AUTHORS NOTE: off to the second world my friends. The castle of dreams, I wonder what dreams Kasai has been keeping form Ven? Lets find out.
They looked around at the swirling darkness again, looking for another world. Kasai spotted one with a large white castle. She pointed it out and they flew to it. They exited the portal and landed on a piece of wood. Kasai took off her armor and saw that it looked like a large stair well. She could see a window way up high on the wall. She looked around and didn't see Ventus beside of her. She was sure he came into the world with her. Suddenly, she heard a clank! She jumped around and saw Ventus in a mouse trap cage. He was holding a large piece of cheese in his hands as he looked at the locked cage door in surprise. He ran to the metal door and tried to open it. "Oh come on! Why me?!"
Kasai laughed as she walked over to him and leaned against the wall beside the cage. "Hey there jail bird." She chuckled to herself.
"What's going on? And somebody tell me how we got so SMALL?!"
Kasai smirked and walked to the cage door and tried to open it. "Well you were short to begin with so I see no difference."
"HEY!" He retorted as she laughed.
"Why were you in there anyway?" She asked as she struggled to open the door.
"I was getting the cheese for you, since you said you were hungry."
Kasai stopped with a slight blush; he could be so sweet sometimes. She gritted her teeth and with all her might she tried to light the door but to no avail. "I can't get it opened. It's too heavy." They heard a loud creek, and footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Kasai, hide." Ventus said to her urgently. She looked around and jumped down behind a loose piece of wood. They saw a young maiden walk down the stairs. She wore a dirty outfit but had beautiful blonde hair. The rags she wore could not hide her true beauty. Kasai saw as she picked up the cage Ventus was in and he stumbled back. Kasai reached her hand out to him but pulled back when she saw the smile on the girl.
The maiden opened the door and spoke to Ventus with such a soft and kind voice, "Don't be afraid. How interesting, I've never seen a mouse like you before."
"Mouse? She heard Ventus ask in shock and confusion.
Kasai stepped out from her hiding spot, "Oh another one. You two must be together." Kasai and Ventus both nodded. "You two do make a cute couple." Each one of the two, surprise was plastered on their faces.
"No uh you see, we're uh." The two stutter and stumbled trying to find the right words to say.
The girl just laughed and sat the cage down, "Jaq, you better explain everything to them."
A little brown mouse, wearing an orange jacket and red hat walked over to Ventus and Kasai who had just joined him in the cage. "Now, now, now," just in those first three words you could hear the mouse spoke with a strange accent that was sometimes hard to understand for Kasai. "Look, take it easy. Nothing to worry about. We like you. Cinderelly like you too. She's nice, very nice. Come on now. Zugk-zugk." The red mouse runs out of the cage and motion for Ventus and Kasai to follow. The two looked to each other, shrugged and walked out of the metal cage. "My name is Jaq." The little mouse said to them.
"I'm Ventus. Call me Ven." Ventus said with a smile and placing a hand on his chest.
"And I'm Kasai," she said with a smile.
"Okay Ven Ven, and Kasai. Need something, ask Jaq."
Just then a deep and stern female voice yelled from the hall, "Cinderella!"
The blonde maiden sighed sadly, "Oh well, time to get to my chores. I'll see you in a little while Ven and Kasai." She walked out of the door with a frown on her face.
"She must have her hands full huh?" Kasai asked as she crossed her arms.
Jaq groaned, "Yep. Work, work, work. Stepmother keep Cinderelly busy all day."
"She doesn't seem to mind much though," Ventus said as he looked at the door.
"No, not Cinderelly. She works hard. She's got a dream. A big dream! The dream's gonna come true."
Ventus sighed and looked at his feet. He mumbled under his breath but Kasai knew he was thinking about Terra. But suddenly he perked up and looked at Jaq. "Hey, maybe you can help me find him! His name's Terra. You seen him?"
"No. I never saw no Terra before."
Ventus' shoulder slouched down with a groan, "Oh well, worth a shot." Kasai frowned and looked away. She hated seeing Ventus said like this.
