A Date to the Ball
Chapter 1
***Note: This is going to be a two part short story! It's set in the middle or sometime within Kingdom Hearts 3 and is actually following Sora and Kairi! So I hope you enjoy!***
The cool wind rustled through the trees overhead, picking up the scent of the white blossoms on the branches. Kairi looked up, a sweet smile tipping her lips as she took notice of the thin sun rays peeking through the overbrush.
"I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing all these new worlds." She spoke up, glancing beside her to Sora, who silently strolled beside her.
He brought his wandering eyes to hers, a smile growing as he agreed, "Yeah. It's always fun to see what's out there."
"I think it's even more fun to finally go on a mission together." Kairi added, a light flush warming her face as she noticed Sora's smile grow into a grin.
"It sure is!" he chimed, completely beaming as he laced his hands behind his neck. "I've been begging Master Yen Sid to send us on one for months."
Kairi giggled, "So I've heard." She looked him over for a moment before looking back forward to their path.
They walked along a dirt road, enjoying a few peaceful moments after completing their mission. It had been a simple task, check on Cinderella, one of the Princess of Hearts, and take care of any possible Heartless around the area. Kairi was still training to become a full fledged Keyblade Master, but was advanced enough to finally be able to go on small missions under supervision. It was still odd to be going from world to world, everything was almost a blur to her. Despite it, she always tried to take the time to enjoy the little moments and find something within each world that she could treasure in her heart.
It wasn't difficult to find that moment near the Castle of Dreams. Exploring the world with Sora by her side made the mission her most treasured yet. His quips and comments brought a smile to her face without fail, and just his presence alone made even the most mundane tasks enjoyable. There hadn't been many Heartless for them to deal with, but even so, Sora was sure to stay right by Kairi's side to make sure she wouldn't be overwhelmed by anything they encountered.
"You did great out there today, Kairi!" Sora's cheery voice interrupted Kairi's thoughts.
She blinked, getting back to reality as she pushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "You really think so? I'm still trying to get used to all the spells Merlin taught me."
"Yeah, it can be a lot to remember." Sora nodded with a slight sigh at the memory. "But you're totally rocking it!" Kairi laughed at his wording as he added. "Like, that big group of Shadows that you took out with Fira? That was quick thinking."
"Well thanks," she giggled softly, clasping her hand around her forearm behind her back. "I still have a long way to go, but I'm really enjoying it."
Sora smiled warmly at her response and then shielded his eyes from the sunlight as they came out of the forest brush. They could see Cinderella's castle towering in the distance, beyond the intricate black gates they found themselves in front of. Cinderella had requested to speak with them once they were done dealing with the Heartless, but she hadn't said exactly why. The fully armored guards on either side of the gate hit the ends of their spears on the cobbled stone beneath them. The rattling of thick chains followed their actions as the gate was pulled open, allowing Sora and Kairi through.
Sora sent the guards a slight wave as he led the way into the palace garden. Kairi was close to his side, admiring the shaped hedges and flower beds as they walked along. They were greeted by random people that also walked through the garden, each of them dressed in formal attire, as if preparing for a ball. Sora looked them over, taking notice of Kairi's eyes lighting up at the women's dresses. The sight made his heart swell.
He looked away with a chuckle, "Could you imagine wearing one of those dresses?"
"I don't know if I'd be able to pull any of them off." She admitted with a sigh, "They're all so detailed and… poofy."
"Really poofy." Sora agreed with a laugh, causing Kairi to join in. "But, uh," he cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck as he averted his gaze. "I think you'd look really nice in any of them."
A dusty rose warmed her cheeks as she darted her eyes up to him in surprise. Her smile grew as she noticed the flush in the tips of his ears and replied, "Well I just might have to try one on while I'm here."
Sora met his gaze back with hers, their smiles growing the longer they looked at each other. Kairi brought her attention back forward, her eyes wandering around them. Sora's face warmed the longer he looked at her, really taking in that they were finally together. After so many years of wishing to be by her side, she was right there fighting against the Darkness. Without thinking, he slowly reached his hand over to hers, their fingers brushing together. She reached back for his hand without hesitation, their fingers just beginning to intertwine before they were startled by a blast of trumpets.
