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“Guys!”
Kairi yelled as her family laughed at her, she pouted at them “I’m asking a serious question!”
Aqua was the first to stop laughing, sitting down beside her and saying “Sorry, Sorry, we just can’t believe you're asking us for dating advice”
“First of all? No, I am not asking you, of all people, for advice on taking Namine out on a date” Kairi crossed her arms
Ventus gasped “Why not?!” he looked betrayed as he stared at his sister, who might as well be his twin at this point by how they act together
Kairi raised an eyebrow “Have you ever had a girlfriend or boyfriend?”
…
"Uh-"
“Yeah, that’s what I thought”
Terra opened his mouth to speak but Kairi cut him off “You and Aqua don’t count cause the two of you to keep it so under the table that I’m pretty sure everybody else doesn’t know the two of you are a thing”
The two looked embarrassed as she puffed her chest in victory
“Anyway, I just need help figuring out how to make the date-”
“Special?” asked Aqua, a smile on her face
“Yeah” she looked away as Terra chuckled at her and as Ventus grinned at her
Kairi sighed and covered her face “But I don’t know how…” she groaned out in a muffled voice
Ventus chuckled and patted her head “Well…you already have one of the things you need”
She looked up and raised an eyebrow “The star shard! It can take you to any world as long as you can control it and since you still don’t have a keyblade glider so you’ll need it to go to the world you wanna have your date in”
Kairi nodded, humming as she said “So what’s next?”
“Your clothes right now are fine, after all, you aren’t going to take her to a fancy restaurant, right?” Aqua turned to her, Kairi shook her head, Aqua nodded “Then your normal clothes should be fine” a pause “But I do recommend wearing some nice looking ones just in case” Kairi nodded
“Where do you plan to take her?” asked Terra
Kairi jumped and pulled out her gummy phone, she scrolled through it and showed them a picture. A picture that Sora had sent her when he visited a world
“The Kingdom of Corona. Sora sent me these photos when he visited the world”
Kairi answered, staring at all the photos Sora sent her
“Why that world specifically?” asked Ventus gently, staring at her with a look of curiosity but also of worry. He had noticed how sad her eyes looked at the mention of her best friend.
“You guys know what Namine went through right? How she was kept in Castle oblivion and treated like nothing ?”
The three shared a sad look and nodded
“Well…even with a year passing, I can tell that Namine hasn’t had the chance to experience everything all the worlds have to offer, friends, magic, games, adventure, the worlds themselves…” she shrugged and said with a smile “The Kingdom of Corona seems to be the perfect place for our first… ‘date’, a chance to just…show her everything life has to offer”
She smiled
Aqua patted her shoulder and said “It sounds like a wonderful idea, but there's still something we should think of”
Kairi tilted her head, Ventus and Terra looking at Aqua with raised eyebrows
“A gift!” she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world
“Oh,” all three of them said at the same time
She sighed “Come on, you should at least give her a gift. Do you have any ideas?”
Ven grinned “How about new clothes?” he smiled "I'm sure she'd enjoy them"
Terra frowned “It’s a date, they’re not going on a shopping trip”
Aqua raised an eyebrow “Some couples go shopping as a date” she hummed, making Terra’s face pale before she shook her head “Be glad I’m not that type of person”
Kairi and Ven shared a laugh as Terra breathed a sigh of relief
“Terra? Any ideas?” Ventus asked waiting for the idea he would have
Terra hummed “How about jewelry? Like a Wayfinder?”
Kairi shook her head “No. I want something more, something that will mean something to both of us and isn’t just something pretty to wear” she paused “Besides, I don’t want to give her a Wayfinder- that’s your guys’ special thing”
Aqua hummed “How about something you can both share? Something with a symbolization only the two of you will always have together”
Kairi tapped her chin and stared off into the sky
Before she blushed and muttered under her breath
“What was that?”
She sighed and said a little louder “Paopu Fruit…”
Ventus blinked and then he gasped “That’s so cute!” he almost squealed, both Terra and Aqua staring at him with wide eyes
Terra and Aqua turned to Kairi who, with a red face said, “If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.”
