Sora and Aqua arrived in the Radiant Garden Marketplace. Unfortunately they saw a slightly disturbing sight. Two Soldier type heartless bouncing around like they usually did, but they disappeared shortly after realizing they had been spotted.
"Uh oh. The Heartless are back." Sora said as Aqua sighed.
"Yeah. Looks like the darkness is getting stronger again, despite the fact that we just defeated Hades." Aqua said as Sora looked up at her.
"We probably better make sure that Riku and Kairi are here." Sora said as Aqua nodded and they both ran off towards Merlin's house. As they entered the Borough they were immediately confronted by a small swarm of Heartless.
"Oh no you don't!" Aqua said as she and Sora effortlessly smashed through the heartless. They then hurried to Merlin's House where they found the security system active and obliterating heartless left and right. They then saw Leon throw the door open with his gunblade raised before he started cutting down the heartless that didn't go down in one hit.
"Sora! Aqua! Get inside!" Leon ordered. Aqua and Sora complied and ran into Merlin's House, followed shortly by Leon. Just then they heard a strange mechanical sound from outside. Sora and Aqua peaked through the windows to see a massive beam sweep through and completely vaporize the heartless but left the area around it intact.
"Geez. The Heartless seem to be getting worse all of a sudden." Cid said as he pounded away at the keyboard.
"Yeah. The Darkness must be getting stronger for the Heartless to start showing up again." Yuna said as Tifa nodded.
"I wish Cloud were here. We could use his help." Tifa said as Aerith approached Sora and Aqua.
"Have you encountered many Heartless in your travels?" Aerith asked as Sora and Aqua thought.
"Only in Olympus Coliseum, but that was because of Hades. He's been taken care of now but I don't think that he's the only source." Sora replied.
"Sora's right. We know who is behind this." Aqua said.
"Xehanort, we know." Leon replied, earning a curious look from the two Keyblade wielders.
"How did you know?" Aqua asked.
"A couple of friends of yours told us, Sora. A cute looking man and a very nice girl. They came by way of his majesty the King. They're with Yuna, Rikku, and Paine getting settled in right now." Aerith explained as Sora looked excited.
"Riku and Kairi are here! I knew they would get here safely!" Sora exclaimed as he jumped up and down.
"Riku? Kairi? I don't think those were their names, Sora." Tifa replied, earning a confused look from both Sora and Aqua.
"Well…if it wasn't Riku or Kairi, then who was it?" Aqua asked. On cue the door opened and in fluttered Yuna, Rikku, and Paine, followed closely by…
"Hey-hey look who's here."
"Snow! Serah! What are you two doing here?!" Sora asked in shock.
"We thought we might try and help you on your mission, Sora." Serah replied.
"The King dropped us off. Hope you don't mind that we decided to tag along." Snow said as Sora shook his head.
"No-no, I'm glad you guys are here, it's just…where are Riku and Kairi? Weren't they with you?" Sora asked.
"They're in Disney Town. The King let it slip that they were having some kind of celebration in his homeworld and Kairi got all excited. So Riku asked if they could stop and go enjoy the fun. They asked us to send their apologies for not being here in person to greet you." Serah explained.
"Given the circumstances with the increase in Heartless around here, I'd say that Disney Town is the best place for them right now." Aqua said as Sora nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Oh! Hey Serah, do you have a sister by any chance?" Sora asked as Serah gasped with a smile.
"You've met Claire?!" Serah asked as Aqua and Sora both snickered.
"Claire, as you call her, was in Olympus Coliseum when we were there. She seemed to think that you were dead." Aqua explained. Snow grinned innocently and scratched the back of his head.
"Ah, that's kinda my fault I'm afraid. See, like Serah, I'm not originally from the Destiny Islands. We both came from here actually. When Radiant Garden started to fall into the darkness, Lightning told me to get Serah and Kairi out of here, and I did just that. I didn't know where I'd end up but I got them both there safely…well not unless you count the bump on the head that caused Serah and Kairi to forget where they originally came from…luckily not about their friends or family." Snow explained.
