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hinataoc · 2 years

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It’s SoKai Week! I wasn’t able to get much done for the event, but I did manage this fun fic of them in Corona! Make sure to check out @sokaiweek to see all of the amazing SoKai content!

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Meant to Be

Words: 2920

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“No, no, that’s all wrong,” Eugene complained, crossing his arms. “Where did you learn how to hang garland?”

“If you’re so picky, why aren’t you the one hanging it?” Sora countered, waving the purple garland down at him.

“Hey, I’m not the one with magical flying powers to hang things up in high places,” he pointed out. “But if I were, I would put it a little higher and to the left. That’s all I’m saying.”

Kairi giggled while Sora groaned and continued his bickering. She drew her attention towards the rest of the castle town. It was her first time in Corona and every detail lived up to the tales Sora would tell her. The entire kingdom bustled with life and warmth, getting ready for the princess’ birthday celebration.

“Are those two still bickering?” Rapunzel asked, coming up behind Kairi and stopping beside her.

“Of course,” Kairi told her with a laugh.

She playfully rolled her eyes. “Eugene, it doesn’t have to be perfect.”

“You might think so, Blondie—” he cut himself off and cleared his throat, “or formerly Blondie, anyway. But this is the first year I’m in charge of your birthday, and that’s a lot of responsibility!”

“Even more than being Captain of the Guard?” she asked.

He was about to argue back before Kairi cut in, “It’ll be great. Everything already looks wonderful. I’m sure it will go well!”

“She’s right!” Sora agreed, hopping down from the rooftop and grinning proudly. “What do you think?”

“Oh, well now that’s just sad,” Eugene lamented, motioning up towards the garland that was poorly knotted around the spire.

“It’s fiiine!” Rapunzel laughed, grabbing Eugene’s arm and pulling him away from the store front. “We’re going to have a great time today. All of us are. Because, it’s my birthday, and I decree it.”

“Can you do that?” Sora asked.

Eugene's frumpy expression faltered as he chuckled and wrapped his arm around Rapunzel’s shoulder. “She’s the princess, of course she can.”

Rapunzel nodded and told them, “Now that the decorating is done for now, how about you guys go enjoy the celebration?”

“That’s a great idea!” Kairi agreed, placing her hands together in front of her. “Thank you, Princess.”

“Yeah, thanks Rapunzel.” Sora walked to Kairi’s side and pointed over his shoulder. “There was that pastry shop I’ve been wanting to show—”

“Captain!” a guard called out, threading between the townsfolk before scrambling to a stop in front of the royal couple. He was clad in armor, breathless as he leaned his hands against his knees.

“Stan, what is it?” Eugene asked, stepping away from Rapunzel.

“Th-Those dark creatures, th-they’re back, in the forest!” Stan stammered out between his breaths.

Sora and Kairi exchanged a look. “Did they have glowing yellow eyes?” Sora asked, pointing to his own eye. When Stan nodded, Sora crossed his arms and nodded. “Yep, that’s Heartless all right.”

“Oh come on!” Eugene groaned. He rubbed the back of his neck and paced. “Heartless, here? Of all the days to show up, they pick today?” Running his hand over his face, he let out a breath and got serious. “Alright, we have to take care of them before they get into the kingdom.”

“You can count on us!” Sora laced his hands behind his neck. “Kairi and I could take them out with our eyes shut. Right?”

Kairi looked up at him in surprise, still getting used to how confident he was in her abilities. It was a nice feeling. He peeked over at her and she smiled warmly as she nodded. “Right.” She looked back to the group. “We’ll take care of them.”

“Ah of course!” Eugene exclaimed, waving his hand towards them. “Why didn’t I think of that? My sidekicks take care of the unwelcome guests while I stay here and fix all the decorations Sora put up.”

“Hey!” Sora leaned forward, placing his hands on his hips.

“Kidding, I’m kidding,” Eugene assured him, raising his hands in surrender while Kairi and Rapunzel snickered.

Kairi looked to Stan, who watched the group’s exchange with a mix of silent confusion and amusement. “Where did you see the Heartless?” she asked.

He darted his attention to her and saluted. “Just past the wildflower clearing. Right outside the palace walls.”

Giving him a nod of thanks, she directed her attention to Sora with a smirk. “I’ll race you there?”

Sora immediately grinned. “You’re on!” Looking back to the princess and Eugene, he told them, “You two just focus on getting everything ready for tonight and leave the rest to us!”

“Alright then,” Rapunzel quickly agreed. “We’ll handle things here.”

