Love and Light
Summary: In the future, Sora takes Kairi to a festival he knows she'll love. Amidst the merriment and festivities, the pair reflects on all they'd been through together.
Length: ~2500 words
Pairing: Sora/Kairi, minor Rapunzel/Eugene|Flynn
Written for @twosidesfanzine.
The banner and all spot art was done by @nosieposie! Please check out her page and see her main piece for the zine as well!
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Kairi half-mindedly wondered which world Sora would take her to as she leaned against the glass dome of the Gummi Ship, more focused on the space dust and starlight around them.
Sora had promised her that she’d love every world they visited, and he had yet to be wrong. She was in no rush to see them all at once, but waking up and leaving on time that morning had been a first for Sora. He was determined to get there quickly, so whatever world it was must be good.
“I told you, it’s a secret,” he’d playfully reply every time she’d asked. It didn’t mean she’d stop trying. With all their teasing and laughing, their ship wouldn’t run out of fuel anytime soon.
Once they touched ground, gripping one another, Kairi barely had time to recover from teleporting before the world drew her in. The smell hit her first, of grass, bark, and wildflowers. Birdsong surrounded her, and Kairi didn’t have to guess what kind of world they’d landed in before opening her eyes.
The familiar oceanic breeze swept over her as she found herself standing on a narrow shore. Treetops and shimmering grassy hills stretched behind them, and across the bay before them sat a town built on a hill. Kairi turned to Sora, only to find him watching her in anticipation.
“I love it,” she said with a cheer, and his head lifted with pride.
He stepped forward and threw his arms out wide. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Corona!”
Sora being free and happy and…himself, filled Kairi with more joy than he knew.
She stared in awe as they walked along the shore to a stone bridge. Despite the kingdom’s size, the warm colors and atmosphere welcomed her in. Even along the narrow bridge, the cobblestone bustled with friendly faces and joyful chatter.
With several eyes turned to them and their other-worldly clothes—and Sora too busy watching Kairi to notice—Kairi teasingly pulled him aside and suggested they try to blend in. Lucky for them, clothing vendors lined the streets for some kind of festival.
Kairi fitted herself into a light pink corset dress, tight in all the right places while still fun and flowing. When Sora emerged from the changing tent, he sported a strapping dark brown vest covering a blue tunic and long, tan trousers.
In retaliation for all his staring, Kairi openly admired him. At heart, he maintained the joy of a child, but times like this reminded her of just how much he’d grown. When he found her and faltered in his steps, she wondered if he had similar thoughts.
Smiling, she approached and straightened his vest. “So fancy, but one thing’s missing.” Dipping her fingers beneath his collar, she sought his silver chain necklace and pulled the signature crown from underneath. “All better!”
“T-thanks.” He blushed under her attention, but made her red in return when he added, “You look beautiful, Kairi.”
A nearby flower vendor, excited over Kairi’s red hair, kindly offered to braid some pink and white flowers into it. She accepted and soon felt like she stood out even more.
Before food vendors could grab her attention, Sora took her hand and led her to an open town square with a tall mural depicting—she assumed—the royal family. Below the mural sat a half-empty box of colored chalk. Sora took some pieces and turned to her excitedly.
“Let’s draw!”
She giggled and took a yellow piece. Together, they found untouched cobblestones and began drawing. Without looking, Kairi guessed what Sora chose to make and risked matching it. Sure enough, when they revealed their pieces to one another, two paopu fruits extended to sketched versions of themselves, just like in the Secret Place.
They caught one another’s gaze and smiled, sharing a non-verbal how did you know? between themselves.
Kairi broke the silence when she shrugged and said, “If only they sold paopu fruit here.”
“I have something else planned for dinner anyways.” Sora winked.
Before Kairi could ask, live music began to play nearby—bright string and wind instruments trading the melody. Sora perked up, grabbed Kairi’s hand, and pulled her towards the sound, forgetting about their chalk-covered hands.
Already, a crowd of townsfolk had gathered, clapping and dancing along with the music.
“Don’t worry, it’s easy,” Sora said as he encouraged her further into the crowd. Kairi would never refuse a dance with Sora, so she followed eagerly when he spun her in close. Despite the free style of it all, the dance had some structure to the steps and spins. “When the music signals, we change partners.”
Kairi pouted playfully. “But what if I want to keep dancing with you?”
“I wish.” Sora leaned in closer and reassured her. “I’ll find you by the end, promise.”
It was good enough for Kairi. She nodded with a smile, and soon the music picked up. With a wink, Sora spun her away and released her hand.
She found the gaze of an older blond man and, with an open-handed invitation, initiated the next dance. This continued for several more rounds, and she traded both male and female partners. So many people were dancing that Kairi never had the same partner twice.
Each one seemed eager to dance with her, until she flew into the arms of a tall, handsome man. His gaze wandered over the crowd, obviously looking for a specific person. Kairi cleared her throat to get his attention.
“Sorry.” He shot her a charming smile before beginning the dance. “Not that you’re not a lovely young lady, but I’d like to make my way over to dance with my wife next round.” He gestured with his head over to the side. “The jumpy brunette, can’t miss her.”