"Makes since. People who are close enough to you though one way or another, are very hard to forget." Aqua said as Sora nodded.
"Well that explains a lot." Sora said.
"Yeah but we sent Lightning to the Islands to look for you. She seemed pretty relieved to hear you were alive, Serah." Aqua added. Serah nodded understandingly.
"I know, but Tidus, Wakka, Vaan, Penelo, and Selphie should steer her in the right direction. We'll wait here for her." Serah replied.
"She might not be too thrilled to see me though. She never has liked me." Snow said with a shrug.
"So are you guys just here to lend a hand? You never did give us a direct answer on that." Leon said as Serah and Snow both nodded.
"We are. Radiant Garden was our home years ago and we owe it to the people here to try and restore that which was lost. But we also came here for another reason." Snow said, looking straight at Sora.
"What's that?" Aerith asked as Serah smiled at Sora.
"We came here to talk to you, Sora. To talk to you about Kairi." Serah said, catching Sora off guard.
"Kairi? Is she alright?" Sora asked worriedly.
"Physically she's fine Sora. We're talking about the condition of her heart." Serah replied. Now Aqua was concerned.
"Why? Is something happening to her heart?" Aqua asked as Serah shook her head.
"Um, perhaps I'm making this sound bad. Kairi is fine both physically and in terms of her heart. I'm talking more about emotionally. Yeah, that's better. She's a little…um…confused, Sora." Serah said as Aqua figured it out.
"Oh you meant her heart as in emotional heart. Ah, sorry. Keyblade Warrior style thinker here. Someone says heart I think Princess of Heart or Heartless. But I'm there now, go on." Aqua said as Cid scoffed.
"Hey, I was thinkin' the same thing." Cid replied. Yuffie and Rikku seemed to be lost but everyone else seemed to have figured it out as well.
"So what's wrong with her emotional heart?" Sora asked.
"Well, let me ask this Sora. How do you feel about her? Is she your friend?" Serah asked as Sora gave her a weird look.
"Of course she's my friend. She's more than just a friend. She's my girlfriend." Sora blurted out before realizing what he had said and clamping his mouth shut with his hands, blushing a deep shade of red.
"Well, now it's all out in the open. Keepin' that emotion bottled up inside huh? How's that workin' for ya?" Cid snickered.
"Shut up Dr. Cid." Paine quipped with a smirk.
"Uh, will you all just kinda forget I said that?" Sora said with an embarrassed expression.
"It's okay Sora. We pretty much knew how you felt about her before we came here. My question is, does Kairi know?" Serah asked as Sora looked at her confused.
"Does Kairi know what?" Sora asked.
"That you love her." Serah replied.
"I…assumed she does. I thought she knew." Sora said.
"How, Sora? How does she know?" Serah asked with a smile before she started singing… (Music Cue: "That's how you know" from Disney's "Enchanted")
"How does she know you love her?
How does she know she's yours?"
Then a light bulb went off over Snow's head as he sang…
"How does she know that you love her?"
Serah looked at him surprised for a second as she replied…
"How do you show her you love her?"
Serah and Snow nodded with smiles on their faces before turning back to Sora, singing…
"How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?
How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?
How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?"
Serah then started walking outside with the others following close behind as she sang and Snow added…
"It's not enough to take the one you love for granted.
You must remind her, or she'll be inclined to say...
How do I know he loves me?
(Snow: How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you love her?)
How do I know he's mine?
(Snow: How does she know that you really, really, truly love her?)"
Snow then handed her a small white card that she looked at and swooned over as she sang…
"Well does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind?"
Then she picked up a bushel of yellow flowers from the planter outside one of the buildings nearby and threw them into the air…
"Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey? Hey!
He'll find a new way to show you, a little bit every day.
That's how you know, that's how you know!
He's your love..."
Serah sang as she motioned for everyone to follow her towards the Marketplace. Snow then put his arm around Sora as they followed.
