Miraxel

Haha yes! And someone else was curious about that too. I'll have to address that in a future story for sure lol. I would be really curious to imagine how they would react. I guess it would depend on who she's dating and whether or not they approve lol. And yes I do think I mentioned it might be one of the sons of one of their friends! I'll have to think about it more and think about what else I want to address in the next future story, because there’s still also a humorous Christmas-themed story earlier in the timeline I want to write (that involves a very young Emi mistaking Sora for Santa and the misunderstandings that ensue lol).

Awwwww thank you so much, it really means a lot that you like my writing so much ❤️ If/when I do get more SoKai Family stories written, I’ll try to share them here as well as AO3 if I can!

“Kairi,” he said, and the sound of his voice was enough to make her cry all over again. “You found me,” he added, because a part of him still couldn't believe this was real.

She smiled through her tears and kissed his hand. “I told you I would, didn't I?”

His smile got even bigger. “You did, yeah. Thank you for catching me.”

She tilted her head in an adorably confused way. “Catching you?”

“Catching me,” he confirmed, playing with strands of her hair. “For so long, I felt like I was falling.”

“We caught each other, then,” she told him. She gently rested her hand on his heart, checking for any lingering damage. “How are you feeling?”

"Amazing. Like I could fly.” He carefully sat up. Thankfully, it seemed Riku and Strelitzia had dragged him back to the sidewalk while he was passed out, so he and Kairi weren't in immediate danger of getting run over by a car or a sea of people. And whatever damage that Heartless had done to him, Kairi had healed it completely. He really wasn't kidding when he said he felt like he could fly.

With her by his side, he knew he could do anything.

She helped him to his feet, and he savored just being with her. His hand no longer ached for her touch, because she held both his hands in hers. He couldn't take his eyes off of her, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. They had to drink in every single detail, all the changes and all the things that were the same.

A group of curious onlookers had gathered around them, expressing relief that the boy with the Keyblade was alright. 

Kairi listened with delight and looked at him with such pride in her eyes. She cupped his face, and he instinctively leaned into her touch. “That's my Sora, always helping people everywhere he goes.”

The people of Quadratum thanked him for the first time by name. She had no idea how much that meant to him. Or maybe she did. She smiled and caressed his cheek with her thumb, and it took everything in him not to kiss her right then and there.

But not here. Not with all these other people watching.

Presently, Riku and Strelitzia rejoined them. They had dealt with the Heartless and secured the area while he was asleep, apparently. Together they carried some very dilapidated shopping bags. Sora wondered if any of Kairi's gifts had survived the ordeal intact, then remembered the ring at least was still in his pocket.

“Look who finally decided to wake up,” Riku said with a smile, like Sora had just fallen asleep for a quick snooze on the beach. He set his bags down on the sidewalk and gave Sora a hug. Sora hugged him back, relieved he and Strelitzia were both okay.

“I know we sort of met earlier,” Strelitzia said to Kairi as she set her bags down, “but I wanted to introduce myself properly. I'm Strelitzia, and I couldn't wait to meet you. Sora and Riku have had nothing but good things to say about you.”

She offered her hand, and Kairi shook it. On Destiny Islands, people introduced themselves with bows, but where Strelitzia was from, it was different.

“It's nice to meet you, too, Strelitzia,” Kairi replied. “Thank you so much for watching out for them. Sora told me about you and how you were his first friend here. I know he was really lonely without us, so that means the worlds to me.”

Strelitzia shook her head. “I was lonely too. If anything, he and Riku helped me.”

Kairi smiled. “I’m glad they did.” She looked at Sora and Riku with so much pride in her eyes, and Sora thought he would melt into a puddle on the pavement.

“Why don't you guys go back to Sora's place and take the bags with you?” Riku suggested. “Strelitzia and I will finish things up here and be in touch later.”

As Kairi turned to look at Sora, Riku gave him a quick wink. Not only was he the best friend, he was the best wingman.

“Yeah, that sounds great!” Sora said, maybe just a little bit too enthusiastically.