Aqua blinked and let out a small “Aww” and Terra chuckled and ruffled her hair “That’ll do”
Kairi pushed his hand away with a laugh but then stopped, she sighed and leaned back “I don’t wanna mess this up”
Ventus smiled and brought her into a hug “You're not”
“But-”
Aqua smacked her head gently “Listen here Kairi”
Kairi jumped and looked at her
“You are an incredible girl, you’ve grown and while your past hasn't been the best you’ve shown that it isn’t going to stop you from doing your best and getting stronger than you already are” Aqua grabbed Kairi’s hand “Don’t let those thoughts distract you, they don’t matter and they aren’t the truth, ok?”
Kairi nodded “Yeah” and stood up “Yeah!”
“Alright, now that we got your confidence up I think it's time to visit king Mickey,” Terra said with a smirk on his face
“What for?” Kairi turned and looked at them
“He’s the only one who’s ever used the star shard and you don’t know how to use it so…” Ventus trailed off as he smiled at her
Kairi sighed and slumped down “Right…” she paused, “But can we get the paopu fruit first?”
Aqua smiled “Of course”
Kairi smiled, things were looking bright
0Oo
Kairi: How do you feel about going on our date in a week?
Kairi: I have to learn how to use the star shard Aerith and Fairy godmother gave me
Namine: Sure!
Kairi: Alright! See you in a week
Namine smiled at her phone
“So~ I assume that you’re excited?”
She jumped and turned around, being face to face with Xion who had a cat-like grin. She glanced away “Y-yeah”
“Xion, leave her alone” Isa scolded gently
Roxas chuckled “Come on Isa, we’re just happy that Kairi finally asked Namine out”
Namine blushed and looked down at her lap “Were we that obvious?”
“Painfully so” Isa deadpanned
“Yep,” Roxas and Xion said at the same time
“Was it supposed to not be?” chimed in Axel from the kitchen
Namine groaned “No. I just- I just feel embarrassed now”
The four of them shared a look
“Why? Afraid Kairi will treat you badly?” Xion asked
“No”
“Then what is it?” asked Isa gently
Namine sighed and brought her knees close to her “This is the first time I’ve ever…felt like this about anyone and the last time I felt-...the last time I thought I felt like this, things went horribly wrong”
Everyone frowned
They all knew of the Riku Replica, how he had been determined to save her and how- supposedly- he was in love with her, and Namine, although not sure, had affections for him too.
It had been something that she had suffered through after she woke up.
Isa placed a hand on her shoulder “This isn’t just about…him, is it?”
Namine sighed “I don’t know how to act! I mean, I like Kairi! I do and I want to go on a date with her but…what if I mess things up? What if everything goes wrong?”
Axel grabbed her hands “Hey now, that kind of thinking isn’t good for you” he smiled "I'm sure everything will be fine"
“Yeah! You don’t have to worry about anything, I'm sure things will go fine and if it doesn’t- do you think Kairi will mind?” Roxas said “She isn’t the type of person to just turn her back on someone if they do something wrong or mess things up”
“And if she does then we’ll take care of her,” said Xion with a look of determination, Isa nodding beside her
Namine smiled before she looked down at her hands “I’m not sure”
Axel frowned “Alright, that’s it”
Namine jumped as she was pulled up by Axel “Where are we going?”
“To get you new clothes”
“WHAT?!” She pulled away “Axel we’re just going to another world, it’s not some fancy dinner!”
“Still!” Axel leaned into her and poked her on the forehead “Don’t you want to look good for your date? Don’t you want to make Kairi stutter with her words?”
“Woo, her?” said Xion as she grabbed her sister's hand and squeezed it
“I doubt Kairi’s gonna dress up all fancy and one of you has to look good, so…” Roxas grinned as he stepped towards her
Isa stood up “I know a good shop we could start with”
Namine looked at her friends-...her family and smiled “Ok”
She was glad she was blessed with having a family like this one.
“Blue”
“Red”
Both Isa and Axel said at the same time
Roxas and Xion sighed as the two began bickering under their breaths as to not disturb the other buyers, Namine looked around the store in confusion, she had only gone clothes shopping once and it was to get her current clothes- Which were almost identical to the dress Kairi wore a year ago, the only difference was that hers was blue and not pink.
Other than that Namine had never gone clothes shopping so she didn’t know what to do in this situation.
“Axel, you know Namine’s color is blue, so don’t argue like an old married couple,” Roxas said
Axel huffed while Isa smirked in victory
Namine continued to look around the store, still completely lost until Xion placed a hand on her shoulder and asked “You ok?”
