Kairi did her best to keep her mind occupied with anything other than what had almost transpired between herself and Sora. No matter how hard she focussed, however, nothing could distract her from the lingering warmth on her neck. It was beginning to fade, and she missed the touch of his hand already. The lanterns floating and descending all around them weren't helping either.
Against better judgment, she stole a quick glance towards him. To his hands, his hair, his face, his lips. She argued with herself in her mind.
You could still do it. Kiss him now.
No, that's ridiculous.
You might not get the chance again.
It's selfish. We have to help our friends first.
There will always be friends who need helping first. Help yourself for once.
"-think they're heading?"
"Huh?" Kairi blinked.
Had he been talking to her this whole time? Sora didn't look at her as he whispered, but kept his focus on the guards ahead.
"Looks like they're heading further down the docks," he continued.
She shook her head in an attempt to refocus, wondering if he was having the same thoughts. If he was, it didn't show on his face. Or maybe he was refusing to look at her for that very reason.
"Rapunzel and Flynn rowed far out into the bay," she finally answered. "There's no way the guards could have spotted Flynn from all the way back here."
"So...someone snitched?" Sora asked.
Kairi hummed in agreement, though she couldn't imagine who would rat him out. Max hadn't been with the guards, so it couldn't have been him.
"With the 'Wanted' posters everywhere, it could've been anyone," she whispered.
Following the guards was easier said than done. They'd taken routes to avoid the festival crowds, giving the two almost no cover besides corners and alleyways. It took all of Kairi's strength to keep her mind focused on their task, and not on the man beside her.
Sure enough, a lone sailboat was creeping its way to the farthest docks. Kairi narrowed her eyes.
"That's not the boat they took," she whispered. "This one has sails and a helm. They just had a rowboat."
Sora hummed in acknowledgement. As it drew closer, Flynn's silhouette came into view gripping the helm.
"Where's Rapunzel?" Sora asked.
He was right; Flynn was alone on the boat. But why would he deliver himself to prison? He wouldn't have sent Rapunzel home alone, not when Sora and Kairi - and Max - were close by. Nothing about the scene made sense.
The boat bumped into the dock clumsily, and Flynn stumbled forward. It was then that Kairi could tell that Flynn wasn't steering the boat. A rope restrained his hands to the helm and his body to the mast, and a cloth gagged him. He and Rapunzel had been ambushed.
As the guards rushed to the boat, Destiny's Embrace materialized in Kairi's grasp. She picked up her pace, and Sora was right beside her. She'd fought Heartless and Nobodies before, not actual people, and she hoped this wouldn't be the first time. They had to do something, though!
Kairi didn't have to worry about fighting people soon, for several of the floral Nobodies emerged and blocked their path.
"Not here too!" Sora cried.
A certain Organization member really didn't want them interfering. She tried to run past, but a scythe came down in front of her. She halted and stood back to back with Sora, poised for combat.
She turned to him, "I've got your back." His confident nod was all she needed in acknowledgement before raising her blade and shouting, "Light!"
Luckily the night was already glowing from hundreds of lanterns, or else the burst of light from her spell would've drawn much more attention. The enemies around them staggered. Immediately after her move, Sora let off a thunder spell that stunned them even more.
By the time they'd picked off two in their ranks, the rest had recovered and were floating far above their heads. The familiar venomous flower petals rained down all around them. Dodging them became more difficult in the confined space, and Kairi was thankful that no guards or civilians were around.
"Wind!" Sora shouted, and the resulting whirl dispersed the falling petals. To Kairi's surprise, Sora then jumped straight into the gust and allowed it to carry him skyward. He flowed seamlessly through it and right into an enemy. In a few swift strikes, another fell.
Watching him fight was mesmerizing in its own way. Compared to her training, his fighting style was unconventional in the best way. She wished they'd had a chance to train together.
