~o~

19

Destiny's Embrace

When the doors opened, my panic returned in full force. The rushing sound of thousands turning to look at me filled my head. It was a long way to the fountain at the end of the walkway, where we would be married.

It didn't help that Sora was so far away that I couldn't see his face yet.

There was an explosion of flapping behind me and I couldn't help but jump a little. Doves flew over and around me in every direction, cooing loudly. I tried to smile because everyone was watching me, but I wanted to grind my teeth. Yuffie could have told me that she was going to open a crate of doves, but of course she'd chosen to leave me in the dark.

Wagner's march boomed from the palace organ, which had been moved outside for the occasion. Yuffie prodded me gently from behind.

I swept down the steps and into the sunshine. The rush of thousands of voices met my ears. I couldn't tell if they were murmuring in approval or dissatisfaction, but it made me even more nervous. I put on my best pageant-style smile and walked like Yuffie had told me to—slowly, haltingly, my head held high. I could feel her at my side, no doubt smiling broadly and resisting the temptation to wave.

The aisle seemed to go on forever. Eventually, though, I began to look into the upturned faces that I passed.

Jasmine beamed up at me from an aisle seat. A fellow Princess of Heart! She was positively radiant with light. As soon as I laid eyes on her, I felt my fake smile melt into something more genuine. Without really thinking about it, I reached out and touched her hand.

And then I began to recognize others. Although I had been unconscious during my incarceration with Wendy, Sora had told me all about her. She was lovely. And quite a bit taller than the red-headed boy beside her, who must surely be Peter Pan. It seemed that she had decided to grow up after all.

Additionally, there were many others who I felt a rush of affection and familiarity towards, who I'd never actually met. A tall skeleton man, a long haired character in loin-cloth, a lion with a deep red mane, a blonde girl with a curious, yet kind look in her pale blue eyes…

The sight of each familiar face (familiar to my heart if not my eyes) seemed to strengthen me. My arms stopped trembling and my tongue came unstuck from the roof of my mouth. I spotted Donald and Goofy. They waved at me. I must be getting close now…

Finally, I turned my gaze to the front. And there he was.

Looking into his face was like looking into the sun. My love for him welled up inside me, threatening to burst—he was everything in the universe! He was the light that illuminated the worlds from dawn until dusk; he was in every act of goodness and selflessness that had ever been wrought; he was the reason for my existence from the moment I first laid eyes on him and knew, without a doubt, who he was and what he would become.

So why did he look at me with such amazed incredulity? Why were his ocean eyes filled to the brim with joy, yet wide with the carefulness of one who knows he is dreaming a magnificent dream and does not want to wake up? Was it possible that he didn't know how incredibly blessed I was to bask in his glow for a moment, let alone the rest of my life?

This is reality, a voice in my head said. This is our reality.

"Sora!" I cried out, voice ringing with triumph. I broke into a run, the faces of my guests rushing past me in a blur.

Ignoring Riku's restraining hand on his shoulder, Sora flew down the steps and caught me up in his arms. The moment we collided something inside me throbbed; I realized that it was my heart, stretched to the seams and still growing. And here I'd been thinking that I couldn't possibly love him any more than I already did—what utter nonsense!

Suddenly, an earsplitting crack rent the air.

Silence.

"Get down!" Riku cried, tackling us and dragging us to the ground.

The fountain behind us exploded, sending huge chunks of stone flying in every direction. They came to the ground in a series of crashes. Screams rang out. Soon a deafening roar of hysterical cries surrounded us.

What's happening, what's happening? I twisted my head around, trying to breathe, yet unable to draw any air into my lungs. A huge mass of black and purple writhed over the place where the fountain used to be. Something tall and black was rising up out of it, its yellow eyes gleaming.

I couldn't move. I couldn't move! Something held me down.

"Riku," I tried to say, but I couldn't seem to find my voice.

"C'mon!" A voice said in my ear. "Get up fellas! You gotta get up!"

I twisted my head around again. It was King Mickey. He grabbed Riku's arm and pulled. Riku gaped at him for a moment before comprehension dawned across his face. Like me, he seemed to be in shock.

He clambered off of Sora and I. Sora's eyes were fixed straight ahead, as though he wasn't seeing or hearing the king. Some distant part of me noticed when Donald and Goofy came running, their eyes wide with concern.

"Breathe, Kairi!" Mickey said suddenly. I realized that I was seeing spots. I sucked in a gulp of air.

The thing behind me let out a deafening shriek. Whirling around, I could hardly believe what I saw.

It was like a Shadow, but it was colossal. It stood on two legs like a human, but its arms were long and grotesque. It had a giant heart-shaped hole in its torso. It seemed to have a face, but it was surrounded by a mass of writhing black tendrils—almost like a beard and hair.

Finally I found my voice. "Is that a—"

"Heartless," came a hoarse voice behind me. Sora got to his feet slowly. His mouth was drawn taut, his eyes brilliant with white-hot fury. I'd never seen that look on his face before—ever.

The screaming had grown so loud that I could hardly think. The crowd was swarming away from us, towards the postern and the fleet of gummi ships that had brought them here.