Kairi's cheeks turned pink. “Thank you. See you guys soon.”

With that they gathered up the bags and made their way to Shibuya Station.

“What's in these bags, anyway?” Kairi said once they were safely settled onto a subway car. She peered inside one of the ones she was holding.

“Gifts,” he said with a smile.

“For?”

"You,” he said. “We knew you were coming, and I wanted to get you something. I didn't really get to buy you anything before I disappeared, and I wanted to make it up to you.”

Her lips parted, then she smiled at him with so much affection in her eyes. 

“Go ahead, look at them if you want,” he gently urged.

“I'll wait until we're at your place.”

His place. He was trembling with excitement at the thought of being alone with her. All the things they could do, all the experiences he wanted to share with her…

The rest of the subway ride seemed to take forever, and he was practically bouncing off the walls by the time they disembarked. Then there was still the walk back to his place, and he kept having to slow himself down so he didn't overtake her in his eagerness to reach their destination. She took in their surroundings out of curiosity, but she kept looking at him and smiling and biting her lip.

At last they were in the apartment building, and then going up the elevator to the right floor, and then finally he was fumbling with his key. His hands shook so much it took him several attempts to get the key in the lock and turn it. He pushed open the door and held his arm out.

"Welcome home, Kairi.”

She turned to him and smiled. “I’m home.” Because home wasn't a place so much as it was a person, and they were each other's homes. So long as they were together, they could make anywhere a home.

They took their shoes off, then stepped up into the apartment. Kairi took it all in—the couch, the kotatsu and TV on its stand, his cozy little kitchen. He took her bags from her and set them by the couch.

She noticed his balcony and asked to go out on it. He rushed to slide the doors open, and she walked out and stared in wonder at the huge city that unfolded below them. It was dark now, and the lights from all the buildings made everything seem so vibrant and alive. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and just held her, his eyes fluttering shut. She rested her hands over his and sighed happily.

“The view is fantastic,” she said presently. “There must be so much to see and do here.”

“There is. Anything you want or want to do, just say the word. Your wish is my command.”

She turned to look at him. “Anything I want?”

He nodded. “Anything.” He truly meant it. She had saved him, and he wanted to express the love and gratitude in his heart.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled shyly. “Then, in that case…Could we fly? I'd love to see the city from above, and I want to see the stars in this realm. It's hard to see them with all the city lights.” 

He gently wove their fingers together, and they said “One Heart” in unison. He felt the wing sprouting from his back as he watched her wing sprout from hers. Their wings were even larger and more beautiful than he remembered. Maybe because they were a year older and had even more precious memories of each other. 

The wings glowed softly in the night, and he thought Kairi looked like an angel.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “This is really happening! I haven't been able to fly since the day we—”

“Me either,” he said softly. Because she was his other half, his soulmate he needed to soar. Without her, he couldn't fly. 

She looked at him, suddenly serious. “Sora—”

“It's you or nobody, Kairi.” He'd made up his mind the moment they’d shared the paopu fruit, and losing her had only reinforced his conviction.

She ducked her head and smiled. “I feel the same way about you.”

They flapped their wings, and their feet left the balcony. No matter how many times they did this, it was exhilarating every time. Plus, this would be a brand new view of Quadratum for him, too.

They swooped and soared, steadily climbing higher and higher. The buildings became like models, the vehicles like toy cars. The view of the city from up here was incredible. He and Kairi flew all over the place so he could show her so many of its important landmarks—the Quadratum Skytree, Ueno Park, the Quadratum Tower, the Imperial Palace and Gardens, the Rainbow Bridge with its nightly illumination—but really, he did it so he could see the delight in her eyes, the smile on her face, the wonder in her expression. So he could hear her happy giggles and squeals of excitement and awed “wows.”

“Sora, you aren't even looking at the scenery right now!” she playfully scolded from their current perch on top of the Rainbow Bridge as they finished their ice cream. “There's a giant robot over on that island that you haven't even noticed.”

He rested his cheek on his free hand. “But everything I want to see is right beside me.”