Before the words finished leaving the princess’ mouth, Kairi slowly stepped backwards. Sora immediately caught her movement and smirked, pacing back faster before they both spun around and sprinted out of the castle town. Townsfolk gasped, stepping out of the way of both of them as they weaved between them.

“Thanks a million!” Eugene called after them, his voice fading the further they went.

Kairi’s heart fluttered in her chest. The race was exhilarating, and she couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over her face at the sound of Sora’s laughter as he rushed to keep up with her. Passing the gate, they only had the bridge to cross before they reached the edge of the forest. Sora cut in front, a blue shimmering magic emanating off of his body. He hopped onto the stone railing of the bridge and slid along at an impressive speed, seemingly leaving Kairi far behind.

She didn’t even blink as he passed. A familiar adrenaline pulsed in her chest, and pink particles erupted around her. Kicking off the side of the railing, she vaulted into the air, twirling and stretching out her arms to fly. She glided over the glistening lake, cutting over towards the beach.

“Hey! No fair!” Sora’s voice objected behind her, but she could hear the excitement in his voice.

She giggled, pausing her flight to simply float. “I don’t remember any rules against flyi— Ah!”

“Gotcha!” Sora’s arms wrapped around her from behind, sending both of them twirling through the air.

“Sora!” Kairi squeaked in surprise, her voice bubbling into laughter as her cheeks warmed with blush.

She wriggled around in his arms to face him, seeing a similar warmth to his face as he snickered. Her heart could have melted from the goofy, adorable look on his face.

“What?” he asked, tilting his head ever so slightly to the side.

“I think you know,” she teased right before kissing the tip of his nose.

Her heart jumped on contact with her lips meeting him, even after all this time. Sora chuckled, his arms tightening around her for just a moment.

“Yeah, I think I do too,” he agreed, a lovestruck expression softening his face. They gazed at each other for a moment longer before Sora cleared his throat and looked away. He looked towards the treeline and then back to Kairi. “Do you think I could swing you up so you can get a better look over the forest?”

Kairi blinked, almost forgetting why they were there to begin with. “Oh! Right. Yes, let’s do that.”

Sora grabbed onto her wrist and she gripped onto his. He sent her a reassuring smile before spinning around, bringing Kairi along with him. Then he released her, sending her high above the treeline. Kairi’s Keyblade flashed into her grasp and she hurled it even higher up. At the peak of its momentum, she disappeared in a flash of magic and reappeared at its hilt.

Cool chilling winds greeted her. She shivered, floating high above the forest and all of Corona. The entire world lay out before her. She could see the towering mountains and the wall that separated Corona from the other kingdoms. Beyond it were gorgeous fields of flowers across rolling hills and shimmering lakes. She spun around, seeing the kingdom beyond the water.

“Wow,” she breathed out, suddenly wishing Sora were up as high as she was.

“Do you see anything?” Sora asked, his voice barely carrying over the wind.

Kairi peeked down at him, tiny against the shoreline, patiently awaiting her. She looked back over the forest and refocused. It didn’t take long for her to see the unmistakable glowing eyes of the Heartless between the thicket.

“Found them!” she called down to Sora.

Holding out her Keyblade, a sparkle of magic burst from the tip and shot into a stray Shadow Heartless amongst the group. The moment it met its mark, she could make out its outline, even amongst the trees.

“Great shot, Kairi!” Sora cheered her on from below, already disappearing in a mist of blue as he leapt to the branches.

Kairi somersaulted and began her downward descent. The further she went, the louder the whistling wind became against her ears. Nearing the treeline, she cried out, magic emanating off of her Keyblade. With a whirl, she shot out a barrage of pearls of light. Each one brilliantly illuminated the forest floor, finding their mark in various Shadows scampering through the thicket. Kairi landed with a roll, skidding a few feet before she stuck her Keyblade in the ground and caught herself. She stood back up straight, seeing her pearls of light impact the Heartless, bursting them into clouds of smoke. Green orbs scattered over the ground, some of them swirling into Kairi and refueling her energy. Sora landed beside her, taking a moment to gather a few of the remaining orbs before turning around and leaning his Keyblade over his shoulder.

“Got started without me, huh?” he teased.

Kairi giggled. “I’m sure there'll be plenty to go around.”

As if in response, the unmistakable sound of Heartless appearing caught their attention. They exchanged a smirk before running further into the forest. At a clearing with yellow wildflowers speckling the vibrant grass they found massive dandelions swaying from the breeze.

Sora settled into a prepared fighting stance, looking around as Kairi marveled at the plants. “So pretty,” she said under her breath, about to reach out to touch it.

“Careful, Kairi!” Sora called out to her.