Sure enough, Kairi spotted the woman twirling and dancing with more energy than anyone else. Laughing alongside her as she danced—coincidentally—was Sora. Pride filled Kairi’s chest, not only from Sora getting to be himself, but also spreading that joy to others. He tended to have that effect on people.
“Of course.” Kairi turned back to her dance partner with a smile and followed his lead.
When the music crescendoed, her partner prepared to spin her out of reach, but froze.
“Sora?!” he asked, puzzled.
Kairi turned, and recognition showed on Sora’s face.
“Eugene, look who it is!” His wife grabbed Sora’s arm and pulled them all out of the crowd.
“You know Sora?” Kairi asked, unsurprised considering Sora made friends everywhere he went.
“We sure do, gosh it’s been years!” The woman beamed. “You must be a friend of Sora’s too?”
At that point, Sora swooped between them and put his arm around Kairi. “More than a friend actually,” he said proudly with his whole heart. “Rapunzel, Eugene, this is Kairi. Kairi, these are my friends here. Rapunzel is the princess!”
“Nice to meet you.” Kairi smiled and offered her hand to each of them.
Eugene took her hand and bowed apologetically. “If I’d known you were with Sora, I wouldn’t have brushed you off. Sorry about that.”
“I can’t blame a man for wanting to dance with his wife.” Kairi winked.
“Wife?!” Sora startled beside her. “You guys got married? Why didn’t you tell me?!”
Rapunzel giggled and shared a knowing look with Eugene before showing off her ring. “I was about to.”
Grinning, Sora pulled them all into a group hug, mumbling congratulations into their shoulders.
Pleasantries were cut short, however, when the clock struck the hour. Sora pulled back. “I’d love to keep dancing, but we’ve got a dinner reservation.”
“We do?” Kairi asked.
Rapunzel and Eugene chuckled, sharing another look before Rapunzel spoke. “Don’t let us keep you from your fun. Enjoy the Festival of Lights, and visit the castle before you leave, okay?”
“We will,” Sora promised, then Rapunzel swept Eugene back into the fray.
“You reserved dinner?” Kairi teased.
“It’s a surprise.”
With that, Sora led Kairi through the town until they reached a restaurant on the water. With a look of recognition, the host led them past the main dining area, up a narrow flight of stairs, and through double doors to a balcony outfitted with a single table. Candles lit the environment against the evening as they took their seats.
Kairi could feel Sora watching her just as he’d been doing all day, priding himself on her reactions. Soon, the chef came out and personally served them the prepared dinner, a golden braided pasta dish. Maybe it was just the brightly colored flowers accenting the food or the rich scent of lemon and parmesan, but it seemed to hold a glow on its own.
“Rapunzel’s Gemelli,” the chef explained. “A dish named for the princess, inspired by how her long golden hair first captivated the kingdom and lifted our spirits.”
As lovely as the dish’s presentation was, it smelled even more delightful and didn’t keep the pair from digging in for long. The perfect al dente noodles mixed satisfyingly with the lemon garlic sauce, leaving behind a citrus tingle. Before she knew it, Kairi was halfway through, singing its praises with Sora the whole time.
Then Kairi paused for a moment, recalling the chef’s words. She could see how the pasta could resemble hair, and no doubt Rapunzel’s presence would inspire any artisan. But one detail confused her.
Kairi leaned closer to Sora and asked, “Isn’t Rapunzel…a brunette?”
Realization crossed his expression and he lowered his fork. Kairi had a feeling there was a story to this.
“She is now, but it wasn’t that way before. Her hair used to hold Light, so it was golden. If it was cut, it’d lose its magic, so you can imagine how long it used to be.” Sora chuckled at that last bit.
The mental image both amused and bewildered Kairi. She’d heard of magic living in strange places, but never someone’s hair. Then, the connection with the royal family mural clicked.
“So…why’d she cut it?”
Sora’s gaze fell, as did his smile. “She didn’t. Eugene did. An evil woman held Rapunzel hostage, using her hair to stay young forever. Eugene tried to rescue her but was injured. Instead of letting Rapunzel use her hair to heal him, he cut it to set her free.”
“How heroic and selfless.” Kairi leaned on her hand, fully enraptured by the story.
Sora nodded in agreement. “Without magic, the evil woman died, and Eugene nearly did too. But there was just enough Light left to help Rapunzel’s love bring him back.” He shook his head. “I witnessed the whole thing. He was willing to sacrifice himself for her freedom.”
Kairi giggled lightly and reached across the table to brush his hand. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”
Sora smiled bashfully. “I could say the same. At that point, I already knew that I loved you. But after witnessing that, then seeing you use your Light to save me—and everyone—after that wave of Heartless…I realized that maybe you loved me too.”
His gaze drifted, fixating on painful memories, so Kairi squeezed his hand to return him to the present. “You were right, and I still do.” She smiled. “Thank you for taking me here. I can see why you chose this day.”
Sora glanced out the balcony for a moment before turning back to her with a gentle smile. “There’s one more thing tonight.”
But they’d already done so much. Wordlessly, Sora stood and led her to the railing. Below, the water shimmered, and the evening sky opened above. The kingdom darkened with the setting sun.