"Now announcing," a loud man's voice bellowed around them as the castle doors were pulled open, leading into the throne room. "Kairi, the Princess of Hearts! And her companion, Sora!"
Both of them retracted their hands in a rush, a reddened tint permanent on their cheeks. They smiled sheepishly at the crowd of people that stood inside the throne room and made their way inside. The entire floor was a polished marble, with columns leading up into a vaulted ceiling that was covered with a gorgeous painted mural. Thick velvet fabric was draped between the columns, giving the already extravagant room a regal atmosphere.
Kairi leaned over to Sora, speaking through her teeth as she smiled to everyone staring at them. "This wasn't exactly what I was expecting when Cinderella said she wanted to see us."
"Just keep smiling," Sora told her, speaking through his teeth as well.
"There you are!" Cinderella's sweet voice caught their attention as she walked towards them. Her blonde hair was done up in an intricate bun, not a single loose strand falling over her sparkling blue ball gown. She clasped her hands together in front of her as she greeted them with a smile. "Apologies for the crowd. We're preparing for a ball tonight."
"I was wondering if there was a special occasion." Sora noted, glancing around the throne room.
"We finished taking out all the Heartless." Kairi got straight to business, keeping a sweet smile on her face. "Was there anything else you needed?"
"Oh! Why yes, there actually is." Cinderella chimed as she reached over and grabbed an envelope off of a red velvet pillow a guard was holding for her. She handed to envelope to them, patiently awaiting them as they opened it.
They each held a side as they pulled out the gold lined paper. "The Princess of Hearts and her companion-" Sora stopped reading aloud and muttered, "You know I'm more than just the companion here."
Kairi giggled, lightly elbowing him before reading the rest, "Are cordially invited to the Ball of Dreams… to celebrate the renewal of our world and the return of the Princesses of Heart…?" She exchanged a look with Sora before looking back up to Cinderella. "A ball?"
Cinderella nodded, explaining, "There hasn't been a formal celebration for the return of all the Princesses of Heart, and what better way to celebrate than with a ball? Each of the Princesses should be attending and I wanted to make sure I extended an invitation to you as well."
"I-I'm not sure we have time," Kairi stammered a bit nervously, looking over to Sora.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking around at the people and remembering the way Kairi's eyes lit up when she had admired the dresses. Sending Kairi a smirk, he replied, "I think we should stay." His smirk grew into a grin. "After all, you are one of the Princesses of Heart!"
"But what about Master Yen Sid?" She asked with a hushed voice as if she were worried about getting in trouble.
Sora waved it off, "I'll give them a call and explain we'll be staying a bit longer. It'll be fine!"
"Well… alright," Kairi's uneasy smile slowly transformed into a genuine one as she looked back to Cinderella. "We don't have any fancy clothes, but we'd love to attend!"
"I would be delighted to take care of that!" Fairy Godmother walked up, sending Sora a wink. "After everything Sora's done, the least I can do is give you proper clothes for tonight's ball!"
Kairi was barely able to say a word before she was hurried off with Fairy Godmother, leaving Sora behind in the throne room. When they had finally come to a stop, she found herself in a gorgeous powder room. Floral wallpaper covered the wall, with tall oil painted portraits of royal historical figures hung over it. A single chandelier hung from the ceiling, the light emanating from the crystals illuminated the already bright room. Kairi spun around, admiring the beautiful room, before noticing her reflection in the many mirrors that were placed along the walls. Her hair was a mess from the mission and patches of dirt were obvious on the bright pink of her dress. She let out a faint sigh, remorsing the fact that Sora had even seen her like that.
"Now," Fairy Godmother's voice caught her attention. She spun around to see Godmother tapping her thin white wand against her chin as she pondered aloud. "What sort of gown should you have… Pink perhaps?"
Kairi looked down at her already pink outfit and then back up. "Anything would be lovely."
"No, no, something different… something unique!" She went on, beginning to pace back and forth, paying no mind to Kairi's words. She suddenly stopped and pointed her wand upwards. "Oh! Here's an idea!" She turned towards Kairi, "What is Sora's favorite color?"
"Sora?" Kairi repeated his name, thinking it over. "Blue, I think."