Swift motion in her peripheral snapped her mind out of its trance. Before even looking, she placed her ward of protection on herself. Her instincts proved right as a spinning skirt of metal flowers ricocheted off of her body. She rushed the newly weakened enemy to finish it off quickly. Only two enemies remained.
She chastised herself for becoming distracted, but how could she not? Even within the Organization's stronghold, she'd never gotten to see Sora fight this close.
Sora landed beside her, and they shared a nod to quickly communicate, "I'm okay."
The final two Nobodies kept their distance, floating stubbornly out of range. It only delayed their inevitable defeat, but they hadn't been sent to be a real threat. Their whole purpose was to distract Sora and Kairi from helping Flynn.
Kairi rushed forward, unwilling to waste any more time on them. A beam of ice shot past her from behind and froze one of the elusive creatures in place. If it weren't for the heat of battle, it might have resembled an elegant ice sculpture. The moment her Keyblade came into contact with its crystalized form, it shattered and rained an icy dust all around her. She turned around just in time for Sora to lower his Keyblade and gift her with a smile.
She mouthed a 'thank you' before catching more movement to her side.
Right. One more left.
Sora was beside her in an instant; she hadn't even had the chance to cast a spell of protection. Next she knew, he cleaved through the final Nobody in one swing.
As the final remnants of the battle faded away, Sora turned around. "Looks like I've got your back too," he smiled.
She giggled, "Never doubted you."
His eyes fell to her arm, and his expression with it. "You're hurt."
She barely felt anything, but a quick glance at her arm revealed a burn mark in the shape of a small petal.
"Must've got me," she said, poking it. It stung but was easily tolerable. Her reaction didn't seem to convince Sora, who quickly approached her with a potion. "I'm okay, Sora. It'll heal in time." She couldn't help but flush at his worried expression. "Thank you for looking out for me, though," she smiled.
Sora paused, searching for any sign of pain in her eyes. After a moment, he returned the potion to his pocket.
"Sorry, guess I'm still not used to you fighting."
"Well, you're gonna have to," she teased. "There may be more if we're gonna have to rescue-!"
Flynn!
By the time they'd reached the dock, all that was left was the empty ship Flynn had returned on. No guards, no civilians, no Nobodies.
"It's too late," he said. "We need a plan."
They were alone again. He looked at her, and their world narrowed to just the two of them. The close dark quarters pushed selfish thoughts to the forefront of Kairi's mind once again. Her throat closed, barely able to push out an apology. Sora's mouth hung open as if he was searching for the right words, but none came out. His flustered expression morphed into a simple smile. It was comforting, but lacked its usual brightness.
Was Sora having second thoughts? Could things ever go back to normal after what had almost happened? She feared that if they kept waiting for the right moment, it would never come.
"Sora, I..." she swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Well hey there, kids," a familiar voice called from above. The pair froze as Lea jumped down from a nearby rooftop. With his fiery hair concealed under his black hood, he'd nearly been invisible. "Heard a commotion and thought I'd find you. Hope you didn't miss me too much."
Sora snapped out of his daze first and smirked, "I was wondering when you were gonna show up."
It took Kairi a moment to catch up to reality, but she couldn't contain her relief once she did. She ran and threw her arms around his waist. He winced at her touch, but still managed to pat her back gently in return.
"Watch the side," he grunted. "I had a bit of a scuff in the woods."
"You're hurt?" Kairi backed away. "Was it that man, Mar…"
"Marluxia," Lea nodded.
He glanced past her to Sora and put more distance between himself and Kairi. When Kairi turned around, Sora looked surprised and confused to see the two of them so close. She supposed his reaction made sense, considering how her and Lea's friendship had grown so quickly. She giggled; they were friends now, weren't they?
Lea scratched his head. "I, uh, didn't interrupt anything important, did I?"
Sora blinked and shook his head. "You missed alot, but we'll catch you up. Need a potion?"
He began preemptively shuffling through his many pockets. Lea hissed in pain again, and Kairi led him to sit against the wall.