"I'm not quite sure I understand, Snow." Sora said as Snow grinned.
"Sora, we're talking about you and Kairi. She loves you, ya know? Don't you love her back?" Snow replied as Sora nodded back.
"Of course, with all my heart." Sora replied as Snow slapped him on the back with a grin.
"Then listen closely…" Snow said before he started singing…
"You've got to show her you need her.
Don't treat her like a mind reader.
Each day do something to need her,
to believe you love her."
Then they reached the steps towards the Marketplace, as Tifa, Aerith, Aqua, and Yuffie joined in dancing, matching Serah's movements as she danced and sang while Snow and the girls replied…
"Everybody wants to live happily ever after,
everybody wants to know their true love is true...
How do you know he loves you?
(Snow: How does she know that you love her?
How do you show her you need her?)
How do you know he's yours?
(Snow & Girls: How does she know that you really, really, truly-)"
Then they hurried up to the Marketplace, stopping at the railing over the small pit area as Snow took Serah by the hand, dancing with her as she sang…
"Well does he take you out dancing just so he can hold you close?
Dedicate a song with words in
just for you? Ooh!"
Then Serah and the girls joined in unison in singing…
"He'll find his own way to tell you
with the little things he'll do!
That's how you know…"
Then everyone in the marketplace joined in and added…
"That's how you know!"
And Serah replied as she stared deeply into Snow's eyes…
"He's your love.
He's your love..."
Then they all leapt over the railing, as the entire Restoration Committee (sans Sora, Leon, and Cid) and everyone in the marketplace gathered in the pit and joined in dancing as Serah sang…
"That's how you know…
he loves you!
That's how you know…
it's true!"
Sora hurried around to the other side of the pit as Serah turned towards him and started singing…
"Because he'll wear your favorite color
just so he can match your eyes."
She sang as she pointed to her eyes…
"Plan a private picnic
by the fires glow! Oh!"
She sang before she, Snow, and the crowd sang…
"His heart will be yours forever,
something every day will show!"
Then they all started singing, the guys echoing the girls as they sang…
"That's how you know!
(Guys: That's how you know)
That's how you know!
(Guys: That's how you know)
That's how you know!
(Guys: That's how you know)
That's how you know!
(Guys: That's how you know)
That's how you know!
(Guys: That's how you know)"
Then they all sang in unison…
"That's how you KNOW!"
Then Serah and Snow started singing…
"He's your love...
(Snow: That's how she knows that you love her!
That's how you show her you love her!)
That's how you know...
(Snow: You've got to show her you need her.
Don't treat her like a mind reader.)"
Then Serah and the girls sang as the guys replied…
"That's how you know...
(Guys: How do you know her you love her?
That's how you know that you love her)
He's your lo---------------------------------------------ve!
(Guys: It's not enough to take the one you love for granted)"
(End Music)
The crowd let out a cheer as they finished singing, having thoroughly enjoyed the spontaneous experience. The crowd then started to slowly disperse, laughing and smiling as they split up, leaving Sora, Snow, Serah, Aqua, and the Restoration Committee behind in the market pit.
"So now do you understand, Sora?" Serah asked as Sora nodded.
"I think I do. I need to show Kairi how I feel about her, and not just assume that she knows already. So the next time I see her, I'm going to find some way to let her know how I…how I feel." Sora said as Serah nodded.
"Good for you, Sora." Serah said.
"Well, come on Sora. We don't have much time to waste. We've got more worlds to visit to get you trained." Aqua said as Sora nodded. Before anyone could say or do anything else, the ground shook violently.
"What was that?!" Snow asked as Sora and Aqua looked at each other.
"Trouble." They replied in unison before running off back towards the Borough's with the rest of the Restoration Committee in tow.
End Chapter 14.
The Song above was "That's How You Know" from Disney's "Enchanted."
Also, Yaoi based comments reguarding the song will be counted as flames. And flames will only be used to roast hot dogs over.