Chapter Text
Everything feels quite heavy after you’ve had a brush with death, and for Sora things were no different. He was swimming against a strong current that dragged him down and pulled him further into darkness. Wouldn’t it be easier to just let go? Give up and sink deeper? Give his heart and soul to the abyss?
He was as good as dead anyway. His life for hers, his heart to save the Heart of the World. That was the deal; that was the only way the magic inscribed on the lucky charm would work.
“Sora!”
Her voice. He’d never expected to hear it again. And yet here it was, calling out to him.
“Please wake up!” she cried.
“I’m asleep?” he said weakly. “I thought I was dead.”
“Sora!”
He sat up, groggy. A heavy fog lingered over his whole body, like he was swimming through syrup. The way she’d said his name—so tenderly, with so much care and worry—he’d never dreamed he’d hear such a thing thanks to her curse. Her voice compelled him, and he had to answer.
“Kairi,” he said softly, sweetly, allowing himself to address her without her title. Light pierced the darkness, and strength surged through him. He swam towards the light, and with each passing moment it got easier and easier to go against the dark current trying to drag him back down to the abyss. At last the light enveloped him, warm and soft and bright, and his eyes flew open.
He gasped for air, drawing it into his lungs like he couldn’t get enough of it. Never does oxygen feel so wonderful as it does when you haven’t had enough of it. He gulped it in, swallowed it and grasped it till his blood was pumping it through his veins. Once that was taken care of, he could attend to his beloved Kairi hovering over him. He mustered a weak smile for her. Had she really stayed with him all this time?
“Kairi,” he said tenderly, then cupped her cheek. She burst into tears, an entire lifetime’s worth pouring out of her all at once, and a lump built in his throat. Her very first tears since she was a baby, and they were for him. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “I’m alive. It’s gonna be okay.”
(Art by AmyHayanora, shared here with permission)
She cried and cried and cried like he’d never seen anyone cry before, and thunder rumbled through the room and lightning illuminated the sky. And then it rained and rained and rained, like the whole world was in tune with her tears.
He put his arms around her, and she just kept crying and crying. He felt a few tears of his own well up in his eyes as he held her. No more strange gap in her back where the hole in her heart should be. Instead she felt warm and firm as she shuddered and sobbed into his chest.
When at last she had cried the last of her tears, he cupped her cheek and smiled. “You begged me to wake up again, and I heard your voice.”
That brought a fresh wave of tears from her, but those tears were mixed with smiles and laughter. She paused for a moment and touched her chest.
“Huh? There’s—There’s no hole anymore—”
She looked at Sora and then at Aqua.
“The curse must be broken!” Aqua cried and held her arms out.
Kairi tried to stand, but she immediately lost her balance. Sora grabbed her before she could tumble to the floor, then gently brought her back to the bed.
“My chest is so heavy!” she cried, her eyes wide. “Like it’s pulling me down to earth.”
Sora smiled sadly. “You do have your heart back, then.”
A heart was a wonderful thing to have, but it also brought sorrow and pain with it. The joy and delight made it worth it though. Especially when the king and queen entered the room and saw the curse was lifted and their daughter was restored.
“Kairi!” the queen cried and ran to the bed. She brought her daughter into her embrace, and the king soon joined them both in a group hug. The three of them wept together, for Kairi finally understood what it was to cry. Sora sighed happily at the sight unfolding before him. The king and queen had dreamed of this moment for so long, and he knew it was important to give the family their space. But then the king looked at Sora with such gratitude that Sora was moved deeply by his display of emotion.
“Thank you, Sora,” he said, his voice breaking a little. Sora didn’t know what to say, but that was quite alright, as the king simply pulled him into the group hug. And then of course the queen brought Aqua in so that all five of them were embracing. This moment was only possible because of Sora’s sacrifice and Kairi’s light that had willed him back to life, and such marvelous things had to be celebrated. Together their hearts had created the most powerful magic of all.
Over the next few weeks, Kairi had to relearn how to walk, for having her heart restored had completely changed her center of gravity. Thankfully, she had a very eager and willing teacher by her side every step of the way. Sora took her outside near the light pool, and she used the nearby trees to hobble from one support to the next as he waited patiently with outstretched arms.
“I never thought having a heart would be this heavy,” Kairi said as she grasped her chest, panting for breath. She felt as if every step would make her go tumbling to the ground. She searched Sora’s face for some sort of encouragement. “Will it always feel like this?”
He shook his head. “Not always. Sometimes it’ll feel heavy, sure. You’ll feel sad or down or lonely. But that’s not all you’ll be able to feel.” At this he swept her up into his arms like he had so many times before when they fell in together. “Other times, your heart will be so full you can hardly stand it,” he added, for he was speaking of how he currently felt. “You’ll feel like you’re so happy you’re soaring,” he continued, spinning her around for good measure as she laughed with delight. Her laughter was so different from how it had been before; it was so warm and full of life.
“Like how I feel now?” she asked with a sweet smile, and he nodded and grinned. Then she kissed him, and at first his eyes went wide, and then they fluttered shut as he returned the kiss. You would hardly have been able to find a happier young man in all the worlds.
“So this is warmth,” she said afterwards, resting her forehead against his and sighing happily.
“This is warmth,” he confirmed, and she covered his face in such a flurry of kisses that his heart nearly burst. He carried her to the little hill over the light pool as fast as possible, and together they jumped in again, plunging in once more.
(Art by Vanekaiiri, shared here with permission)
Now, I mentioned before that when Sora restored the Heart of the World, he restored the rest of the light pools and lakes and streams and rivers of Radiant Garden too. And indeed he did, just like the prophecies said. So the people of Radiant Garden once more enjoyed the delights of the light flowing throughout their land. No longer was it limited to just the royal family.
Eventually Kairi could walk on her own again, and the moment she could, she insisted she and Sora be married. Everyone happily agreed, Sora most of all. Watching her carefully walk down the aisle to him like they’d practiced so many times made his heart swell. And the smile on her face and the happy tears in her eyes as they exchanged their vows? It made everything that had come before worth it. Kairi had the biggest, brightest, most beautiful heart of them all.
Now, you might be wondering what happened to Maleficent. By necessitating Sora’s sacrifice to save the Heart of the World and thus Kairi, she also ensured her defeat. The moment the last of Sora’s light exploded out of him and fully restored the Heart of the World and everything else, it poured through her castle just like it poured over the rest of Radiant Garden. Coming into direct contact with something so good and pure gave Maleficent such a shock that she keeled over dead. Either that or the entire castle collapsing around her did her in. The soldiers who found her weeks later weren’t entirely sure.
Either way, at long last the person who had brought such suffering to Radiant Garden, to the king and queen, to Princess Kairi, and to Prince Sora, was gone. Never again was Kairi’s heart cursed. She and Sora were happily married the rest of their days and ruled graciously and wisely. And they had several delightful children, all of whom enjoyed the full use of their hearts.