Kairi held onto Sora and followed his gaze up to the castle. Suddenly, a single light dotted the sky from the top balcony. A golden lantern.
She watched as it slowly floated up and away from the castle. A moment later the entire kingdom was illuminated as hundreds of identical lanterns were simultaneously lit and released into the sky. Before she knew it, they were all around her, so numerous that she couldn’t tell they were lanterns anymore. They reminded her of the lights that fell upon Destiny Islands as it reformed before her eyes.
Sora stepped aside and offered an unlit lantern. She held the fragile paper in her hands while he lit it with a simple fire spell.
“These lights once called Rapunzel away from her captor and back to her kingdom,” Sora said. “In the same way, you’ve called me back. Rapunzel’s home now, and thanks to you, I think I am too.”
For all the words Kairi had written to Sora over the years, she now stood speechless while holding the warming lantern. All she could do was smile and try to fight back the tears that she knew Sora could see in the light.
He held the lantern with her, and together they released it to join the symphony of floating lights above them. Empty hands soon found one another as the couple allowed the evening’s peace to fill them. Kairi silently vowed to always guide him home, while praying she’d never have to again.
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Epilogue:
The sights, smells, and sounds when first landing in the Kingdom of Corona would never grow old to Kairi. Even all these years later, the same wildflowers bloomed as the trees around them grew taller, and she swore the birds passed their melodies down to their offspring. It was so different from their home, yet it filled both Sora and Kairi with a similar peace. Some years had made it more difficult to travel than others, but for the past ten years, Sora and Kairi had always set time aside to visit Rapunzel’s kingdom for the Festival of Lights. The two couples had become close friends, and the continued tradition was living proof that the worlds were safe and healing. Above all else, the jubilee made them feel like kids again, not that Sora ever needed help. His childlike wonder never left him, a trait Kairi loved about him more and more each day. Even now, as their eldest bound down the grassy hillside, Sora’s competitive urge overtook him, and a race ensued. Another clung shyly to Kairi’s skirt for a moment before the hill called to him as well, leaving Kairi alone with the small bundle against her chest to take in the view. Cobblestone paths withstood years of heavy traffic, and besides some homes and fishing docks being built along the shore, much of the kingdom remained the same.The local shopkeepers, who simply knew them as visitors from another kingdom far away, had begun to recognize them after a few years, and greeted them more warmly with each visit. Kairi bought a bundle of primrose and gently tucked a stem into her daughter’s beanie so it poked out just above her ear. She smiled at the sight as her winded family joined her side. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Corona.”
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A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and Happy Holidays! I'm later to publishing this piece than I normally would be, but I still want to take a moment to express my whole-hearted appreciation to the @twosidesfanzine team for accepting me to this project, to @phoenix-downer for beta-reading this piece at every step and offering invaluable feedback, to Liv for formatting the final product, to adri(@/faedriana on twitter) for the delicious gemelli recipe, to @nosieposie for the beautiful banner and spot art that helped bring this story to life, and to every zine contributor who read and reviewed this piece while it was in-progress,.
Some author's notes for anyone interested: Tangled is my favorite Disney movie. As soon as I knew I'd be writing for this world, I knew I wanted to have Sora and Kairi visit the Festival of Lights a few years post-KH3 (a trip to the Snuggly Duckling was tempting too). Even though Sora and Kairi didn't get to enjoy the festival in canon (yet), I knew that these two would fit perfectly into the world with Rapunzel and Eugene. Both couples are so romantic but also silly and fun-loving. It was a challenge to stay under the word limit because the possibilities are limitless with the Festival of Lights. Ultimately, I knew SoKai would never resist a dance, and I thought the idea for the Secret Place sketches with the street chalk would be really cute too.
I also wanted to draw on the themes of Tangled, which are very similar to that of Kingdom Hearts. Light is more than just photons, instead acting as an ensouling entity and a powerful source of magic, symbolizing healing, goodness, and purity. The title, "Love and Light", comes from the fact that the two forces often intermingle and strengthen one another. Rapunzel's love for Eugene not only drove her to trade her freedom for a chance to heal him, but it allowed her last drop of Light to bring him from death. Likewise, Kairi's pure heart of Light and love for Sora restored him from his Heartless form, brought him and Riku from the Realm of Darkness, and saved him and the other Warriors of Light after they were first defeated by Organization XIII. Sora himself drew this connection when, as Kairi led him hand-in-hand to safety, he recalled witnessing Rapunzel save Eugene. In my opinion, this is when Sora realized Kairi loved him as more than just a friend. This is also why I chose to have Sora and Kairi be in an established relationship for this story. After that "light in the darkness" scene in KH3, the barriers between them began to fall. They were holding hands and hugging like crazy (thank you, ReMind). After a few years, especially after Sora returns/is rescued from Quadratum, it's safe to assume they're well-established ;)
I believe there's also a parallel between the lanterns' lights calling Rapunzel home, and Kairi's light guiding Sora home. We don't know how Sora will find his way home from Quadratum yet, but I'm hoping the Light from Kairi's heart plays a primary role, as she always has in the past.