"Used up my own already," he answered. "Afraid those are no good in this case, but no biggie."
Kairi searched his eyes for reassurance, but he avoided direct contact. She shared a look with Sora. Nothing was going in their favor at the moment.
"So," Lea leaned back, "injuries aside, how was the trip?" He glanced back and forth between the pair. "Based on your faces, it didn't go as planned?"
"Oh, the festival was great," Kairi averted her gaze from Sora, lest recent events come to mind again. "Perfect, in fact, but…"
"Something's not right," Sora finished for her after a long pause.
"Flynn's been arrested, and Rapunzel's missing."
Lea seemed to be only paying half attention, studying their faces and posture more than the words coming from them.
"What happened with you?" Sora asked. "Did you find Marluxia?"
"I did," Lea folded his arms. "Ran into Rapunzel's mom too. Our predicaments may be more related than we thought."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Is she okay?"
Kairi could read Lea's sarcastic demeanor anywhere. "Oh, she's peachy," he replied, "real nice lady. Distracted me long enough for Marluxia to come up from behind and stab me in the back." He gestured to the wound on his side, "Literally."
"Why would she be working with Marluxia?" Kairi asked.
"Beats me," Lea shrugged, "but she doesn't seem like a great mother, that's for sure."
Kairi paced, tapping her chin. "Unless," she pointed, "she's not Rapunzel's mother at all."
"Come again?" Lea arched an eyebrow.
"Rapunzel always described her mother as protective, but in a controlling way," Kairi thought out loud. "But she always had an excuse for her mother's behavior, like they were fed to her over and over." She recalled every defense and justification Rapunzel had made for her mother. "It was so bad that she felt the need to run away on her birthday."
"So she's a horrible person," Lea said, "but horrible people become parents all the time."
Kairi shook her head. "It always came back to her hair."
Lea hummed in thought. "She was oddly fond of the hair. What's the deal with it anyways? Besides, you know," he emphasized the length with his hands.
"It's magical," Sora answered. "She can heal with it."
While Lea had only been paying half attention, that earned his full ear. But just as quickly as his eyes went wide, the mask of indifference came back up. The brief window of vulnerability, however, was easily readable.
"It's possible she could help you," Kairi nodded to his injury, "but we have to rescue her first."
"Of course." Lea looked away. "I wouldn't assume."
"Rapunzel will totally help you," Sora smiled, "she's too nice not to, but Kairi's right."
Lea nodded. "Anyways, back on topic. So you think her mom's not really her mom because of...her hair?"
"There was a mural in town too," Sora added, "of the king, queen, and their missing daughter, who looks just like Rapunzel."
Kairi looked to him. "Rapunzel could be the lost princess."
"Now that I'll buy," Lea straightened up to stand. "Evil witch kidnapping a princess for her magical powers? Classic fairy tale."
Kairi sighed. Bringing everyone up to speed had been easier than she'd thought. All were standing and attentive. All they needed to do now was form a plan. Lea was obviously still hurt, but she knew his tolerance for pain was high. He'd never pushed her to try to heal him herself, and it was a relief to not be put on the spot. The tiny spark of insecurity in her mind, however, attempted to ignite.
He didn't ask you to heal him because he knows you can't. He knows how weak you are.
"We have to find Rapunzel and Flynn," she said.
"Wait," Lea grabbed both of their arms. His face showed conflict as they both waited for him to continue. He glanced down and took a deep breath before looking to Sora. "There's something else you should know. About Marluxia."
Hearing his name again caused a pit to grow in Kairi's stomach.
"What about him?" Sora asked. "Can't this wait?"
"Aren't you curious why he knows you, but you don't know him?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes," Lea answered quickly, looking down once more. "He'll keep messing with you and manipulating you. You deserve to know the truth, and you should hear it from a -" he glanced up to both of them, "a friend."
The discomfort within Kairi's gut grew to a deep sickness. She swallowed it down as best she could and placed a hand on each of their arms.