She blushed and ducked her head, and he beamed at her because he really, truly meant it. Nothing in any realm compared to her. He could stare at her for hours if she would let him.

She bit her lip as if she were steeling herself for something. Then she shyly reached for his other hand and lifted them to their feet.

“Come with me,” she said, the wind whipping her hair around and a playful spark in her eyes.

He tilted his head. “Where are we going?”

“You'll see,” she said, then fell off the edge. He went hurtling after her, and at the last possible second they extended their wings and skimmed over the bay, their wings brushing against the water and splashing them with spray. Then they climbed higher and higher, till the city was far below them and the stars twinkled brilliantly above them.

This reminded Sora of the first time he and Kairi had used One Heart together. The beautiful night sky, their brilliant wings glowing with light, the shimmering stars all around them. He turned to face her just as she faced him. 

She bit her lip again in that adorably shy way, then wrapped her arms around his neck. His heartbeat thundered in his ears and his mouth went dry. This was happening, it was really happening. His arms went around her waist and brought her to him, and she gasped softly. He leaned closer, closer. The anticipation was killing him, and he knew he would remember this moment for the rest of his life. The look in her eyes, the breeze blowing through her hair, the soft pink of her lips, their wings keeping them aloft and the stars dancing around them.

He tilted his head, his eyes fluttering shut, and their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. He was giddy and weak and strong all at the same time. All because of her. They briefly broke apart to smile shyly at each other, then kissed again and again and again, each kiss growing more and more passionate. He felt like he was falling once more, falling more and more deeply in love with her.

No, it was more like soaring with her by his side. It was the most incredible feeling he had ever felt, and it made all the tears and heartache leading up to this moment worth it. His heart became ever more deeply intertwined with hers with each tender kiss, each longing touch, each gentle caress.

He knew what he wanted, and she wanted it too. As they finally let themselves fall back to earth, still embracing because they couldn't bear to be apart, he just gazed at her, drinking her in. She had a soft, contented smile on her face, and she gazed back at him.

They carefully alighted on his balcony, and as soon as their wings disappeared into a shower of glowing feathers, they looked at each other. A smile twitched at his lips, and she giggled into her hand and playfully pulled him inside.

Every second that followed was truly precious, every moment a treasured memory joining the trove already inside his heart.

He was glad to be alive.

————————————————————————

Kairi woke up the next morning unsure of where she was at first. Sunlight streamed through a nearby window, and she was lying on a futon with a blanket carefully draped over her. A dresser was near the bed, and on the dresser she spotted a lucky charm.

Her lucky charm.

It had worked. It had really worked. She’d made it to Quadratum. To Sora. She smiled, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. Yesterday hadn't been a dream, then. It was real.

She spied a change of clothes carefully laid out for her by his closet. They looked brand new and must've been part of the gifts he had gotten her. He'd chosen well—a cute pink blouse, a black miniskirt with ruffles, long boots, thigh high socks, and even some matching jewelry. She put everything on besides the boots and emerged from his room.

He was in the kitchen, making breakfast for them both. She quietly watched him for a few moments. It was so sweet and thoughtful of him to do this for her. He was scooping rice into bowls from his rice cooker when he looked up at her. A big smile spread across his face and made his eyes light up.

“Good morning,” he said. The joy and love on his face made her insides turn to mush.

“Good morning.” She walked over to him and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for the new clothes. I love them.”

“I'm glad they fit. Riku and Strelitzia helped me figure out the right sizes.”

“Well, you all did great. It was really thoughtful of you.”

He looked very pleased at her praise. She washed her hands and helped him finish making breakfast. They ate at his kotatsu, a feast that consisted of miso soup, steamed rice, salted salmon, roasted seaweed, tamagoyaki, and pickled daikon and cucumbers, plus green tea.

“Sora, these recipes…” They were so much like the ones she used to make him. Especially the tamagoyaki. He had even used sugar in it like she always did. “You remembered?”

He smiled. “Yeah, I did. I really missed your cooking. Making your recipes helped me feel closer to you.”

