see cold feet won't be an issue, for you at least."

"Definitely not," I agreed.

And then Aerith, Selphie, and Olette followed Yuffie to my dress bag like lost, hungry children. Their eyes were large and round, and Selphie actually sighed at the sound of the zipper going down.

The dress seemed to cascade from its bag like a waterfall of silk. I'd chosen it myself, so it was nothing flashy. Just a simple gown with long, tight sleeves, a low collar, and a graceful train.

"Oooh," Olette cooed, reaching out to caress the heavenly surface. "Wow."

"Nice, isn't it?" Yuffie said with satisfaction.

"And it suits her well, don't you think?" Aerith mused, lifting the wedding gown up by its collar. "Simple yet comely… Nothing gaudy about it, but still, it's just… stunning!"

As they babbled on, I sighed and began to twist my ring compulsively around my finger. I wondered what Sora was doing now…

"Alright," Olette said, breaking through my reverie. "Let's put it on her."

I lifted my arms, all too eager to take a step in progress's direction. Everything went dark as Yuffie pulled the dress over my head. I was careful to keep my face away from the delicate white cloth in order to avoid smearing makeup on it. Then I wormed the dress over my chest—the waist was so tiny, even with the zipper undone—until my head was free. My arms slid, with some difficulty, into the sleeves, which seemed to melt to my skin like white paint. Aerith zipped me up with a flourish.

"There. Now for the finishing touches," Yuffie said brightly. From a black case on my nightstand, she withdrew a glittering silver tiara. It wasn't the one I wore to parties and press conferences. No, this one was much grander, encrusted with real diamonds in rows that curled to the heavens in great sparkling hearts. I ducked my head so that Yuffie could put it on; it went nicely with my long, semi-transparent veil.

Then a slender silver necklace was procured from a box. A tiny diamond hung from its middle like a lone star. Olette fastened the clasp behind my neck and pulled my hair out from underneath it.

I slipped into a pair of slender white high-heels. And then I was ready.

"Oh," Selphie breathed. Her eyes were round pools of awe. Olette clasped her hands against her heart. I walked over to my full-body mirror to see what all the fuss was about.

And for once in my life, I felt like I really looked like a princess.

But it wasn't as though I was completely unrecognizable. My eyes glowed, soft and cerulean and joyful from beneath their curtain of thick black lashes. My lips curved upward, full and pink and familiar, while my hair fell in long, dark red curtains down my back and across my shoulders—the same as any other day. My slender fingers peeked out from beneath the sleeves that clung to my hands—just enough that the tiny ring on my finger could be easily seen.

"Presenting Her Royal Highness, Queen Kairi of Radiant Garden," Yuffie said, with a gesture in my direction and a graceful bow. "The audience may be seated."

I shook my head ruefully. "I'm not the queen yet, guys."

"It's pretty safe to say that you will be," Aerith interjected.

"Unless Sora gets cold feet," I said with a short laugh. Then I frowned. "If only I could go see him. I'm sure he's just as nervous as I am."

"Oh no you don't," Yuffie said, turning balky. "You know the rules."

There was a quiet knock at the door.

"I'll get it, I'll get it, I'll get it!" Selphie cried, as exuberant as ever. She dashed over to the door and glanced out the peephole.

Selphie gasped. "Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh," she said, all in one breath, "it's Riku!"

"Riku?" Yuffie said stonily, putting her hands on her hips and scowling dangerously. "Tell him to get his butt back to Sora's room! He's not allowed to see Kairi yet, either."

I felt like covering her mouth with my hand to staunch the stream of nonsense that poured from it, but somehow managed to restrain myself. "No, no, Selphie, let him in! I want to talk to him."

Selphie giggled, a little maniacally. "Sure, I want to talk to him, too!" she said in a highly significant way. I rolled my eyes.

She flung the door open with so much energy that it hit the wall with a startling bang. Turns out, it was an appropriate way to announce Riku's entrance.

He was dressed in a smooth black tux that not only accented the look of debonair, roguish confidence that he wore so well, but also made him look like he was about twenty-three. His silvery hair fell into his eyes as usual. They were hooded and aloft in their angular frames. One corner of his mouth pulled upward, but the rest of his features were masked with suave disinterest.

"Hi, Riku," Selphie squeaked. She bounced back and forth from her heels to her toes, obviously brimming with excitement.

His eyes roved over her skinny figure before he found her face. He graced her with a slow, smooth smile, then said, "Hey," with an upward jerk of the head.

Selphie clutched her hands to her heart, and I knew from her expression that her insides had melted to an awestruck puddle of goo.

And then his eyes fell on me. They seemed to brighten for a moment from behind their cool façade. "Um… wow," he said, eyeing me over. "You look… incredible."

"Thanks, Riku," I said lightly. "You do, too." Then I bit my lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked, as intuitive as always.

I sighed. "Well, I'm just so happy that you're here, and I want to give you a big hug, but I'm worried I'll muss up our fancy outfits." I looked down at my gauzy skirt.

