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It had been, Kairi reflected, a nice morning.
She was still getting used to the fact that school was out, not for summer, but forever. True, postsecondary education was an option, but that was a decision Kairi didn’t have to make until she felt like it. Riku was heading into full-time employment as Keyblade Master of the Destiny Islands (duties consisting primarily of figuring out what his duties ought to be), and Xion was taking a gap year before moving to Twilight Town with Roxas.
Kairi, meanwhile, was being accosted.
That was uncharitable.
Sure felt accurate, though.
Being the daughter of the mayor meant absolutely nothing in terms of Kairi’s future; “mayor” was not a hereditary position, and Kairi had no aspirations towards political power.
Which was the problem.
When Kairi got her hands on whichever one of her friends had brought Leon and Ansem over from Radiant Garden –
But then again, it was probably Mickey. And while they were technically colleagues, Kairi had never felt close enough to him that throttling him wouldn’t be weird. Plus, Riku and Minnie would both likely be upset about it.
She could still think about it, though.
On some level, Kairi had always considered the monarchy of Radiant Garden defunct. She was an island girl through and through, and while she had no particular animus towards the world of her birth, she didn’t feel particularly connected to it, either. As far as she was concerned, the Restoration Committee was running what little there was to run, and that was that.
The reality was apparently somewhat more nuanced.
It would be really convenient to have a watch, Kairi reflected, but she preferred the bracelets. Still, the high school should be out soon. It was weird waiting outside the building for that to happen, but Sora (and Roxas and Naminé) wouldn’t graduate until the next year.
Riku walked up to the stone wall she was sitting on and frowned at the look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
Kairi shook her head. “Sora,” she said. Riku hummed in assent and took up position next to her.
Sure enough, eventually the doors opened and Sora ambled over to them. “Miss me?”
“No,” Riku lied, grinning. Sora grinned back and leaned in to kiss him, then turned to Kairi. He frowned. “Kai?”
Kairi slid off the wall. “Walk with me?”
They followed her down to the nearest beach, nowhere near the play island. “Dad has some visitors right now,” Kairi said eventually. “Leon and Ansem the Wise.”
Riku frowned. “Should I have known about that?”
Kairi shrugged. “Maybe. You can hash that out with Dad later.”
“What are they here for?” Sora asked.
Kairi stopped, and turned to face them. “...Me.”
“Huh?”
Kairi bit her lip. “You remember that birthday I had recently?”
Riku and Sora shared a glance, Sora flushing a bit. “Vividly, yeah,” Riku said, smirking.
“Well... turns out Dad didn’t pick a date out of a hat,” Kairi said. “That day actually is my real, actual, birthday. Meaning... Legally speaking I’m now old enough... to ascend the throne of Radiant Garden.”
“...Oh,” Sora said. He and Riku exchanged a glance again. “Are you going to?”
“Ansem wants me to,” Kairi said, turning to look out at the sea.
“And Leon?” Riku asked.
“Leon is being very neutral about the subject,” Kairi replied. “I get the feeling that he’d prefer to avoid the headache that would cause and continue on the way things have been.”
“Ruling a world does seem like a lot of responsibility,” Riku said. “And with everything Radiant Garden’s dealing with, I get why he’d want to keep things as stable as possible for as long as possible.”
“Mmm,” Kairi said.
“So... what do you want to do?” Sora asked. His brow furrowed. “They’re giving you a choice, right?”
“Hm? Oh. Yeah. Yeah, it’s all my decision,” Kairi said. She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Well, if you don’t want to do it, don’t do it,” Sora said, shrugging.
That brought a smile to her face. There was something charmingly straightforwards about Sora, Kairi had to admit. It was part of why she loved him. “It’s not like they’d put me actually in charge of the government,” she said. “Leon was angling for something closer to a constitutional monarchy. The queenship would be more ceremonial than anything else. Make speeches sometimes. Wave to the crowds at public events. Probably a seat at the Restoration Committee table, but no more powerful or important than anyone else there. Plus... what with the Heartless problem, it sounds like they could use a Keyblade Master,” she added.
Riku snorted. “Is that a pitch?”
Kairi shrugged. “Nah. Just an observation.”
“Sounds like a pretty good deal,” Riku said.