“I'm glad.” She gently squeezed his hand, and they continued their breakfast. When they were through, she popped up to wash the dishes while he dried them. A quick text with Riku and Strelitzia confirmed they would meet up with them for lunch. But while she was finishing up the dishes, Sora surprised her by wrapping his arms around her, giving her a loving peck on the cheek, then resting his chin on her shoulder.

“Thank you again for saving me, and thank you for last night,” he murmured. She nearly dropped the bowl she was holding, a hot blush blooming across her face. Last night had been pretty wonderful. That magical date flying across the city, their kiss amongst the stars, and everything that had followed.

Those memories were ones she would treasure always.

“Thank you,” she said softly, setting down the bowl so she could kiss his cheek and rest her hands over his. 

He sighed in contentment. “Forget about the dishes for now, I have something I need to show you.” He gently grasped her hand and led her to the balcony, and she wondered what he possibly had in mind. She had already seen the city, though the sun rising over the horizon and the people getting ready for a new day were a lovely sight.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box.

“Sora?” she asked, her voice trembling because she couldn't really believe what was happening. For her, just being with him was enough. She didn't expect more, not yet, not till she had safely brought him home—

“I know we're too young to get married, and we already shared the paopu fruit, which somehow feels more serious than marriage anyway,” he continued, earning a chuckle from her, “but I wanted to give you something that shows how serious I am about you.” He opened the box, and inside was a beautiful silver ring with a pink gem cut in the shape of a lotus flower. 

“Oh, Sora, it's beautiful.” It was gorgeous and would match her jewelry perfectly.

He smiled and got down on one knee, and her head spun. “Kairi, no matter where our journeys take us, I'll always come home to you, I swear. Will you wear this as a sign of my promise? I carry your lucky charm around with me all the time, but I wanted you to have something, too.”

She wiped her teary eyes. "Yes.” With trembling fingers she reached into the box and slipped the ring on her hand. The pink gemstone caught the sun’s morning rays, and she smiled through her tears. He was crying now too, tender tears of joy, and she embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her too, melting into her touch like he couldn't get enough of her hugs.

“We'll go home together,” she promised him. She wasn't sure how yet, but today was a new beginning. They had both been broken by what life and fate had thrown at them, but together they were lining the pieces up and making something new and beautiful.

They sealed their promise with a kiss, ready to face whatever the future had in store for them.

————————————————————————

A/N: Thank you for reading! This chapter was another one I really enjoyed writing. I'm proud of that opening introspection from Sora, and then it was so much fun writing their flying date around Quadratum culminating in the kiss and then the two of them just being so sweet to each other the next morning with breakfast and the ring ❤️ Also, it was fun sneaking in some references to real life locations in Tokyo, like the robot Kairi refers to, which is the Gundam on Odaiba.

“Fine, just this once.” Normally, she and Sora tried to keep their bedroom sacred. The kids knew not to come in here except in emergencies. But this definitely was an unusual situation. Her family had never all turned into cats before. Good thing their bed was king-sized too, or the six of them never would've all fit.

Sora immediately cuddled up next to her once she was back under the covers. He switched to making biscuits against her back and nuzzling her neck, and she giggled. She was certain he would be spooning her right now if he were in human form. He loved spooning her and he also loved being the little spoon or, as they called it, jetpacking.

Basically, any excuse for cuddles was a good one in Sora land, which she found incredibly endearing for a 37-year-old man.

She wished with all her heart that he would be back to himself soon. That their kids would be back to themselves soon. And with those thoughts on her mind, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

When she woke up next, sunlight was streaming through the window and something warm was against her back. Strong, steady arms were wrapped around her—

She glanced backwards, and her husband smiled sleepily at her, his blue eyes as vibrant as ever.

“Morning, wife,” he said, and she loved hearing his voice first thing in the morning like this, lower with the vestiges of sleep.

“Morning, husband.”

Somehow, he was himself again. He was human. She rolled over and kissed him, a morning ritual they always made sure to perform. He kissed her back, savoring the moment, letting his lips linger.