He laughed, and in that moment, I could see only warmth in his eyes. "Is that all?" he said. Still chortling, he strode across the room and swept me up in a warm, comfortable embrace. "I think it's worth it, to be honest."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, clutching him to me. "Thanks for being here, Riku," I murmured into his ear.

"I made a promise, remember?" he said gruffly.

I nodded and gave him a gentle squeeze.

Almost immediately I felt him stiffen. He drew me away from him and set me on my feet. "Keep it clean princess," he teased with a familiar, impish smirk on his face. "You're getting married today, remember?"

I swatted at him and then surrendered myself to Yuffie's tight-faced disapproval. To her credit, she straightened my gown without a word.

"So what's going on in Sora's room, Riku?" Aerith asked.

"Um, not much," he said, leaning casually against the wall. "Kid needed help with just about everything, right down to buttoning his cufflinks. But I'm sure Hayner and Pence and Leon got it sorted out." Suddenly he laughed, eyes sparking with good-natured humor. "They're still trying to figure out what the hell they're supposed to do with his hair."

"Leave it," I said wisely.

Yuffie nodded solemnly. "Yeah, there's probably not enough gel in the world to make that hair look respectable."

Selphie stifled a giggle.

"So, Riku…" I began, a little nervously, "Is he doing okay? I mean… he's not afraid or anything, is he?"

Riku smiled. "He's fine, Kairi. He even told me to tell you that."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Funny, how he knew you would be worrying." He smiled and his eyes seemed to be laughing at me from beneath their heavy lashes.

"Oh, stop it," I said, blushing. "I don't worry that much."

"Yes you do," Yuffie said dispassionately, fiddling with my tiara and veil. I scowled at her for siding against me. But Riku inclined his head toward her, eyebrows raised as if this only proved his point.

"I think every bride worries on her wedding day," Olette said with a shrug. I noticed Riku's eyes flash questioningly in her direction.

"Oh," I said, as the thought occurred to me, "I don't know if you two have met—this is Olette, Riku," I said quickly, gesturing to the curvy, quiet brunette on my right.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a casual smile.

I could tell that her apparent indifference piqued Riku's curiosity. "Hey," he said, a little less confidently than before.

Yuffie's next outburst nearly scared me out of my skin. "Oh my gosh!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air. "I almost forgot!"

"What?" Selphie, Aerith, and Olette chimed.

"Kairi's presents. She has to unwrap them before the reception, and we won't have time after the ceremony."

"Presents?" I asked, confused. "What presents?"

Instead of answering me, Yuffie turned on Riku. "Shoo, shoo, shoo!" she said, making sweeping motions at him with her hands. "This is no-boys-allowed kind of stuff!

Riku raised an eyebrow at her. Then sudden comprehension dawned on his face. "Oh," he said, chortling. "Oh. Okay. See you later."

I gave him a questioning look, which he answered with a smirk. "Good luck today, Kairi," was all he said. "And congratulations."

"Thanks, Riku," I said as Yuffie grabbed my arm and dragged me toward a stack of neatly-wrapped packages on the top of the bookshelf. "Bye!"

"See you, Kairi. See you, Olette." He flashed a stunning smile in her direction.

"Bye," she replied, smiling gently. "I'll see you at the ceremony."

"Sure," he said, closing the door behind him. The smell of his cologne still hung in the air. I barely had time to puzzle over his parting words and Olette's thoughtful expression before Yuffie threw the first present into my lap.

"Okay, this one's from me!" she crowed. "Open it, open it!"

"Okay, okay," I said, laughing and slipping my fingers beneath the seams in the wrapping paper. "Take it easy."

Inside was a cardboard box with the words "La Perla" printed in curvy black lettering across its top.

"Oh, wow," Aerith said, as Selphie began to giggle uncontrollably and cover her mouth with both hands.

"What?" I asked; I'll admit I was naïve. "What is it?"

Yuffie smirked. "Open it and see."

I removed the top of the box and felt my face grow hot upon catching sight of its contents: skimpy black lace and thin elastic. Beaded cups. Skinny little straps.

I was at a loss for words. "Oh—why would you—Yuffie, this is embarrassing."

Yuffie and Selphie were giggling wildly, now; only Aerith retained her composure. "Hold it up, Kairi," she said. "Don't listen to them."

"I'm not holding it up," I said furiously. My cheeks were positively burning.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," she said, trying to console me.

But Yuffie and Selphie were still giggling like schoolgirls. "Kairi!" Yuffie choked out, "Your face! Your face is priceless!"

I knew that she was probably right, but my pride kept me from admitting it. "So you got me a present just so you could laugh at me when I opened it?" I said scornfully. "Thanks a lot."

"Well, that was definitely part of it," Yuffie said matter-of-factly. "But seriously, Kairi, I picked this one out myself, and it is super hot."