"Oh yes, yes, blue would be lovely!" Godmother clapped her hands as she scurried over to Kairi. She transformed her wand into a long yellow measuring tape. "Dark blues, and purple to go with your eyes! And a bit more modern so you'll stand out amongst the crowd!" She stepped back, a glint in her eyes as a sparkling aura began to surround her wand. "Bippity, boppity, boo!"
The aura from the wand shot out and spiraled around Kairi. She gasped, watching it surround her until all she could see was a dense wall of glitter. Within a moment it vanished, as if popping away like a bubble. She suddenly felt rejuvenated and clean, no longer constantly smelling the slightest hint of dirt from previous battles, but instead a flowery fragrance that teased her senses. She could feel the soft curls of her hair around her face before she even turned towards the mirror to see her reflection. A sharp breath escaped her at the sight.
An ornate sparkling clip was in her curled hair, pinning up the pieces that would usually be in her face. She wore her regular necklace, the pearly color of her pendant offsetting against the dark colors of her dress perfectly. The dress itself was strapless and well fitted, a midnight blue to her waist, before changing into various shades of blue fabric that draped over her hips and cascaded to the floor. The bottom was a rich purple, fading into the blues above it. Kairi ran her gloved hand over the soft fabric, noticing the shimmering sparkles that glistened from the slightest movement.
"This…" She whispered, finally finding her voice, "This is breathtaking." Turning around, she shook her head in disbelief. "I don't know how to thank you."
Fairy Godmother simply smiled, letting out a sigh of contentment. "Seeing your reaction is thanks enough, my dear." Clearing her throat, she straightened herself out. "Now, I must be off to make sure that Sora has something suitable to wear." Before Kairi could say a word, Godmother disappeared in a sparkling mist.
Kairi let out a breath once she was gone, realizing she had to find her way back to throne room on her own. She took another look at herself in the mirror, admiring the gown and secretly wondering how Sora would react to seeing her in it. The thought alone brought a flush to her already blushed face. Laughing at herself, she turned and left the room. She wandered through the halls, trying to recollect the way she had been taken initially. Eventually, she ran into a servant and asked them for directions.
After what seemed like an eternity, she opened the doors back into the throne room, but it was empty, spare for a few guards at their post. A huff of breath escaped her, as she crossed her arms. "Well now where do I go?"
"K-Kairi?" Sora's stammering voice caught her attention.
She looked around for the source of the voice, spotting Sora coming towards her from the other end of the throne room. Her heart jumped when she saw him in a dark suit with blue accents, that matched with her gown perfectly. She beamed a grin, rushing towards him until they could meet in the middle. Both of them looked the other over as they came to a stop in front of each other.
Without thinking, they both began to talk at the same time, "You look-"
They paused, eyes meeting in surprise before they laughed at themselves.
Sora cleared his throat, reaching forward for one of Kairi's hands. He looked down at it in his own, a soft smile on his lips. "Kairi…" he swallowed hard, brining his gaze back to hers. "You look amazing."
Kairi could feel her heart melting from the mere look in his eyes, she had to stop herself from vaulting herself into his arms for an embrace. Instead she shyly smiled and brought her gaze to their clasped hands. "Thank you." She spoke softly. "It's… not as poofy as the other dresses we saw."
Sora laughed, making her smile grow. He squeezed her hand in his. "Yeah, but… I really like this one."
"Me too," she managed to bring her eyes up to him.
Their smiles grew the longer they looked at each other, until Sora cleared his throat and pointed over his shoulder. "Um, we should probably get to the ball."
"Lead the way," she told him, coming forward and linking her arm through his. As Sora began walking back towards the door he came through, she spoke up with a whisper. "And Sora..?"
"Hmm?" he hummed.
"You look really great, too…"
***Author's Note: Hey everyone! I know, a SoKai short story? I love these two, if you couldn't already tell. The idea came about from my tumblr, actually! I was doing this thing where people could request I draw KH characters in certain outfits. Well Kairi got requested to be drawn in the same gown that got used in this story! As I was drawing it, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. It will be a two parter! So this isn't the end for these two and their ball together. Anyways, see you all next time! Have a great week!***