"Okay," Sora said, turning his full attention back to Lea, "Why does Marluxia know me, but I don't know him?"
Lea sighed heavily, "That's the thing. You actually do know him, you just don't remember."
"Lea…" Kairi gave his arm a gentle squeeze of encouragement.
"Do you remember when you first met the Organization?" Lea asked.
"Sure," Sora replied, "in Radiant Garden."
"Well, your actual first encounter with the Organization was in a place called Castle Oblivion. There are probably gaps in your memory from before you woke up in Twilight Town."
Sora took a moment to search his thoughts. Though Kairi had never heard the name before, it rang mildly familiar.
Sora shook his head after a moment. "I don't understand. What's this castle, and what do my memories have to do with this?"
"At the time, we - they - wanted your power. Marluxia wanted to use you, so he lured you into the castle." He gave Kairi the quickest side glance before continuing, "Because of some...unique magic, some of your memories became manipulated the further in you went."
The ache in Kairi's heart only grew, like it was more than just her own heart that was hurting.
"Which ones?" Sora asked. "Which memories?"
Lea turned his gaze to Kairi, and she found tears that were more than just her own forming in her eyes. Sora's arm tensed beneath her touch, showing that he understood without any words needing to be spoken.
"He," Sora paused to look at her solemnly, then to the ground. "He made me forget about Kairi?"
Lea went to speak, but stuttered. He inhaled sharply like this conversation was just as hard for him. Kairi's heart to heart with him upon the Radiant Garden city wall had yielded a similar reaction. When both Sora and Kairi demanded an answer with their gazes, he reluctantly continued.
"'Forget' may not be the best word to describe it," Lea said. "He didn't just erase your memories. He had them replaced too."
Sora's eyebrows furrowed tight, and the implication of his words hit Kairi like a bolt of lightning. Sora hadn't just forgotten about her. Marluxia had replaced her in Sora's mind with someone else. Kairi had never been the jealous type, but the mere thought of him making all of their promises, forming cherished memories, and smiling the way he did with another person spiraled her into heartbreak.
There was a long moment of silence. Kairi could find no words of her own, but an, "I'm sorry," spilled from her mouth against her will.
"Why are you sorry?" The sudden anger in Sora's voice made Kairi flinch. "I'm the one who should apologize!"
She wasn't to blame, but neither was he. Why, then, was her heart filled with so much remorse?
"I," she placed a hand over her heart, "I don't think it came from me."
"Namine," Sora spoke. "She's tied in with all of this?"
"None of you should be apologizing, including Namine," Lea interrupted. "It's on the old Organization."
Lea wouldn't name anyone besides Marluxia, and his hesitancy to incriminate anyone told Kairi that the list included people she'd already met. Her mind wandered to Ienzo and Aeleus, who were working relentlessly to atone for their actions. She wondered what role they'd played in all of this.
"How did you know, Lea?" she asked. "Was Axel involved?"
Lea hesitated and turned his head away. "I told you," he said, "I have alot to make up for. I hurt people. You two, Namine, my own friends..." He trailed off.
And there was the plural friends again. Roxas wasn't his only tie to the Organization, but why wouldn't Lea tell her?
He cleared his throat and continued, "Anyways, honesty is the first step to redemption, right?"
Kairi nodded. "It's not easy to tell someone a truth that will hurt them. To be honest, I'm not sure how to feel yet."
Sora was quiet, his darting pupils doing a poor job to conceal his rapid thoughts.
"So, now that you know the truth," Lea addressed to him, "what do you want to do about it?"
Kairi maintained her hand on both of them, acting as a bridge between the two. She hoped the subtle signal would give Sora the encouragement he needed, that he knew he wasn't alone in his pain. Still, the tension in his arm never subsided.
Sora lifted his head and held a distant, unfocussed gaze. "The Organization used Kairi against me. Twice," he said. "Never again. They need to know they can't just get away with that." He faced the forest they'd come from. "I need to find him."