“If you’re into that,” Kairi said. “Besides, if I’m choosing between life with you two and being ‘Queen’, it’s a no-brainer.”
“Why would you have to choose?” Sora asked, confused.
Kairi glanced at him, also confused. “I mean... like hell I’m breaking up with you, but I’m not going to drag you to Radiant Garden forever with me. Not after everything we all went through to get back to the Islands.”
Sora and Riku met each other’s gaze. Something clearly passed between them, which irritated Kairi, who was entitled to have it passed to her, too. “Kai, if you really wanted to do this, we’d go with you,” Riku said.
“Definitely,” Sora added. “Like you said, it’s a no-brainer. We’re sticking with you no matter what.”
Kairi blinked. “Even if it means leaving the Destiny Islands?”
Riku shrugged. “Yeah.”
“And you two don’t have any other thoughts on this?” Kairi pressed.
Sora smiled. “This is your decision, Kairi, not ours. As long as we’re with you, we’re happy.”
Vanitas – Kairi was pretty sure it had been Vanitas, and if it hadn’t, he’d probably be happy to take credit – had once described Sora’s smile as “punchable”. For the first time, Kairi was starting to see his point of view. “That’s not how this works.”
“How what works?” Riku asked, frowning.
“This! This! Decision-making!” Kairi hissed. “It’s supposed to be a group effort, remember?”
“Well, I mean,” Sora said, grinning. “Whatever the Queen wants–”
“What about this conversation makes you think I’m in the mood for jokes?” Kairi snapped. From the look on Sora’s face, he hadn’t realized how serious this was for her.
He really should’ve.
“This decision is going to determine the course of the rest of my life,” Kairi said, “and potentially your lives, too. And you have no opinion on that? No input into the discussion? You just want to hang it all on my head?”
“I... I’m sorry, Kairi,” Sora said. He seemed genuinely shocked. Kairi wasn’t sure if that made her more or less angry. “I thought it was a given that you’d stay here.”
“Well, it’s not a given to me,” Kairi said. “Sorry for not keeping up with you, again.”
“Okay, hang on,” Riku said. “Kairi, take a breath. I know you don’t mean to be that petty. Sora, she’s right about the joke. That wasn’t okay.”
“Oh, don’t think I’m not pissed at you, too, Riku,” Kairi snapped. “Also no problems with dropping everything and moving to a new world at the drop of a hat? Really?”
“I mean... it’s not like we wouldn’t be able to come back to visit whenever we wanted,” Riku said. “It’s not as far a distance as it sounds.”
“Not for you, maybe,” Kairi muttered. She let out a long breath. “Sorry, no. I need to take a walk. Apology accepted, but I’m still mad. I’ll see you both later.”
“Kairi–” Sora started to say, but she’d already turned and stalked away down the beach.
There comes a point in fuming when you’re pretty much done with it, but the emotions that inspired it haven’t yet faded. Thus, Kairi was about equally mad at Sora and Riku as she was with herself for still being mad by the time she came across Roxas and Xion.
They were stretched out on a beach towel, wrapped up in each other and both (thankfully) fully clothed; either they’d come here immediately after school or Roxas had ditched the final period. Wasn’t any of Kairi’s business.
This was, in a way, a stroke of luck. Kairi wasn’t sure if the two of them would have an opinion on her question of queenship. But Roxas would absolutely be down for bitching about Sora and Riku.
“Hey, I’m sorry to interrupt,” she called, “but would you two mind if I asked for your opinions on something?”
Roxas and Xion both sat up, and Kairi chose to ignore the hickey on Roxas’s neck. “Yeah, sure, Kairi,” Xion said, trying to look casual as she straightened her shirt. “What about?”
Roxas patted the blanket, and Kairi sat down. “Well...”
Once the full story had come out, Roxas sat back. “Wow. Fuck Sora.”
“Roxas,” Xion chided.
“No, I came here because I wanted to hear someone say that while I still agreed with it,” Kairi said. “Thanks.”
“Anytime,” Roxas said. “Fuck Riku, too, while we’re at it.”
“I usually do,” Kairi said, drily. “Much obliged.” She chuckled at the face Roxas was making.
“That’s a big decision, though,” Xion said. “Sora and Roxas and the fucking of same aside.”
Kairi sighed. “I know. ...I don’t suppose you two have any thoughts on what I should do?”