Namine shrugged and said “I’ve never gone to get clothes before, we usually just share some of the pairs you have and the ones that I do have were picked out by Olette as gifts. So…” she shrugged again at the end
Xion nodded in understanding “I get it, I was overwhelmed by my first shopping trip” she hummed and looked around “I guess the best advice I can give you is to find something that kinda…makes you, well, you”
Namine frowned “What does that even mean”
Xion smiled, “Would you wear white or go with red?’
“Red” answered automatically
Namine hated white and would kill herself before she entered a white room or had to wear a white dress, it was a small habit that she had built up after everything she went through in Castle Oblivion.
“See? Choose something that you would like and something you wouldn’t hate” she leaned in and whispered “Go with Blue you look so much better in it”
Axel sent her a look of betrayal while Roxas and Isa chuckled under their breaths
Namine hummed and looked around the shop, stopping when she spotted a dress.
She walked towards it
The dress was pretty, it was a light blue color, over a white shirt it seemed like a dress you would be able to take out on an outing.
She stared up at it, Namine liked
“Did we find the one?”
She looked at Axel who was smiling at her
Namine nodded and said “Yeah”
“Well…let’s buy it! And then we can get you some shoes, boots, or slippers to go with it, whatever you need for this date of yours” Axel winked at the end, making Namine blush as he chuckled at her
Xion patted her back while Roxas smiled
“It’s going to go amazing, okay?”
Namine nodded at her
“Okay”
She smiled “Okay”
0Oo
“Don’t do that”
She jumped as Aqua the collar of her shirt for the second time, she winced and said “Sorry, it just makes it hard to breath”
Aqua sighed “I know but just deal with it for the date, also…” she jumped up and grabbed a brush and an Elastic from the drawer
Kairi blinked “What’s that for?”
“Your hair?”
Kairi blinked again before she sat down and stared down at her hands.
She had decided to wear different clothes than her usual ones. Going with a white button-up shirt, a red vest on top of it, black pants, and black shoes.
Kairi sighed “So. Why are you guys helping me so much with this?”
Aqua raised an eyebrow and said, “Because you're our little sister and we want you to be happy?”
Kairi laughed at that, feeling giddy at being called their little sister, and then sighed “I know, I’m just getting nervous”
Aqua smiled “it’s natural to feel that way, you should have seen Roxas and Xion when they first went on a date"
“Really? Those two were nervous?”
Aqua chuckled “Axel told me all about it, they couldn’t even look at each other. What I’m trying to say is that it’s alright to be nervous like this, me and Terra were, Axel and Isa as well”
She stood up and handed Kairi a mirror, Kairi gasped as she recognized the way Aqua had done her hair
It was the same as Master Eraqus’
She looked at her big sister, Aqua smiled at her “It looks nice on you”
Kairi smiled “Yeah, thanks big sis” she hugged her and soon jumped as her alarm went off “Oh! I have to get going”
She ran out of the room and soon out of the castle, waving goodbye to her family as she used the star shard to disappear into the sky.
Aqua smiled, Terra wrapping an arm around her shoulder and Ventus grinned
She would be just fine.
“Namine, you’ll be fine!” Xion reassured as Namine looked nervous
Roxas smiled “Yeah! Everything will go amazing and you and Kairi are going to have the time of your lives”
“Right, Right”
Namine looked down at her dress, a simple light blue dress with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath it and light brown boots just in case they were going somewhere that wouldn’t be appropriate for slippers or normal shoes.
They jumped as something zig-zagged from the sky and onto the ground
Kairi shook her head as she wobbled in place “Sorry I’m-”
She looked at Namine and stopped, blushing as she stared at her
Isa extended his hand towards Axel who sighed and handed him a bag of munny
Roxas and Xion grinned as Kairi gulped and said “Y-you look very pretty”
Namine blushed “Thank you” she paused “You look very handsome”
Kairi grinned at her
“Ok, lovebirds”
The two jumped as Axel grinned at them and said “As much as we enjoy this, I think it's time you head off on your date”
Kairi jumped and grabbed Namine’s hand, smiling at her and saying “Don’t worry, I’ll bring her back safely”
“You better!” Xion jokingly warned
Kairi turned to Namine and said “Close your eyes, I want it to be a surprise” Namine blinked before she nodded and closed her eyes
Kairi smiled and extended her hand towards the sky, the two zipping into the sky.