All at once, the dandelions shook violently. Kairi stumbled back as the dandelion she had been admiring shot up into the air, a tower of smaller flower-like Heartless supporting it from below. It wobbled side to side, then leaned forward, aimed straight for Kairi. A translucent barrier surrounded her, just in time as hundreds of thin, white spikes bounced off its surface.

Sora landed on top of her barrier and vaulted off of it. He sliced his Keyblade along the side of the tower and it toppled over, sending the flower-like Heartless sprawling in every direction. Kairi looked over the battlefield from the protection of her barrier, taking everything into account.

“I can do this,” she told herself, dissipating her shield. “Sora!”

He reached out for her without even needing to ask what she needed. They gripped each other's wrists and jumped into the air. Spinning around, their Keyblades ignited with blazing magic. Rings of light pulsed along the ground, before Sora and Kairi slammed back down, sending out a wave of water that seemed straight from the ocean back on the island. It washed over every Heartless, catching them in its current before it began spiraling above the couple in a whirlpool. Sora and Kairi held up their Keyblades together, meeting them together for a finishing spell. Golden sparkles shimmered across the blades, conglomerating at the top to create the shape of a paopu fruit. Beams of light shot out from the star, swirling into the whirlpool and piercing through the Heartless.

Kairi’s heart pounded in her chest, her nerves tingling from the overwhelming magic all around her. Sora’s hand over her own kept her grounded as they watched every Heartless disappear with flashes of light. It was a spectacle, one she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to. She glanced over at Sora beside her, and her breath caught. The way the magic’s light doused him in color, his face full of wonderment and joy. He caught her gaze and smiled warmly at her. His eyes danced over her and Kairi wondered if he was as entranced as she was.

The water evaporated above them and translucent magic orbs showered over them from the defeated Heartless. They looked up, seeing the sunlight shine rainbows through the bubbles before they absorbed into them, refilling their energy.

“I wonder if that’s all of them?” Kairi asked softly.

“We’ll walk back to the kingdom and see if we find any more,” Sora suggested.

Kairi hummed in agreement, smiling when Sora’s fingers interlaced with her own. She looked up at him, seeing the same smile across his face as he gave her hand a squeeze and began leading the way.

They met with a few pockets of remaining Heartless along the way. Each batch easily dealt with, though time passed swifter than either of them anticipated. Kairi didn’t mind. She beamed every time Sora’s hand would wrap around her own before they’d continue on their way. Before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set. Golden sunlight poured through the trees, painting the world around them with warmth.

“I hope they aren’t worried about us,” Kairi mused aloud as they walked.

“Hmm?” Sora asked.

“Rapunzel and Eugene,” she clarified. “We might miss the celebration.”

“Oh,” Sora realized, ruffling the back of his hair. “We could probably fly back now and let them know everything’s been taken care of.”

Even with his suggestion, Kairi wondered if she could sense something in him that didn’t want to go— or if that was her own imagination hoping he felt that way. They continued walking for a moment, before she shook her head.

“Actually, I think I’d prefer to keep walking,” she confessed. “It’s… nice to have this time with you.”

Sora looked at her, a smile slowly growing as he nodded. “Yeah, I think so too. Just the two of us. Though I feel bad you might miss the lanterns.”

She hummed. “Well, there’s always next year.”

With a chuckle, he admitted, “That’s true.” He looked back forward and gasped. “Oh! There’s something up ahead you have to see!”

He rushed forward, pulling Kairi after him. She laughed, catching her balance to keep her pace with him.

“What is it?” she asked.

Entering a clearing, they stood at the top of a steep hill. Lavender flowers covered the hillside. They glistened under the setting sun, and swayed from the gentle breeze, sending petals floating through the air. Kairi’s eyes widened, her mouth falling agape.

“So beautiful,” she breathed out. She looked up at Sora, noticing his gaze settled on her with a lovestruck smile across his face. A warmth filled her cheeks as she pushed back her hair behind her ear and giggled. “What?”

Without answering, Sora leaned down and kissed her cheek. Both of their breaths caught the moment he pulled back. Kairi’s heart leapt in her chest, making her feel breathless.

“I think you know,” he teased, repeating her from earlier.

He released her hand and ventured into the flowers. Kairi watched him for a moment, her heart warming the longer she did.

“Yeah, I think I do, too,” she admitted.

Sora peeked at her over his shoulder, grinning adorably. She smiled back, her body feeling light. The moment he turned his back completely to her, she bit her lip mischievously and got an idea. She burst into a run and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“Gotcha!” she cried out amongst his surprise yelps, sending both of them tumbling to the flowery ground.

Sora fell face first into the flowers, his muffled laughter sent Kairi into her own fit of giggles. She held herself up enough to let him roll back over to face her. Leaves and flower petals stuck out from his mussed up hair.