“Well... what do you want to do?” Xion asked, kindly.
Kairi rolled her eyes. “Sora asked me that, too.”
“Yeah, but I actually want to hear your thoughts on the answer,” Xion said, less kindly.
Kairi chuckled. “Fair. I... don’t know. My life is here, but...” She trailed off.
“But?” Xion encouraged.
“...But maybe I do belong in Radiant Garden,” Kairi said. She shook her head. “No, not ‘belong’. There’s... work to be done there. And I can do some of that work. So doesn’t that mean I should?”
Xion and Roxas glanced between each other, which Kairi was more willing to forgive when it wasn’t her boys doing it over her head. “Kairi,” Xion started. “You worked so hard just to get back to your home. Do you really want to give that up just because you think you ought to?”
Kairi frowned. “I mean, that’s kind of selfish–”
“Deciding where you want to live your life? It’d damn well better be,” Xion said. “Kairi, there’s a whole world full of people there figuring it out. Yeah, you might have been born there, but you’re an Island girl through and through. I think, in your heart, the Destiny Islands will always be your home regardless of where you’re actually living. I mean –” she glanced at Roxas “– the two of us haven’t exactly made it a secret that we’re going to live in Twilight Town once he’s done school. Twilight Town for us means what the Destiny Islands mean to you. At least, in my opinion,” she added, hastily.
Kairi smiled. “Thanks, Xion. That’s a good point.”
“Another point,” Roxas said. “And one that I think you should take very seriously: Fuck DiZ.”
“Ansem,” Kairi corrected. “I know you’ll never like him, but he is doing everything he possibly can to make up for what he did when he was high on revenge and Darkness. You have to believe atonement is possible. Otherwise you’ll go through life believing everyone is one action, one fuckup away from being nothing but an inhuman monster. And that’s no way to live.”
“Besides, if you actually believed that, what would that make Isa? Or Lea, for that matter?” Xion added, smirking. “You don’t get to pick and choose just because you like one person and don’t like the other.”
“All right, whatever,” Roxas said. “My prejudices aside, why does D– Ansem want the monarchy back, anyways?”
Kairi hesitated. “From the sound of it... he doesn’t. He was... a good friend to my birth parents. I get the sense that seeing me on the throne would make him feel like there was at least one way in which he didn’t let them down.”
“...Huh,” Roxas said. “Well...” he shrugged. “That’s not an argument that should sway you. That’s his business, not yours. I agree with Xion; you’re not under any kind of obligation to give up the place you love.”
“Thanks, guys,” Kairi said. Something about that still didn’t sit quite right with her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it, and besides which she’d been interrupting a private moment. She rose to her feet. “I’ll let you get back to... whatever it was you were doing.”
“Much appreciated,” Xion drawled, while Roxas flushed a tiny bit. Kairi waved, and walked away grinning, but the question felt no closer to being settled.
Kairi wandered through town, lost in thought. Her anger at her boyfriends had finally faded, and in its wake she did appreciate that they were ready to abandon everything at the drop of a hat to stay with her. A little more introspection on their parts would be helpful, though.
And on Kairi’s part? Xion was right that she would prefer to remain in the Destiny Islands. Hell, the manifestation of her heart’s power was Destiny Islands-themed, for crying out loud. An Island girl, through and through.
But...
Her train of thought was interrupted as she nearly walked into an opening door. “Oh, Kairi, I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you!” Naminé said, holding the door with one hand and the other reaching to cover her mouth.
“That’s why we gotta look before we open, Nam-Nams,” came Selphie’s voice from behind her. “You all right, Kai?”
“It’s okay, the door missed,” Kairi said, wryly. It was the stationary store; Kairi was relieved to see that Naminé and Selphie were still friendly after the heartbreak last year. On the one hand, knowing Selphie as she did, Kairi had been thankful that she’d let Naminé down as gently as possible under the circumstances. On the other hand, her best friend had broken her little sister’s heart, and with all her love to Selphie, Kairi knew what side she was taking on that one without having to think about it.
It was good to see them remain friends.
“Actually, if you two aren’t busy, I could use your help with something,” Kairi admitted.
Naminé and Selphie shared a look of surprise. “Sure, Kairi,” Naminé said. “What is it?”