"Donald, Goofy! Get everybody out of here!" Sora cried.

Nodding seriously, Donald and Goofy disappeared into the milling crowd.

The heartless watched the scrambling mass for a moment, as though contemplating what to do next, then took a giant step after them.

"No," I shrieked, coming out of my stupor at once. I thought about summoning my keyblade and it appeared, shining and glorious in my grip.

In spite of the fact that I was in a very heavy dress, I leaped into the air and slashed into the heartless's hand, which dangled low at its side. The beast roared.

Sora flew past me, his face blazing. Leaping and slashing at the heartless's hand, he moved so quickly that he was almost a blur. Not an instant later, he was joined by Riku.

Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet became a swirling mass of darkness. I sunk into it up to my knee. Gasping, I wrenched my feet out of its grip and waded toward Riku and Sora.

A shadow rose out of the darkness, twitching and staring blankly. I brought my keyblade down on its head and it burst.

Meanwhile Leon and Yuffie had entered the fray. Leon slashed at the monster's ankles with his sword and Yuffie threw ninja stars at its head. King Mickey whirled and slashed along with Riku and Sora until the creature was so disoriented that it could only stand and roar.

I tore into its hand with all my strength, slashing and leaping and pulverizing. Today my strength didn't come from my keyblade. It came from me. It came from the people that I had promised to defend. It came from the righteous fury that rose in my breast in the face of darkness.

It didn't take long. With one last, defiant roar, the heartless burst into a cloud of dark vapor. Glittering like a beacon, a heart rose into the sky and disappeared with a flash of light. The darkness sunk into the ground and was gone.

"Quick!" Mickey said, running towards the portal of darkness that still hovered over the ruins of the fountain. "This isn't an ordinary portal! They split the realm! I don't think it's gonna go away unless we seal it!"

The king lifted his keyblade high in the air.

Without a word, Sora stepped forward, pointing his own keyblade at the swirling mass. Riku followed suit, his aqua eyes flashing with resolve. And I stepped forward as well, raising my keyblade high, willing the realm to heal this time.

Beams of light shot from the ends of our keyblades and into the heart of the darkness. There was a deep click, a flash of light, and the darkness seemed to implode. It disappeared with a gurgle, like water going down a drain.

When it was all over, we could only stand there, gaping. I was the first to lower my keyblade; it disappeared with a clang.

My gaze found Sora's. The fury was gone from his beautiful eyes. But there was hurt left in its wake.

Merlin came clambering over the chunks of stone. "Well!" he said loudly. "What happened to the security system, I'd like to know? What happened? What can possibly have—" he looked at me and his voice caught.

Mickey's ears were drooping. "I guess they found another way through. They're always looking for Sora. And there was so much light and love here today… I guess they couldn't help it. They had to come and find him. They had to destroy the light."

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit me. I wasn't marrying Sora today. The guests were gone. I could hear them struggling to organize themselves and climb aboard their ships. There was no sense in trying to stop them, even though the danger had passed. Their seats were trampled to the ground. The flowers, fountain, and pulpit were smashed to smithereens.

Even my shoes were gone. Apparently the swirling pool of darkness had sucked them off my feet and swallowed them. I looked down at my bare toes, torn between the urge to laugh and cry.

Sora picked his way through the rubble, bent down, and picked something up off the ground. It was a red velvet cushion. Our rings, which someone had attached to the cushion with golden thread, sparkled feebly.

I walked a few steps and slumped down into to a crouch, my train fanning out behind me. The wedding was destroyed… the wedding was destroyed! All of Yuffie's hard work. Smashed. I was heartbroken because I knew that she would be heartbroken.

And… I wouldn't be marrying the love of my life today either. A lump rose in my throat.

Someone crouched down beside me. It was Yuffie. She smiled weakly, tears filling her eyes. Suddenly she flung her arms around me and pressed her face into my shoulder. I noticed for the first time today how pretty she looked in her pale pink bridesmaid gown.

I stroked her hair. Everyone looked at the ground, unsure of what to say or do.

"It's alright," I finally murmured. "This is what happens when you marry the keyblade master."

Sora gave me a pained look.

"Nobody said our lives together would be a cakewalk, Sora," I said softly.

Yuffie looked up at me, tears sparkling on her cheeks.

I pressed on. "You were destined to fight the darkness until you won or it won. Until that day comes, you can't escape it. And neither can I. I'm a part of this now. I'm a part of you. And I always will be."

Sora stared at me for a long moment, his eyes wide and intense. Finally he walked over to me, took my hands in his, and pulled me to my feet.

"You're always so strong," he said softly.

I looked into his eyes. "You are my strength," I whispered.

Sora studied me for a long moment, then turned to the king. "Your Majesty, would you marry us?" he asked. "The chancellor was going to, but it looks like he left."

Yuffie and I exchanged wide-eyed glances.

The king nodded solemnly. "C'ourse, Sora. I'd be honored to."

Sora stretched out his hand. The realm split and blinding light enveloped us. He looked rather pleased with himself; it seemed that since he belonged here now, he was finally able to open a path in Radiant Garden.