Just then, the baby kicked, and she smiled and brought his hand to her belly. A huge smile spread across his face as he felt their little boy kick again and again.

“I think he's saying good morning,” she told him.

“Good morning, Kaito,” he said, leaning close so he could kiss her belly. “Daddy and Mommy love you very much.”

“Our soaring little sea is already living up to his name, so energetic and full of life,” she said happily, but at the thought of their newest child, her other three children sprung to mind.

“Wait, Sora, where are the kids? They were in here last night—”

Paternal panic flash through his eyes, and without another word the two of them sprang out of bed. Sora was still wearing his clothes from yesterday, which were very rumpled by now, and she was in sweatpants and a T-shirt. They staggered into the kitchen together, looking very messy and unkempt. Kageko was calmly eating out of her bowl on the floor, and two plates had been set out on the table with still warm breakfast food that were covered in paper towels and labeled “Mom” and “Dad.” 

At last they spotted their kids in the backyard. The three of them were all human again, neatly dressed, and with a fourth person. Kairi didn't recognize him at first because she had never seen him in human form before.

As she put two and two together, she put a hand over her mouth to stifle her guffaw, but Sora just roared with laughter. Because Donald had somehow been turned into a human, and he looked very, very annoyed about it. His blue jacket was too short, his cap was too small and couldn't stifle the shock of white hair poking out of it, and thank the stars Haruto’s magic seemed to produce clothes when they were needed, because he had on a pair of very baggy pants and oversized shoes. He was a fashion disaster, in other words.

He seemed to hear Sora even through the back door, and he turned and glared in their direction. “That’s not funny!” she heard him squawk at the top of his now-human lungs, his face red. “Your son needs to learn how to control his magic! It's the second most powerful transformation magic I've ever seen!”

That just made everyone laugh even harder. Miyu had forgotten her teenage dignity and was bent over giggling. Haruto fell to the ground, he was laughing so hard, and Emi was already there, a fresh wave of giggles hitting her as Haruto joined her. Even Kageko lifted her head from eating to see what was going on.

Sora opened the door and Kairi followed after him. “Oh, I think this is just payback for all the times you transformed me,” he said with a grin, crossing his arms as he raised his eyebrows. Donald had done it a number of times to prank Sora over the years, including a mischievous matchmaking ploy to get Sora and Kairi closer when they were teens.

“Watch your mouth, I can punch you now and really make it hurt,” Donald said, forming a fist.

“Bring it on!” Sora said with a grin, readying himself for a playful brawl.

Smirking, Kairi winked at Haruto. As Donald launched himself at Sora, Haruto summoned his Keyblade right as Kairi summoned hers. A moment later, Donald was a duck again and floating in midair just inches from Sora’s face.

Beautiful coordination. All that training for Miyu and Haruto was paying off.

Donald went into a new tirade about how unfair it was that they could all team up against him. Kairi couldn't make out much of it, mainly just the ranting about how Sora had a wife and three kids who could gang up on him.

“You mean four?” Sora said with a proud smile.

Then Donald finally noticed Kairi’s belly and went into a new excited sputtering session involving lots of flailing.

Kairi brought Miyu over to show her how to cancel an anti-gravity spell so Donald could celebrate with them properly. As soon as he was on the ground again, he launched himself at Kairi for a big hug. Before long, the entire family and Donald were all hugging. 

“By the way, Kairi,” Donald said, when they finally broke apart, “you turned them all human again on your own. I don't know how you did it, but everyone was back to normal when I got here.”

Sora looked at Kairi. “Even after all this time, you still underestimate yourself sometimes,” he said, proud and sad at the same time. She reached for his hand, and he gave hers a gentle squeeze. He always believed in her, even when she didn't believe in herself.

“I guess I just thought that after all this time, I had lost my touch a little. I mean I know I saved Sora back when he got hurt, but that felt different. That was an emergency. This was just… a goofy mishap that made me realize how much I treasure each of you the way you are. I remember wishing last night that you would all be back to yourselves soon, and I guess that wish transformed you all.”