Kairi brought them over to a nearby bench and explained the situation.
“...Huh,” Selphie said. Naminé was staring into the middle distance, a look of mild horror on her face.
“Yep,” Kairi said. “Nams? What’s wrong?”
Still staring into the middle distance, Naminé grasped Kairi’s hand. “Kairi,” she said, quietly and urgently. “You need to say yes.”
“Huh? Why?” Kairi asked.
“Because,” Naminé said. “I am. Your sister.”
“...So?”
“So,” said Naminé. “If you. Say no. He’s going. To come. After me.”
Kairi blinked. Despite herself, she smiled. “Nams, I don’t think it’s occurred to him that you’re in the line of succession.”
“Good! Because I’m not,” Naminé said. “End of story.”
“Is Radiant Garden really that bad a place?” Selphie asked.
“No, I’m sure it’s lovely,” Naminé said. Kairi made a so-so gesture. “But fuck me if I end up in the same world as Ansem.”
Kairi saw the flirty retort occur to Selphie and pass unspoken. “And you... feel the same way?” she asked Kairi instead, in an admirable show of restraint.
“I don’t have a negative history with Ansem,” she explained, then hesitated. “But... I’m not sure I disagree with his motivation.”
“You don’t?” Naminé said, surprised.
“Well...” Kairi said. “Even in a much reduced role, there’s a continuity to my becoming Queen that seems... fitting. And as a Keybearer, I can take a much more active role in protecting the world. Protecting... my world,” she corrected.
It didn’t feel quite right in her mouth.
“Well, then maybe you should do it,” Selphie said.
Kairi and Naminé both blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Like you said, you could do a lot of good. And I agree, there’s something in The Return of the Queen that feels right, you know?” said Selphie. “And I mean, I’d miss you! And the boys! But you can technically come back any time you want.”
“I’d have responsibilities–”
“You’d also have a Keyblade,” Selphie interrupted, “and literally no one could stop you.”
“Selphie,” Kairi said, unamused.
Selphie threw up her hands. “I’m not saying you’d be a tyrant, I’m saying you’d have more freedom than I think you’re assuming you would.”
“Leon didn’t seem too keen on having me back,” Kairi said.
Selphie shrugged. “What, he doesn’t want someone else to help carry the load? Sounds like he’s mostly concerned about turbulence, and that’d die down soon enough. Like you said, it’s not like you’re being expected to wield supreme executive power, mandate from the masses or not.”
“I mean, true, there hasn’t been some sort of farcical aquatic ceremony,” Kairi said, trying to hide a grin.
“And the watery tart that threw a sword at you had no say in it,” Naminé agreed.
“Riku’s not that watery,” Kairi protested, the grin-hiding having become even harder.
“Not going to object to the ‘tart’ part, huh?” Selphie teased.
“Not in this company,” said Kairi. She sighed.
“Hey,” Naminé said. Kairi looked up. “You wouldn’t be bad at it, if that’s a concern.”
“At looking pretty and being a figurehead?” Kairi asked, wryly.
“At helping to govern a world,” Naminé said.
“I just finished high school,” Kairi said. “I haven’t even had my Mark of Mastery exam yet.”
“That might be more formal education than some people on the Restoration Committee,” Naminé muttered.
“Still,” Kairi said. She sighed. “I’ll take all that under consideration. Thanks, girls.”
“Anytime!” Selphie chirped. Naminé smiled.
“Don’t feel pressured, Kairi,” she said. “You’ll figure it out.”
“Wish I had your confidence,” Kairi deadpanned. “Maybe I should tell Ansem you’re–”
“I will disown you.”
There were some who would say that Kairi was too old to be lying on her back, dangling her head off a dock to look out, upside down, at the sea. But there were some occasions that just called for it.
Kairi’s hair as she wore it currently was short enough that it was well-clear of the water. Come high tide she might have a problem with particularly high swells, but that was hours away and she intended to have sat up by then.
Assuming she was done wallowing.
“Yeah, really queenly of us,” she muttered to herself.
“Ey, Kairi!”
Kairi looked up to see Wakka and Tidus standing over her. “Mind scooching over?” Wakka asked. “Tidus also wants to wallow for a bit.”
“I do not,” Tidus grumbled.