“Give me a break, Kairi,” Sora couldn’t keep the laughter out of his voice.

Kairi snickered. “It was too hard to resist.”

Their laughter took a moment longer to die down, and they were soon left gazing at the other with softened smiles. Sora’s eyes danced over Kairi’s face again, a warmth filling his cheeks. She felt entranced by him, then noticed his gaze ever so slightly drift towards her lips. His hand slid up her arm, to her cheek. Kairi leaned into his touch without so much of a hesitation and Sora’s smile grew as he pushed back her hair behind her ear.

“Hey, Kairi?” he asked softly.

“Hmm?” she asked with a hum.

Sora lifted his head and ever so gently, met their lips together. Kairi’s breath hitched, her eyes sliding shut. She kissed him back almost instantly, her heart fluttering with thousands of butterflies. Sora lingered, before pulling back. He opened his mouth, about to say something, before Kairi kissed him again. He smiled into the kiss, chuckling when their lips parted.

“I love you,” Kairi whispered, saying the words fresh in her heart.

Sora blinked, then chuckled. “Hey, that’s what I was gonna say.”

“Beat you to it,” Kairi giggled.

“I love you, too.” He threaded his fingers through her hair and rested his hand along her cheek. “So much.”

She leaned into his touch again and hummed. This was what she always wanted. Their journey, the trials and the struggle to be together— everything was finally perfect. The way it was meant to be.

#sokaiweek #sokaiweek2022 #Kingdom hearts #hina-writes

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dusky-dancing · 2 years

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An Unbreakable Connection - Chapter 1

Summary: Sora has been robbed of his memories in Quadratum, but his connection with Kairi is one that even their greatest adversaries cannot sever.

Rating: T

Length: ~1.4k words

Genre: Post-KH3, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Pairing: Kairi/Sora

For SoKai Week - Day 7 - KH4/The Future

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Links for story navigation:

CH2 | Epilogue

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Weightlessness before drifting off to sleep wasn’t uncommon, Sora had learned. It accompanied a number of experiences, from vertigo to sleep paralysis, but to him it came alone. And it felt nice.

Lately, the feeling had visited him almost nightly. For the last several days, he’d been laying on the couch in what had become his home, ready for rest, when he would begin to feel numb and weightless. It had started in his fingers and toes, but over time had steadily spread up his arms and legs.

Strange as it may have been, it had felt like being enveloped in a soft warm blanket. He’d welcomed it, desperate for any solace after waking up in this strange, confusing world with no memories.

Then this night, his finger twitched all on its own.

He thought it’d just been his nerves combined with exhaustion and stress at first, and figured that he was just slowly losing his senses in this strange afterlife.

Then his entire hand lifted, and his fingers curled.

“What the—” he yelled, jerking his hand back.

His panic drove away whatever had caused it, for his hand soon relaxed. With it, that warm, weightless, comforting feeling also disappeared. Immediately, he missed it.

“Wait!” he blurted without another thought. Who—or what—was he even talking to? For all he knew, it could’ve been a weird nerve reaction, but the chance that it hadn’t been nagged at the back of his mind. After a moment, he muttered, “Come back, please.”

He sat purposefully still, breathing slowly to calm his nerves just like Strelitzia had shown him. Several minutes passed with no change, and Sora prepared to give up, try to sleep, and wait however long it took to be visited again.

Before he closed his eyes, however, the sensation washed over him all at once. Overwhelmed, Sora kept himself from sitting up on his couch and possibly scaring it away again.

“What…are you?”

That time, his entire hand gently lifted and placed itself over his heart. It answered him, which meant it could hear him, but he could only feel its vague presence. Surrendering himself to the control of…whatever this was…felt strange and vulnerable, but he found himself trusting the source. Its warmth cradled him like a steady heartbeat. He’d do anything to make it stay.

An idea popped into his head for how to communicate.

“I want to talk. If you do too, tap once for ‘yes’, twice for ‘no’.”

A moment later, his finger tapped against his chest once, and a smile spread across his face. Why did this make him so happy?

“I don’t know how you’re doing this.” He huffed a laugh. “Can you…see and hear through me?”

Yes.

“Okay,” he breathed deeply, trying to remain still and calm. How could he learn everything just through ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions?

“I’m…pretty lost where I am. Are you trying to find me?”

An immediate yes.

“Well, I’m in a place called Quadratum. It’s like…an afterlife of sorts, except I can’t remember how I got here, or anything else before I came here. There’s this game I supposedly have to win, and I’m helping where I can.” He paused a moment. “Are you here too?”