“You’re really powerful, Mom,” Miyu said, a newfound respect in her eyes.

“Yeah,” Haruto said. “I didn't get this ability from nowhere, you know. And you can even use it without a Keyblade. You're pretty awesome, Mom!”

“Everyone, let's have a party!” Emi cried. “To celebrate Mommy and being back to normal and Kaito coming soon!” 

That sounded like a splendid idea to everyone, so they all scrambled to make preparations. 

Several hours and many gummiphone calls later, they were all on the beach of the Play Island with their closest friends and their kids enjoying a delicious barbecue. Kairi smiled as she watched everyone enjoying the impromptu baby shower for Kaito/celebrating everyone being back to normal…and celebrating her. Frisbee, races, tug-of-war, and so much delicious smoked fish and veggies plus plenty of fresh paopu provided the perfect party atmosphere.

Kageko sat on her lap, and she stroked her sleek black fur with one hand as she put the finishing touches on the mobile for Kaito’s room with the other hand with the help of Aqua, Naminé, and Naminé and Roxas’s daughter Yume. It was made of thalassa shells they’d crafted into multiple Wayfinders. A way of keeping Kaito safe and always bringing him home.

Kairi watched as Sora, Riku, Roxas, Terra, Ven, and Strelitzia played frisbee with Miyu and Haruto, plus most of the other kids, including Julius, Terra and Aqua’s oldest son, their daughter Camilla, and Riku and Xion’s three kiddos, Yuki, Rie, and Mamoru. Ven and Strelitzia’s twins, Priscilla and Peony, were searching for shells with Xion, and Hayner, Pence, and Olette were taking photos and hollering advice at the frisbee players. Axel and Isa were grilling up more food for everyone, and Goofy was putting it on plates. Daisy, Minnie, and Mickey were building sandcastles together with Emi and Augustus, Terra and Aqua’s younger son who was around her age.

Kairi’s eyes met Sora’s, and he smiled, his face lighting up like the sun. It was so good to have him back, to have their kids back. For everything to be how it was supposed to be.

“What a weekend it's been,” she said, smiling in contentment. Her friends agreed, and Kageko also purred her agreement. She would have to ask Sora and the kids if Kageko had told them anything interesting while they were all cats.

Each day brought with it a new adventure, and she couldn't wait to welcome Kaito into the World and introduce him to so many wonderful family members and friends.

————————————————————————

Kaito’s name is 海翔 in Japanese, the first kanji meaning “ocean” or “sea” and the second one meaning “flying.” I wanted a name that combined aspects of Kairi and Sora’s names. I've always loved how Sora's name means “sky” in Japanese but also sounds like the word “soar” in English.

A big thank you to @scoobysnack1107for letting me use her Rokunami child name, Yume, for Roxas and Naminé's daughter. I gave Terra and Aqua’s children Latin names since their names are Latin (and years ago @angel-with-a-pipette and I thought up the name Julius for their oldest son), and for Ventus and Strelitzia, I gave one of their children a Latin name and the other a flower name to match their parents. For Riku and Xion‘s children, their names are Japanese, with Yuki meaning courage, Rie meaning pear tree (as a shout out to her mother's flower-based name) + grace and kindness, and Mamoru meaning protector (it's also the name of Riku's Japanese voice actor).

Anyway, this was a blast to write. It was nice exploring things from Kairi‘s point of view, like how she still might underestimate herself from time to time but also how she and Sora unconditionally support each other. It was also fun making a call back to one of my earlier stories (Transform) and the shenanigans that happened there. The scene with Donald was amusing to write, he would look so funny as a human and I kept chuckling to myself imagining it.

Before he could yell and throw sand at me, I dash off towards the shore, not even trying to contain my laughter. The wind pushed at me with a force strong enough to blow me away! The tide has gotten at least a foot closer to the shore since I last checked. It would be shocking if there were no storm tonight. 