Kairi sat up onto her elbows. “What’s up with you, Tidus?” She took in his furrowed brow. “Can’t see your forehead?”
“Har, har,” Tidus said sourly, sitting down next to her.
“He’s mad because his old man won’t teach him that special blitzball move,” Wakka said, sitting down leaning against one of the pilings.
“Okay,” said Kairi, whose entire familiarity with blitzball began and ended with the fact that it was a sport Tidus and Wakka both liked.
Wakka grinned. “Tidus’s old man was a big star when he was our age, ya? So he had this special technique that Tidus wants to learn. But Jecht–”
“He only gave me one fucking shot!” Tidus broke in. “Then it was all ‘No one else can do it! You can’t do it, kid! You’re out of your league!’ Asshole!”
“Shit, that fucking sucks,” Kairi said. “Want me to beat him up?”
“Yeah.”
“No,” Wakka said, giving Kairi a look.
“He deserves it,” Tidus muttered. “Wish he’d just up and vanish.”
“It’ll be better once you move out,” Wakka said. “Or at least that’s what they tell me, ya?”
“We’ll see,” Tidus muttered in the same tone. He blinked, and turned to Kairi. “So what’s eating you, then? You don’t look much happier than I feel.”
Kairi let out a half-strangled laugh. “Right, strap in.” She related how her day had been going so far.
Once she finished, Tidus’s mouth was hanging open. “Huh,” Wakka said. “Lotta stuff to have dropped on you out of the blue, ya?”
“You’re telling me,” Kairi said. She sighed. “What do I fucking do, guys?”
Tidus hesitated. “Can I say something without sounding rude?”
“I think you’re capable of it, sure,” Kairi said, amused.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tidus said, waving a hand. “With all respect to Selphie... fuck your dad?”
“Hey now,” Wakka said, but Kairi motioned him to be quiet.
“I’m listening. Is there more to the point?” she asked Tidus.
Tidus shifted to his side and scratched the back of his neck. “Not your dad your dad, but your birth dad. Your Radiant Garden dad. Like, I get what Selphie is saying about continuity, but... who cares? Life isn’t a story. You don’t need narrative cohesion or whatever it’s called.”
“I see,” Kairi said. It was a good point, but...
“Kairi, at the risk of bein’ rude myself...” Wakka said.
Kairi snorted. “What’s all this sudden care about rudeness? They haven’t made me a queen yet. And you two’ve never cared about the princess thing before.”
“All right, yeah, fair enough,” Wakka said with a smile, which faded before he continued. “Frankly, Kairi, I think you’re forgetting a very, very important question here.”
Kairi sat up fully. “What question?”
“You’re forgetting to ask ‘what would be in the best interests of Radiant Garden’s people?’,” Wakka said. “I get that you’re conflicted about what you should do personally, sure. But this decision is gonna affect a lot more people than just Kairi. So, your choice has to take into account a lot more people than just Kairi. And,” he added, “every choice you made as Queen would have to take that into account, too. Personally, I think you can do that, but that’s...”
“My choice,” Kairi said, slowly. She glanced up at Wakka. “Sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into this. You angling for Dad’s job or something?”
Wakka laughed. “Kairi, what I said’s the bare minimum, ya? It’s way more complicated than that. But that’s where you start.”
“That’s where I start,” Kairi repeated to herself. She let out a long breath and stood up. “Thanks, Wakka. And you, too, Tidus. That’s very helpful.”
“Really?” Tidus said. “Uh, I mean, you’re welcome.”
“Ey, anytime, ya?” Wakka said with a knowing wink. “Good luck, your Majesty!”
Kairi growled deep in the back of her throat as she walked away, amid peals of Wakka’s laughter.
“I have my answer,” Kairi said, calmly.
Leon, who had been sitting uncomfortably straight, blinked. “Already?”
Ansem, who had been sitting with no apparent discomfort, smiled faintly. “Some decisions take less reflection than others,” he said to Leon.
“This one did take some,” Kairi said. She took a deep breath. “I appreciate the gesture from Radiant Garden that is offering to uphold my hereditary right to the throne. However, I wish to waive that right.”
“You do? Er, you do,” Leon said. The poor man seemed way out of his depth. In fairness, Kairi would have been as well had their positions been reversed.