"You'll love it," Aerith agreed. "And Sora will, too."

"Plus there's a whole lot more of them, enough to keep you entertained for months," Yuffie said slyly, gesturing to the stack of unwrapped presents on the nightstand.

Another wave of heat came over me. I wondered if Sora would mind it too much if I didn't wear those things. Our physical relationship hadn't suffered any from a lack of skimpy nighties so far.

So I swallowed my pride and said, "Thanks girls. You're the best."

"We know," Yuffie replied, dumping a pile of presents into my lap. I sighed and reached for one.

It was another La Perla, but it turned out to be a little less revealing than the last one. It was made of baby blue silk, and the bottoms were not much unlike my some of my pajama shorts. Maybe I would wear this one, anyway, just because it looked comfy.

Suddenly, there was a smattering of knocks at the door.

"Now who is it?" Yuffie said irritably, twisting her head around. I seized the opportunity to purge my lap of embarrassing articles of clothing.

Selphie hopped up and pranced over to the door. "It's a duck like Donald," she said, surprise coloring her voice as she peered through the peephole. "Only she's a girl!"

"Daisy?" I said, surprised. "Let her in, Selphie."

As Selphie opened the door, Daisy's commanding voice filled the room. "—And I'm sure that the king will be arriving at any moment," she was saying to someone I couldn't see. "So you shouldn't worry, Your Majesty."

I jumped up off the bed. "Queen Minnie?" I asked, stunned.

The queen came around the corner. Though she looked harmless enough with her hands pressed together and a smile on her rounded face, something about her tiny being commanded a certain amount of respect. Aerith and Yuffie obviously felt it; they were on their feet a split-second after I was.

"Hello, Kairi," the queen said. Her voice was like peppermint candy in my ears, sweet, yet polished and classy. "The king said that you were getting married today, so I thought we should stop in and congratulate you."

Her smile was positively radiant; I couldn't help feeling awestruck in the presence of this tiny, yet inspiring personage. "Thank you, Your Majesty," I said, curtsying despite my obvious lack of talent in that area.

But Queen Minnie waved a hand in my direction as though to sweep me back into an upright position. I noticed that she wore a silver ring on her finger. "Oh, no need for that," the she said with a tiny giggle. "You're a queen now, too."

"Well… soon, I will be," I corrected, and straightened up a little.

"Your Majesty," Yuffie interjected with a little bow, "you're welcome to stay if you like."

Queen Minnie was obviously pleased. "Well, that would be lovely, but is there enough room?"

Yuffie nodded. "Oh, of course. And, I mean, we can certainly make room for you and the king if we have to."

"Oh, I wouldn't want you to have to do that," Queen Minnie mused. "There certainly are a lot of guests outside."

"Outside?" I asked, confused.

"Surprise." Yuffie turned to me, shrugging. "We decided it'd be better to have the ceremony in the gardens. And it's a good thing, too…" she wandered over to the window and peered out.

I followed her there, and was alarmed at what I saw.

There had to be thousands of people outside. Thousands. From what I could see, they stretched across the entire courtyard and out past the postern, a shadowy mass of bodies as infinite as the stars.

"But—but—where did they all come from?" I gasped.

"Other worlds," Queen Minnie said simply. "I'm guessing that a fair few of them are Sora, Donald, and Goofy's friends. Even though it's usually against the rules to visit other worlds, the king thought it would be all right just this once. It's a very special occasion, after all."

I could only stare.

"Y-Yuffie," I stammered at last, "what if—what if I trip or—say my vows wrong or—"

"Walk down the aisle with flat, straight hair?" Yuffie said smugly.

I could only stare at her. Panic was rising in my chest.

"Kairi, are you actually nervous?" she asked, not unkindly.

"No," I squeaked. But I wondered—if I were to bolt in this dress, could I make it to my hiding place (the secret passage in the library) without getting tackled by my maid of honor and dragged back to my bedroom like a wounded gazelle?

"Kairi." Aerith put a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look at her; she was smiling in an understanding sort of way. I wondered if she could read my thoughts. "Remember why you're here," she said gently.

I looked back into her eyes. Slowly, I nodded.

Suddenly there was another knock at the door. Yuffie opened it.

It Leon. "They're ready for her," he said brightly.

From that point on, everything entered into a sort of delirium. Somehow I managed to get through my bedroom door, but I was leaning heavily on Yuffie. Selphie trotted along behind me, holding my train. Aerith walked beside me, turning to give me a calming smile periodically.

Sora, Sora, Sora, I thought desperately, trying to forget the tug of the heavy dress and the people waiting for me in the gardens. Sora….

And, wonder of wonders, when I closed my eyes, I saw two orbs of blue—heard the rush of the waves—felt the sun on his cinnamon-brown cheek. "Kairi," he said softly.

I think I glided down the stairs.

A/N: I finally decided that this story deserved a proper ending! I'll have the final chapter up within a week. Please leave me a review. I'd love to know what you think.