Jaq quickly changed the subject and grabbed Ventus' hand, "Follow me. You gotta see the house!" He pulled Ventus, and Ventus grabbed a hold of Kasai's hand in reflex pulling, her along with them. They entered in a small mouse hole and inside amazed Kasai. Back where she came from mice were vermin's and didn't do anything but spread disease. But what she saw inside the mouse hole changed her thinking of mice. She saw contraptions made out of home materials, like a cracker, some thread, and a bobbin was used to make a makeshift elevator. There were pencils sticking out the side of the wall as if they were steps to somewhere. Jaq hurried to the elevator and told them to meet him upstairs.
"Oh yea, he gets to rid the elevator but we have to climb," Kasai said placing her hands on her hips in annoyance. She looked over and Ventus had already begun climbing the "stairs". She followed behind as she watched him jump from pencil to pencil. She looked around to try and find a simpler way but there wasn't one. She groaned and began jumping up the stairs as well. She was one step behind Ventus. He jumped up to where there was a stair in between them. At this point, Kasai was getting tired. She mustered up her strength and jumped. She landed on the pencil but lost her footing. She tried to balance herself out, but her precarious perch made her fall back. She was falling when she felt someone grab her hand.
"Gotcha!" She looked up and saw Ventus smiling down at her. "I told you, I won't let anything hurt you as long as I'm around." He pulled her up on the pencil and dusted her off.
"Hey, hey, hey. I got it. Thank you," she said as she pushed his hands away and she dusted herself off. He chuckled and jumped up the last pencil.
"Jaq mentioned dreams back there and I never asked," Ventus looked at Kasai with a serious face. "What's your dream?"
Kasai was stunned for a moment, she had never thought of it before. She scratched her head and pondered. "Ya know, I never had a dream actually. But I guess now my dream is to rid the darkness inside of me and become who I am supposed to be."
Ventus nodded and said, "Mine is to be a keyblade master."
"What will you do when you find that dream to come true?"
Ventus stopped and looked down, "I guess that's the good thing about dreams. You get to go find a new one." He continued to walk and he followed with a confused smiled. At this time they were on solid wood. They walked a little ways and there showed up more unversed. "More?" Kasai asked as she summoned her blade. But this time they looked different, they looked stronger.
"What should we do?" Ventus asked.
"I say, we embrace the oldest and noblest traditions and…run for our lives!" She yelled as she ran away from the unversed and began to climb up a mountain and thimbles.
"That's your plan?!" Ventus yelled as he ran after her.
With great effort and energy they made it to the top of the mouse hole and walked out of another hole. Inside was a bed, a broken mirror, and a small wardrobe. Everything was dusty, Kasai figured it must have been Cinderella's room and she just never had to clean her own room for she was busy with the others. "There you are! Come, come!" They heard Jaq's voice say. They looked up and saw the mouse standing on a window ledge. The two walked over to a chair and climbed up it to the window.
Out the window they had a perfect view of what looked like a large white castle. "What's that?" Ventus asked.
"That's the palace, the king's palace. There's going to be a big ball there tonight," Jaq said moving his hands in a circle to try and illustrate the wood big.
Kasai's eyes lit up and her heart soared, "A ball?! Like a grand royal ball?" Jaq nodded his head. Kasai looked back out the window and began to day dream of dressing up in a beautiful dress and dancing with the man of her dreams. A smile slowly spread across her face. "Oh, I have always wanted to go to a ball."
"You have?" Ventus asked with a smile.
"Yes, oh where I come from there was this grand dance called prom and girls would go and buy fancy and beautiful dresses to feel like a princesses. And then when the dance would start they could dance with their princes and be happily ever after." Kasai placed her hands on the window seal and she rested her chin on her hands. She looked out at the palace with a longing gaze, her eyes full of fantasy and dreams. Ventus had never seen her look like this before. He always saw her as a hard and determined girl, but really she was a dreamer and a child at heart. He bit his lip and smiled. He walked over to her and tapped her shoulder.
She looked at him, and he was bowed down and had one hand extended. "I know we aren't dressed formally but I figure I could at least give you a dance to imagine to." He looked up at her with his childish smile. A blush spread over her cheeks and she slightly gasped. She took his hand and stood up in front of him. "Um, I don't know how to dance." He blushed wildly and rubbed the back of his neck.