"If he's working with Rapunzel's mother, then he won't be far from her," Lea said.
"I know where her tower is," Sora rose to his feet.
Kairi stepped in front of him before he even moved. "What about Flynn? If this is all a grand conspiracy, then he's in danger." Minutes ago, she'd been wrestling with her own selfish desires over the safety of her friends, yet here she was telling Sora that he had to be selfless. Her hypocrisy unsettled her stomach. She didn't want to minimize his pain, but she also didn't want Sora to give into vengeance. "Even if you do go after Marluxia, I can't let you go alone, Sora. It's too dangerous."
Sora's expression relaxed when his eyes met hers. Good, she could still get through to him.
He sighed and finally, finally unclenched his fists. "What should we do? Rapunzel's in danger too."
She squeezed his shoulder as encouragement. "We rescue Flynn from wherever they're holding him first, then rush to Rapunzel. Once they're both safe, we'll take care of Marluxia."
Sora took a deep breath and looked to her. "I hate that they're still using people."
She smiled, "Then let's end the cycle. Once we take care of them, they won't be able to use anyone anymore."
The corners of his lips lifted into an unspoken 'thank you'. As long as she could reach him, he'd be okay. She just hoped she'd never have to see the rage-filled, yellow-eyed Sora from her nightmare.
"Are we doing a jailbreak?" Lea asked with a smirk. "Sounds fun. I'm in."
Kairi rolled her eyes, utterly convinced she'd have to wrangle both men into their right minds. As soon as Lea went to move, however, he winced and doubled over in pain.
"Lea!" They both moved to steady him and forced him to sit back down.
"Don't worry," he shooed them off, "it comes in waves."
"You sure you're okay?" Kairi asked.
"Of course! I wouldn't let a little scratch get in the way of a mission."
Kairi shared a look with Sora. Neither of them were convinced he was as healthy as he claimed. Sora nodded, "Then we'll have to hurry."
The streets had been nearly emptied once the festival concluded. Carts, ribbons, and chalk drawings showed evidence of what had gone on that day, but now everyone was relaxing in their warm cottages for the evening. Kairi's mind wandered to the king and queen in the grand castle, how a joy-filled day for their subjects had only served as a reminder of what they'd lost. A part of her wanted to rush and tell them that their daughter was alive, to ease their minds and give them hope. But besides her and her friends' own words, she had no proof. She was nothing but a stranger to them. Even if they did believe her, the fact that Rapunzel was still in danger might cause more pain than relief. Plus, she couldn't risk putting more innocent people in Marluxia's path. No, the good news to them would have to wait.
The distinct sound of hooves clopping on stone interrupted the silent night. It drew louder, and soon Maximus rounded the corner, barrelling towards them.
"Woah, boy!" Kairi stepped forward and held her arms out. Max grinded to a halt right in front of her, and she gently stroked his muzzle.
Sora helped calm the horse down by petting his neck and back. "Glad you're okay, buddy. Do you know where they took Flynn?"
At the name, Max perked back up and looked towards the castle. It made sense to have a prison near the castle. Now, they just had to find a way in - and a way to get Flynn out.
"Think you can help us rescue him?" Kairi asked as she scratched behind his ear. Max whinnied with an enthusiastic nod.
"Funny," Lea interjected. "Last I remembered, this guy wanted nothing more than to lock Flynn up." He folded his arms, "Wonder what changed."
Max glared at Lea and snorted. Kairi continued to pet him. "Aww, look who's had a change of heart," she cooed. She glanced back up towards the castle, wondering which side the prison was on. It was a long shot, but with all of them together, she thought they had a pretty good chance.
"Hang on, Flynn. We're coming."
A/N: So sorry for the long delay on this update! There was originally another scene in this chapter that I decided to move to a later one instead, which led to many more modifications. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy :) please stay safe. I greatly appreciate all of you readers and reviewers during this tumultuous time. 3