The Twilight family stared up at the sky
“I bet they kiss,” Xion said
“Bet they don’t” Axel started
Roxas and Isa sighed as the two shook hands
Of course, they would bet on this.
“How much farther?”
“Almost there” Kairi answered as she pulled Namine along the trees, she smiled as she caught sight of the kingdom they were planning on going to
She grinned and dropped Namine’s hand, she said “Ready?”
Namine nodded
“Open them”
And she did, letting out a gasp as she stared at the kingdom before them. Draped in purple with a golden sun on it, the Kingdom of Corona stood tall in front of them, the only thing that separated them was the bridge they were standing in front of.
“This-”
Kairi stood in front of her and grinned “Welcome to the Kingdom of Corona!” she smiled at her “I figured this would make a good world…uh, do you like it?”
Namine smiled and grabbed her hand “I love it” she grinned “Now come on”
She yelped as Namine pulled her along the bridge, giggling as she ran towards the grand kingdom. Kairi grinned and ran alongside Namine.
Once they entered the kingdom, the two took their time to have fun with everyone. After all, it seemed like the kingdom was having some sort of celebration so they might as well join in.
Kairi paused and stared at a girl with brown hair, wearing a purple dress and who was emanating a familiar light.
She hummed as she realized what she was feeling, a princess of heart just like her
…oh well, it didn’t if she was a princess like she was
She turned her eyes back to Namine whose hair was being braided by a few young girls
Kairi wasn’t here for that, she was just here to enjoy her date with Namine.
Namine stood up and grabbed her by the hand, spinning her around and leading her around the kingdom, looking at the art, games, and nature that this world had to offer.
At some point, the people began to dance, and Kairi took the opportunity to dance with Namine.
Spinning her around, making her laugh and grin from ear to ear.
The two danced around the crowd, their movements completely in sync as Kairi led them in dance.
“I take it you’ve had practice?” asked Namine as she was dipped
Kairi winked “Nope”
She pulled her up and the two stared at the other's eyes “I just move with feeling” Kairi puffed her chest out in pride, Namine laughed
“Of course”
“Everyone!”
They stopped and looked around, everyone looking around
“To the boats! It’s time everyone!”
They watched as people scrambled around, Kairi taking the opportunity to grab Namine and pull her towards one of the boats.
There was no way she was missing the chance for Namine to experience whatever was happening.
0Oo
Kairi rowed the boat out into the water, Namine leaning and looking down at her reflection
“What do you think is going to happen?” asked Namine, an excited tone in her voice
Kairi shrugged and stopped, sitting beside her and saying “Who knows, but it’ll be something interesting I bet”
She jumped as Namine leaned her head on her shoulder, she looked down at her and smiled, placing her head on top of hers.
That was when they saw it, millions of lanterns being tossed into the air, floating as they ascended into the sky.
Namine gasped, Kairi’s eyes widened as she stared up at all of them
She placed a hand on her bag, which held two paopu fruits. Kairi shook her head and lifted her head, continuing to stare at the lanterns, unaware of Namine glancing at her
“All those days watching from the windows”
“All those years outside looking in”
“All that time never even knowing”
“Just how blind I've been”
Namine had spent a whole year of her ‘life’ being inside a white room and even after she left Castle Oblivion she was left in a white room in the mansion in twilight town, working to fix the mistake she had made.
It r oblivious to everything around her.
Namine glanced at Kairi, who was looking at the sky around them in awe.
“Now I'm here blinking in the starlight”
“Now I'm here suddenly I see”
“Standing here it's all so clear”
“I'm where I'm meant to be”
Here, with Kairi
Namine didn’t have to be afraid of being someone else, of being different, or afraid that someone will hurt her.
Because she and Kairi will protect each other, and nothing would ever be able to tear them apart
“And at last I see the light”
“And it's like the fog has lifted”
“And at last I see the light”
“And it's like the sky is new”
Admittedly, Namine didn’t know a lot about all the worlds out there.
She had heard things from Xion and Roxas, about when they were in the organization and they were exploring the worlds. It made Namine imagine going out, but she didn’t want to go by herself…she wanted to have someone beside her.