Kasai giggled and then placed her hand on his shoulders and placed his hands on her hips. She could see he was blushing when he held her hips. "Now we just sway our hips to the music." She started to sway to the imaginary music and he did too. Each one was nervous but they got over it. Ventus wanted to make her happy and she was partially living one of her dreams.
Like it was magic, the two were transported into their imaginations. The world melted away around them and to them they were in a courtyard with strings of lights in the trees and a fountain behind them. Ventus wore a formal tuxedo. He had a little bow tie and everything. Kasai was in a long red dress that hugged her waist and made her look just like a princess. Her hair was down and flowing down her back like a cascade of river water. She looked up at him and looked deep into his beautiful eyes. He looked into hers and noticed how pretty they were. They could both hear music around them as they danced with each other. They music was slow and romantic as the two swayed in unison. He gulped as he pulled her closer to him. She gasped and then rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and could hear his heartbeat. It was fast like hers but it was a beautiful rhythm that she could listen to forever. She looked back up at him with a loving smile and he smiled back with just as much love and compassion. He leaned toward her and she leaned in as well. They're eyes began to close slowly as they neared each other.
But their dream was shattered when they heard the wooden door open with a loud creek. The two jumped away from each other and blushed 100 different shades of red. Kasai swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked at who entered the room. She saw it was Cinderella. "Hello you three. Have you become friends already?" She asked the three standing there on the window seal. Each one nodded their heads. Jaq jumped down and ran to where Cinderella was sitting, but Ventus and Kasai were too embarrassed to do anything. Cinderella sat down at a small vanity and began to sew a dress as she hummed. Ventus decided to get over his embarrassment and walked over to Cinderella.
"You sure look happy Cinderella," he said as he jumped down onto the vanity table she was sitting at. Kasai stayed over at the window seal and constantly scolded herself for her feelings. She couldn't get attached to anyone, she was here for one thing only, to get rid of her darkness and return home.
"I am. I'm going to the royal ball tonight." She sighed happily, "I guess dreams really do come true." Just as she finished her sigh, three voices yelled from the hall. They voices where shrill and like a squawking parrot.
"CINDERELLA!"
Cinderella sighed and put down her thread and needle, "Oh well. I guess my dress will have to wait." She stood up from her seat and walked out the door. But you could still hear the shrieks of her step sisters calling her name.
Jaq sighed and looked at the unfinished dress, "Poor Cinderelly, she not gonna to the ball." He shook his head in defeat.
"Why not?" Ventus asked as he walked up beside Jaq.
"You'll see. They'll fix her. Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done." He looked down at the dress but then perked up and looked at Ventus and Kasai. "Say, I got an idea! Ven Ven, Kasai, will you help me?"
Kasai jumped down from the window seal and before Ventus could ask his questions, Kasai said, "With helping you fix her dress? Of course! What do we need?"
"Look around house the house. There are lots of pretty things," Jaq said with a smile.
"Ok, I'll go look for pretty things. Jaq, you and Kasai stay up here and do the fine details on her dress." Ventus ran toward the mouse hole but Jaq called out to him.
"Ven Ven, be careful of Lucafee."
"Ross-a-fee?" He asked tilting his head.
"I think he means Lucifer," Kasai said a little taken back by the name.
"Lucafee is a cat! He's mean. Sneaky. He'll jump at you and bite you!" Kasai felt worried for Ventus at this point. He was small how could he go up against a cat. She looked down as he gave a thumb up again.
"Don't worry Kasai. I will be alright." He went into the mouse hole and disappeared. Kasai sighed and went to go help Jaq with the dress.
After many moments had passed Jaq and Kasai were able to add ruffles to the bottom of the dress, a nice big bow around the neck line, and puffs around the top of the arms. Kasai had to admit, even though it was pink, it was very pretty. She looked around and wondered why Ventus hadn't returned with the pearls Jaq asked him to get. Jaq walked over to Kasai and looked at the dress. "You like Ven Ven. Ven Ven like you."