“I see,” said Ansem, who seemed well within his own depth. “Out of personal curiosity, might I inquire as to why?”
“Well...” Kairi said, slowly. “In the end, it’s not about what I want. It’s about what’s best for the people of Radiant Garden. And I don’t think having someone like me joining in to your fledgling government on the basis of who my parents were is what’s best for Radiant Garden’s people.” She smiled. “Radiant Garden has no Queen. Radiant Garden needs no Queen.”
Wakka, in Kairi’s judgement, had been right. Constitutional or not, there was nothing a monarchy could do for the people of Radiant Garden that they couldn’t do for themselves. And Kairi felt very little connection to the world of her birth.
She was Kairi of the Destiny Islands, body, heart, and mind.
Leon was struggling not to look visibly relieved, but Kairi’s attention was on Ansem. The older man’s face was initially inscrutable, before softening into a smile that looked almost proud.
“I see,” he said. “Well, that being the case, I beg your pardon for taking up your time.”
“It’s no problem,” Kairi said. “Better we get this sorted out now, huh?”
“Indeed,” Ansem said. He rose to his feet and hesitated. “I... would not presume to impose upon you–”
“If you want me to open a Light Corridor to send you back to Radiant Garden, I’d be happy to,” Kairi said, smirking.
“Er, yes. It would be very much appreciated,” said Ansem.
Kairi led them over to the hill that had become the unofficial agreed-upon entry point for arriving Keybearers. There was a house out in front of it that was between owners at the moment, and Kairi was pretty sure Riku had an eye on it. It would make a lovely home for three.
“Hey, Leon?” she said as they walked.
“Yes?”
“You might want to work on your poker face a little,” Kairi said, then frowned. “You look a little green, actually. Feeling all right?”
Leon sighed. “Mind if I speak confidentially, Kairi?”
“I mean, I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“With you having formally abdicated–”
“Is it abdication if you never crowned me in the first place?” Kairi interrupted.
Leon gave her a look. “With you having given up claim to the throne,” he started again, “that leaves us without a primus inter pares–”
“Huh?”
“‘First among equals’,” Ansem said, making no other indication he was listening to the conversation.
“The person who ultimately has the final word on executive decisions, in our case,” Leon elaborated. “Before the Fall, that was the King or Queen. ...After their passing, the role went to the regent for their daughter–” Leon glanced over at Ansem, who was still ignoring the conversation. “But said regent declined the re-appointment when we offered it.”
“I see,” Kairi said, studying the side of Ansem’s impassive face.
“Which... leaves us where we started,” Leon said, resigned.
“With no one in the hot seat?”
“With... me,” Leon said. Kairi could almost have called it a grumble.
“Well,” she said, optimistically. “Not the worst person for the job.”
Leon shot her an incredulous look. “Kairi, I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Kairi snorted. “And you thought I would?”
That brought Leon up short. After a few seconds, he settled for “...Whatever.”
“Leon... You’ve been living through what everyone else in Radiant Garden has,” Kairi said. “You know the challenges they’re facing firsthand. You’re actually there and pitching in as much as anyone else is.” She smiled. “What’s better for the people of Radiant Garden, Leon? Some punk-ass kid with royal blood raised unknowingly on a distant island, or someone who understands them because they’re one of them?”
Leon let out a long breath. “Someone who understands them and isn’t me,” he muttered.
“Tough shit, get over it,” Kairi replied, to which Leon let out a bark of laughter.
They reached the top of the hill and Kairi summoned her Keyblade. The Light Corridor swirled into being. Leon said his goodbyes and stepped through. Before following him, though, Ansem turned to Kairi.
“I am unsure if it means anything to you,” he said. “But in my estimation... your parents would be exceedingly proud of the woman you’ve become, and the choices you’ve made.”
Kairi, caught flat-footed, blushed. “...Thank you, Lord Ansem,” she said. Not particularly knowing why, she curtseyed.
Ansem smiled. “Of course, Princess Kairi. I wish you the best of happiness.” He bowed.
“To you as well,” said Kairi. Ansem nodded, and followed Leon through the Light Corridor, which Kairi let close behind him.
She let out a long breath as her Keyblade vanished.
“Kairi!”
She looked up to see Sora and Riku running up the hill towards her.
Smiling, the last Princess of Radiant Garden ran to meet them.