No.

Okay, they were getting somewhere. There’s something out there looking for him, and whatever it is seems really friendly. Suddenly, he felt selfish for not asking about them first. “Are you…a person?”

Yes.

Guilt tugged at his chest once more. “Then, you probably knew me before all of this,” he said lowly. “I’m sorry for forgetting you. I promise I’ll do my best to get out of here and find my way home.”

An unexpected answer was given when his hand gripped tightly over his heart and the solace around him deepened. It resembled a hug, without actually being physically hugged.

“We must’ve been really close, if you can do this with me. Are we related?”

No.

“So friends, then?”

Yes.

He believed them, yet not just any friend would be able to form a connection like this and make him feel so comforted. Maybe he shouldn’t ask and risk making it awkward, or worse, severing the connection entirely. He asked anyways.

“Are we…more than friends?”

His finger lifted, as if to answer, but instead just hovered above his chest. A few moments later, it slowly curled in and lowered itself. No answer, but their presence remained.

“It’s okay, that was kind of forward to ask.” He sighed and, still somewhat in control of his body, turned his head to the side to look out his apartment’s balcony. “Regardless, I’m lucky to have someone who’s willing to do so much to help me. Are you working alone?”

No.

“Then I’m even luckier,” he laughed, wondering how he could have so many good friends.

A sudden thought occurred to Sora, and he nearly shot up off of his couch. “Wait!” he shouted louder than he’d intended to. “This connection that lets you do this to me, does it go both ways?”

A quick Yes.

He laughed with excitement. Of course it went both ways. "Awesome! How do I go to you? Tell me what I need to do.”

The words had come spilling out before he remembered he couldn’t get answers to those kinds of questions, but he didn’t have all night to play a guessing game. He knew that visiting hours with his new old friend wouldn’t last.

“Sorry, too many questions,” he said.

His fingers drummed against his chest, like they were contemplating. After a few moments, his other hand lifted and pointed towards sliding glass door of his apartment.

“You want to look outside?”

Yes.

“Take control if you want, I trust you.”

A few moments passed with no response, and Sora did his best to relax his legs. Suddenly, one leg bent, and he sat up without assistance. They paused, likely taking in the rest of his environment, before pushing him to his feet, which were still sore and tired from running around all day.

They walked with more balance than he did, careful with each step, and though moving without his own will felt strange, it felt more right to trust them fully. Cool night air washed over him when the balcony door slid open. He could still hear activity on the street below and smell what remained of the meals his neighbors had prepared that evening.

They walked him to the balcony railing and, resting his hands on the cool metal, looked up to the night sky.

“It’s kind of beautiful here for an afterlife, isn’t it?” he asked.

His finger tapped the railing once in affirmation. Then, his hand lifted to point at the night’s largest source of light.

“The moon?” he asked. It shone bright blue that evening, with every edge of the sphere visible and full. Another confirmation began to piece the puzzle together. “You can only do this during a full moon, when it’s full for me?”

Yes.

It neared the horizon, which probably meant that their time together was almost over. Urgency filled him. “But I can’t see your sky. How will I know when it’s the right time for you?” he asked quietly, trying not to appear like he was talking to himself. His neighbors finding him crazy didn’t bother him, but he couldn’t have his enemies knowing that he had a connection outside of this world.

The hand that had gestured to the moon closed into a fist and obstructed his view of the celestial body.

“When it’s not visible for me?”

Yes.

Sora nodded with determination as his arm lowered to his side. “Okay, I can do that. I’ll keep an eye out on the sky each night. On the new moon, I’ll just…focus really hard, I guess?”

Again, his hand came up to rest over his heart, giving his chest a few assuring pats.

“Right, in my heart.” He smiled, somewhat in disbelief that this all wasn’t a dream. Steadily, the presence around him began to fade as the moon orbited out of view, and he already missed them. “Thank you, friend, for helping me. I promise I’ll find a way to visit you.”

With the last glimmer of warmth keeping him company, he muttered one last message. “I’ll think of you, wherever you are.”

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A/N: Thank you for reading, and Happy SoKai Week! I will love and run with the angsty headcanon that Sora's memories were given up in Quadratum until canon proves otherwise. That, combined with the idea that Kairi can take control of Sora's body in the same way that he did hers in Melody of Memory spawned this fic.

I'll likely update this story on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to make up for missing the rest of SoKai week :') I hope you all enjoy!

#kingdom hearts #sokaiweek2022 #sokaiweek #day 7 #kh fanfiction #sokai #sora #kairi #romance #hurt/comfort #long post #an unbreakable connection #chapter 1 #my writing #dusky writing

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