Kasai jumped at his remark, "No way. We have only known each other for a couple of months! We are just friends and fighting partners." She then sighed, "Besides, he doesn't like me. He is too focused on fulfilling his dream to like me."
"Love. Love it weird. Works in strange ways." Jaq said with a smile.
Kasai wanted to change the subject quickly and she said the first thing that came to her mind, "Speaking of Ven, where is he?"
"Not sure. Let go check!" Jaq ran to the mouse hole and Kasai followed him.
They went out one mouse hole that led to the living room. It was blue and had elegant furniture. They were on top of a drawer and looked over the floor. There they saw the large and black pussy cat; Lucifer. Right now he was asleep, and they saw Ventus sneaking away from the large cat with a string of pearls. Kasai smiled, but it was soon replaced with terror. Lucifer had awoken from his cat nap. He rose from his slumber and raised a paw to swat at Ventus. "Look out!" Kasai shouted. Ventus whirled around and saw the large paw about to squash him. But then a ball of yarn hit Lucifer on the face. Kasai looked over and saw Jaq throw another one. "Ven, run!" He nodded as Kasai and Jaw threw more balls of yarn at the cat. As the black cat tried to evade the balls of yarn he ran into the table Jaq and Kasai were standing on. The table shook and they fell off and hit the floor. "That hurts," Jaq groaned and rubbed his head. They looked up and saw Lucifer about to pounce on them.
Just then Ventus jumped on top of Lucifer and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. "Time to play kitty!" Jaq grabbed the pearls and ran back to the mouse hole. Kasai ran back with Jaq as they watched as Ventus rodeo the evil cat. The cat bucked and jumped trying to throw him but he wouldn't let go. Kasai and Jaq cheered for their friend as he ran Lucifer into many pieces of furniture, causing the cat to fall down in defeat. Ventus jumped off and with a confident smile he walked back to Kasai and Jaq.
"Oh, that's a big thank you!" Jaq said as he held the pearls.
Ventus raised up his hand, "No thanks needed. You saved me before, so now I saved you. That's what friends do right?" He asked with a smile to the little mouse.
"Yep, Ven Ven, Jaq and Kasai good friends!"
"Now, let's go get that dress finished!" He said with a confident smile. Jaq ran back into the mouse hole. Kasai smiled to Ventus and he smiled back walking into the mouse hole. Kasai followed close behind.
Later that night, Cinderella entered into her room and walked to the window and sighed. "Oh well, what's a royal ball. After all, I suppose it would be frightfully dull and boring...and completely...completely wonderful." She resounded with a sigh as she dreamed about the ball.
"Cinderella!" Ventus and Kasai called out to the dreaming maiden.
She turned around as the three opened up the wardrobe to reveal the finished dress. The blonde girl gasped and walked over to the dress. "Is that my dress?"
"Yes, it's a present from us," Ventus said.
"Now you can go to the ball!" Kasai said with a dreamy smile.
"Hurry time to go Cinderelly!" Jaq said to his friend. She grabbed the dress and ran out the door yelling thank you to the three friends. The three went back to the window seal and sat looking at the palace. "I hope Cinderelly's dream come true. What are your dreams Ven Ven, Kasai?"
Ven summoned his keyblade and said, "To become a keyblade master."
"To get back home," Kasai muttered.
"I hope your dreams come true too." Jaq said with a great big smile. The other two smiled as well and stood up.
"We just need to keep on believing," Ventus said grabbing Kasai's hand.
"Right!" Jaq said.
"Well, we better get going," Kasai said making her armor form.
"Yep, see ya around Jaq!" Ventus said to the mouse friend as his armor formed. They both jumped on their gliders and flew into the portal. All was quiet between the two friends until Kasai decided to break the silence.
"You know, I'm still hungry," Kasai said as Ventus laughed.
"Come on, let's find you something in this world." He flew to a world that had a dark black castle sitting on a hill.
"That's what you said before we went into the last world!" She yelled as she followed him to the new world.
AUTHORS NOTE: wasn't that scene just the cutest thing you ever read? so now sparks are flying how will things turn out for the two?