I slowed my steps as I came upon my boyfriend’s sleeping body. He was sprawled out on his back, his chest rising and falling with each breath. I swear he could fall asleep anywhere!

I lean down to get a better look, placing my hands on my knees. My crimson bangs fall over my eyes, tangling with my lashes. I was now only inches from Sora’s face. As if on cue, his eyes snapped open the moment I leaned closer. He springs up to a sitting position, nearly head butting me. 

I start to giggle. 

“Whoa! Give me a break, Kairi!” he sighs. 

“Oh Sora, I knew I’d find you snoozing down here.” I coo, reaching out to tousle one of his chestnut colored spikes.

A cheeky grin stretched across his face before he grabs at my hand that was in his spikes to pull me in his lap.

“I had the strangest dream!” he exclaimed, his azure blue eyes going wide. They had a slight gleam of terror to them. 

“Oh, really?” I tease.

“REALLY!” He nearly shouts. “There was this strange voice talking to me about…choosing my path…there was a path of the warrior, the path of the guardian, and the path of the-” 

“Wait!” I cut him off, pressing a finger to his lips gently. “I had a dream similar to that.” 

Sora rolls his eyes impatiently at me. “Uh huh, sure.” 

He probably thought I was teasing him, but I wasn’t. I meant what I said. 

“I’m serious, Sora. Last night I was dreaming about some voice rambling on about the closer I get to the light the greater my shadow becomes..It was kind of creepy…” 

Sora’s eyes grew wide as plates. “Yeah! And were you in this dark place? Standing on a bunch of stained glass platforms?” 

I nod slowly. “Yeah…and each one resembled a different princess…” 

“Weird…” We speak together in unison. 

We were silent for a moment, just sitting together in front of the waves as they continuously crashed against the shore. 

“What was that place? So bizarre…” Sora murmurs, his lips at my ear. 

“Do you think….it was some kind of red herring?” I suggest. 

“What do you mean?” Sora looks puzzled. 

“I mean…maybe it’s a message. If we both had a dream about a similar place in less than twenty four hours!” I explain. “That has to mean something, right?” 

“Who knows.” Sora shrugs. “It was creepy though ... say, Kairi. What was your hometown like? Before you grew up?” 

I sigh as I tuck a few of his spikes behind his ear. “I’ve told you before, silly. I don’t remember.” 

“Nothing at all?”

“Nothing…it’s like my memory has been wiped clean…except…there is this one thing.” I sigh. “This one memory I have of my grandma-” 

“Hey!” 

We both turn to look up at Riku. 

“Aren’t you guys forgetting about me? So, I guess I’m the only one working  on the raft.” He then looks at me. “And you! You’re just as lazy as he is!” 

I giggle. “So you noticed that we are just perfect together?”

This makes Riku roll his eyes.

“I swear, if you two do any of that lovey dovey stuff when we’re out at sea, I’m jumping off the raft and swimming to the other worlds myself!” 

Sora grins. “Fine by me!” 

A muscle under Riku’s eye ticked. “Why you-” 

I’m smart enough to jump out of Sora’s lap in time as Riku lunges at him. Sora dodges, rolling toward his left before Riku could tackle him. He lands in the spot Sora once was, face first in the sand. All it took was Sora and I to look at each other before we both started laughing. 

“Alright…” Riku spits out a mouthful of sand, “You two have three seconds to run.” 

I squeal as I sprint off toward the race area, Sora right behind me with Riku at our heels. 

(Sora’s POV) 

Riku chased Kairi and I all the way to the race area. We call it “The race area” because this is where Riku and I usually race. Sometimes our other friends, Wakka and Tidus will join in. In the race area there are a few shacks, where we keep our surfboards and other beach equipment. One is a bathroom and the roof always has this one loose board that I always trip over whenever I race on it. There is a watch tower that is about fifteen feet high with a zipline that drops you down in a shrubby area, making it annoying to get back to our usual starting point for when we race.

”Well, I’m tired!” Kairi says, her voice breathy. She sits by my feet to catch her breath. “The raft is basically done. We just need to make sure that we have supplies for our voyage.”