He scooped me up in his arms and I pressed my face into his neck. I didn't have to ask where we were going. Neither, it seemed, did Riku, Yuffie, or the king.

Together, we stepped into the light.

~o~

The sun was sinking into the ocean; the sky was resplendent in red, orange, pink, and blue.

We stood facing each other, holding hands. His collar was slightly crumpled, but other than that, he looked nothing short of dapper in his new black tuxedo. He also wore his warmest, most Sora-ish grin. I had to resist the urge to kiss him and rumple his hair.

I wriggled my bare toes in the sand. My dress was a little wrinkled, but it was still in one piece, notwithstanding the afternoon's rigorous events. Grinning, I turned to look at Yuffie. She smiled back at me. For once my appearance didn't seem to matter to her.

Sora and I stood before the king, waiting for him to begin. The waves rushed against the tiny isle and the seagulls cried softly offshore. A gentle breeze lifted my hair, cooling my face and neck. I closed my eyes and smiled.

"This isn't exactly a normal wedding," King Mickey said. He stood atop the bent palm tree where Sora, Riku, and I had sat and watched the sunset so many times. "But now that I think about it, this isn't exactly a normal couple."

Riku laughed lightly. I glanced at him and he winked at me, his eyes dancing merrily.

"Like Kairi said earlier, you two have a battle to wage against the darkness. Because of who you are, it's never gonna leave you alone. But I'd be willin' to bet that as long as you stick together, it won't stand a chance against you."

"Hear hear," Yuffie cried softly.

"This is so much more than a wedding," the king went on. "The realm of light has won a great victory today. By promising your eternal love to one another, you will create a barrier around your hearts that the darkness can never touch."

I squeezed Sora's hands in mine.

"The rings?" the king said, looking at Riku.

Riku came forward. "I forgot to bring them. But I thought of something that might be more… meaningful." Smiling gently, he opened his hands.

Lying in them was bright yellow paupu fruit.

My eyes filled with tears.

"Kairi, would you like to go first?" the king asked.

I nodded. With a lump in my throat, I took the paupu from Riku. I smiled up into his face and touched his arm briefly.

I gripped the top point of the star-shaped fruit and gave it a gentle twist. The point came off with a lush tearing sound. The flesh within the peel was clearly visible. It was a deep pink, similar to a grapefruit.

Sora took the bottom portion of the paupu from me as I peeled my piece. Once I was finished I held it in my hand, trying to compose myself. Finally I looked into his eyes. He gave my free hand a gentle squeeze and I found my voice.

"When the worlds faded away," I said quietly, "when the sky went black, when my body was nothing but an empty shell, our love kept me alive. It snatched me from death's jaws. It snatched me from the darkness. It defied the laws of nature."

My voice caught. Sora gazed into my eyes; I saw my own reflection in them.

"It is the key," I said, "the key to everything! Even when the worlds fade away and the sky goes black, it will remain. It is the light that will defeat the darkness. I know it."

I took a deep, steadying breath.

"Sora, if there was anything in the world that I could promise you, it would be that I will love you forever. I take you as my husband in glory and in tribulation. I promise to stand by you no matter what happens. You are my destiny. You are my life."

Without breaking eye contact with Sora, I lifted the piece of paupu fruit to his lips. As he took it in his mouth, I noticed that his eyes were wet and his cheeks were flushed with emotion. He chewed and swallowed without taking his eyes off my face.

Riku cleared his throat gruffly. Yuffie was crying silently into a lace handkerchief.

"Sora?" the king prompted. His voice was high and squeaky.

Sora twisted another tip from the paupu fruit, peeled it, and held it in his hand.

"Kairi," he began. His voice broke. "You've always been my guiding light. When I was afraid… when I felt like there was no hope… you were always there, pushing me along. Our love was the driving force behind everything I did. It gave me the strength to press on when things looked bleak. It gave me the determination to do what was right, even when it seemed impossible. It kept me alive just as it kept you alive.

"I couldn't live without you," he went on, his voice growing stronger. "From the moment I laid eyes on you, you were everything to me! I don't dream of anything but you—your love, your light, and your great power. You are strength and beauty and grace."

The tears were coursing down my cheeks now; it would have been pointless to try and wipe them away.

"No matter what happens, I promise to protect you. I promise to love you with every fiber of my being. Now I join my destiny with yours. I take you as my wife."

He lifted the sweet-smelling fruit to my lips. I could only stare at him in wonder and adoration, tears dripping from the end of my chin. I couldn't seem to remember how to open my mouth.

I figured it out though. Smiling, Sora fed me my portion of the paupu fruit. It was tangy and very, very sweet. As soon as I swallowed, he leaned toward me, his eyes closing softly.

This kiss was much like our first—filled with the tender hesitation of years and years of spoken and unspoken affections. Surely my heart would burst within me; was it possible that my body of mere flesh and blood was not strong enough to contain my love for this boy?

When we broke apart, King Mickey spoke. "By my authority as king, I pronounce you husband and wife."

And then my husband took me in his arms beneath the darkening sky.

~o~

A/N: Revisiting this story has been so much fun. I hope I did the wedding justice. Let me know what you think, won't you? And thanks so much for reading!