Someone she knew she could always count on, not to say that the others wouldn’t have her back but…there was someone that took the trophy already
“And it's warm and real and bright”
“And the world has somehow shifted”
“All at once everything looks different”
“Now that I see you”
And that someone was Kairi.
Namine grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers and staring up at the sky.
Kairi jumped, she stared at her hands and smiled a bit
“All those days chasing down a daydream”
“All those years living in a blur”
“All that time never truly seeing”
“Things, the way they were”
Kairi, after she woke up, had been distracting herself. Trying to forget about the pain she had gone through after the keyblade war a year of her life she spent with.
She had never truly seen things the way they were actually…that she was broken and she was barely hanging on by a thread.
But her friends were there for her, and would never let her feel like that again
“Now she's here shining in the starlight”
“Now she's here suddenly I know”
“If she's here it's crystal clear”
“I'm where I'm meant to go”
And with Namine, she felt so much more whole than she ever did before.
She was whole with Namine and she always wanted to be by her side.
Kairi turned to her, Namine looking up at her, both of them smiling
Singing together under the starlight
“And at last I see the light”
Kairi smiled and took over
“And it's like the fog has lifted”
They resumed together soon
“And at last I see the light”
Namine smiled as they laid their foreheads together
“And it's like the sky is new”
Namine grinned at her, Kairi smiling back at her
They continued together
“And it's warm and real and bright”
“And the world has somehow shifted”
They closed their eyes and then jumped as the sky blew up in fireworks
“All at once everything is different”
Kairi sang as she smiled at Namine
“Now that I see you”
Kairi leaned into the bag and pulled out the paopu fruits, smiling at Namine who looked at her with e
“Now that I see you…”
There was silence
Kairi gulped and asked “So..I-I know you may not want to..you know, get serious and become a thing but- can we at least go on more dates like these? Before we decide anything”
She closed her eyes in fear of Namine saying the opposite of what she wanted her to say
“Yes”
She jumped and stared at Namine who was smiling at her “Yes?”
“Yes”
Namine grabbed one of the paopu fruits and extended it towards Kairi, Kairi doing the same, and the two took a bite of the fruit, smiling at the taste of the fruit as they stared at each other.
Their destinies became intertwined that day
“I enjoyed our date,” Namine said as she stood in front of the apartment she shared with her family in twilight town
Kairi grinned “I’m glad you did”
She paused “Would you like to go on another, I mean after some time of course if you aren’t ready, to go out and explore the worlds”
Namine smiled, nodding “I would love to”
Kairi breathed a sigh of relief
She giggled and stepped toward Kairi, kissing her on the cheek before she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Namine leaned on the door, hearing Kairi let out a cheer
“Who hoo!”
Before she disappeared into the sky
“So?”
She jumped and stared at her family “I assume it went well?”
Namine sighed dreamily “It went amazing”
Her family cheered for her as she laughed with them
Weeks that turned into months went by and everything and everyone grew better.
All of them, despite searching and hoping for Sora and Riku to return, we’re all enjoying their lives
Roxas and Xion, along with Namine were going to school, learning to be their true selves. And Namine was enjoying her newfound relationship with Kairi, she had never looked so happy.
Isa and Axel managed to get a new house, their family now living in it. The two kept their jobs, of course, they mattered a lot to them now.
Ventus had decided to train with Master Yen Sid to take the mark of mastery exam while Terra, still not feeling like taking it, trained with Aqua and Mickey in controlling his darkness.
And Kairi?
Kairi lived in the Land of Departure, she was Aqua’s apprentice and would regularly go to Radiant Garden to visit their friends and would explore the worlds with all her heart and spirit into it.
She learns and grows stronger, and although she isn’t a master, Aqua and Yen Sid were treating her as one and were talking about letting her take the exam soon.
But above all, Kairi would return to Destiny Islands and sit there, staring at the sunset as she felt the wind pass her hair- which she now wore in the same way Master Eraqus used to.
Kairi hopes and prays to whatever being that could hear her that her friends come back safely, that she and everyone else won’t be hurt anymore.
..but deep down she doesn’t worry as much as she used to
She knows things will be fine and if they aren’t?
Well, they’ll find a way, they always do after all
Because as long as everyone has each other by their side
Nothing and nobody could ever stop or tear them apart again.