“We also need a name for our raft.” Riku turns to me, his eyes shining with challenge, bringing out his typical competitive side. He is my best friend but sometimes he really irritated me whenever he tried to prove he was better than me. 

“How about Highwind?” He suggests, “What would you call it?” 

I looked down at Kairi and smiled, but she was too caught up in her current bracelet she was making to notice me. 

Riku shakes his head, obviously getting where I was going. “Why do I even bother asking?” 

I shrugged. “You tell me!” 

“Alright I’ll be the judge.” Kairi stood up to her feet, tucking the thalassa shells in the pocket of her skirt. She points to the furthest tree with a star ornament on top, it always reminded me of a christmas tree. That star has been there for as long as I could remember. 

“First one to tag that tree and make it back wins!” 

That seems fair enough. I turn back to Riku. 

“If I win, I’m captain!” I declare, “And if you win…” 

“I get to share a papou fruit with Kairi.” Riku replies, his voice distant. His eyes were fixated on the star tree ahead. 

I scowl. Why would he say that? Kairi is my girlfriend! A papou is a star shaped fruit that grows on our island, if two people share one they will always be in each other's lives. It’s a romance legend that every couple I’ve met on the island has shared. My mom even believes in it! 

“Why would you!?”  I blurt, this only  makes Riku smirk. He always got a rise on giving me a hard time. 

Kairi cleared her throat. “Okay! On my count! Three!”

I shot Riku with a glare. There is no way I’m letting him win. I really didn’t care about being captain. Kairi would never share a papou fruit with Riku but the thought of it made my blood boil. Riku could get any girl he wants, why was he trying so hard with mine!? 

“TWO!” 

I could feel my heart beginning to race. I had to focus. I couldn’t let Riku get to me, whenever I do I always lose. 

“ONE, GO!” Kairi cried. 

I push myself forward, throwing myself over the edge of the sandy cliff and onto the roof of one of the shacks. I race along it jumping onto the next, I can hear Riku at my heels. Grunting in annoyance, I pick up speed, nearly gliding across the next roof. The ocean’s breeze was brisk as it hit my face. 

“You won’t beat me, Sora!” 

I could hear the smile in Riku’s voice. He was in for a surprise. 

“Yeah!? Watch me!” 

I grin at him over my shoulder before I hurry over to the watchtower. I hoisted myself up the ladder, it creaked as it supported my weight. My breathing increases as I scramble my way up the ladder as fast as my limbs would let me. To my disbelief Riku raced by the watchtower laughing. 

“Not much of a shortcut now is it, Sora!?” 

Swiftly I make it to the top, grabbing the handles of the zipline tightly. Wasting no time I push myself down. The homemade device sent me whizzing past Riku and down toward the shrubby area, making the entire island look like a big blur. If it weren’t for the heavy winds today, I don’t think I would have gone as fast. 

I jump to the ground before the zipline has reached the end. I land hard on my feet and scurry toward the star tree that’s only a few feet away. I was thankful for my good balance and endurance, maybe it was my determination to beat Riku. 

“GO SORA!” 

I hear Kairi faintly from behind along with RIku’s heavy breathing. He was not far, which wasn’t shocking. Out of the entire friend group, Riku is in the best shape. At fifteen he is solid muscle. Muscle or not I was not going to let him win. He was not going to share a paopu with Kairi. I feel my feet begin to stumble beneath me as I reach the star tree. I smack my hand down on the tree’s trunk before whirling around. I could see Kairi’s petite form jumping up and down in the distance. She looked even more tiny, if that was possible. 

Taking one big gulp of air, I sprint back to her jumping over loose logs, deep holes in the sand, and fallen fruit. I was almost there. I’ve raced this route so many times I could do it blind folded. 

Jumping and racing on the row of shacks, I make it back to the starting point. I come to a halt in front of Kairi. I fall to my knees, breathing heavily. Within seconds, Riku is at my side. 

“I……” I raise my hand slowly, “AM CAPTAIN OF THE SOKAI!” 

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