Final disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts but it has been a true pleasure creating this convoluted fic.

Please see the Author's Note below for fun explanations and farewells.

Mind Games

Epilogue

Is this real? How is it possible for me to be so happy?

Kairi was finally the blushing bride. She was bursting with anticipation, glowing with a radiance she was completely aware of, as she stood outside the closed doors to the wedding hall. This was her moment. No, this was their moment and it couldn't come soon enough.

"Kairi."

She turned, delighted to hear his voice. It took all her self restraint not to jump on him as he approached. Sensing her frenetic energy, Riku chuckled and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. "Try not to drag me down the aisle, all right?"

Kairi giggled, "Then you better keep up. Nothing's going to keep me from him."

Riku was dressed in a fine, black tuxedo. His silver hair was cut short again, bangs no longer obstructing his vision. Kairi could clearly see his eyes gleaming with mirth as he smiled.

"For what it's worth, I don't think anything's going to keep him from you, either." He handed her two, pink peonies. She took them gently, daring to stroke the delicate petals with her fingers. "You look beautiful, Kai."

Kairi's wedding gown was mostly composed of white lace and tulle. The off-the-shoulder, sheer sleeves had crystallized, lace designs woven into the material that looked as though her arms had been covered in jewels. The elegant artistry also covered its heart-shaped bodice. The skirt flowed freely from her waist and was long enough in the back to trail behind her.

"Thank you. Will you-?" she requested, gesturing to the veil atop her head attached by a crown of wild flowers.

Riku nodded and placed the thin fabric over her face. He offered her his arm and she looped hers through, tightly. It was finally time.

"Kairi, I just want to say that this is an honor. I know you wished your father or your uncle, could've-"

She silenced him with a smile. Riku wasn't wrong. Kairi would've loved to be walked down the aisle by her father or her uncle, or even her aunt. But they were all gone now. "Everything's perfect, Riku. There's no one else I'd want by my side." Riku's face lit up.

The double doors before them began to open to reveal the small, ornate hall. Kairi was breathless. The bright, colorful rays cast into the space by the stained glass windows were ethereal and illuminated every surface in the room. On either side of the blue, carpeted aisle were rows of transparent chairs where her loved ones stood waiting.

Riku took the lead and began their walk. Kairi had never felt so full of jitters.

To her right, she could see Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus happily waving at her. She was so grateful they'd come to Radiant Garden. She and Riku paused in front of their row so they could each hand her two sunflowers. She gathered them with the peonies in her hand, letting her fingers grace the pink stone on her golden, engagement ring. The ring she'd been so carefully offered.

"...I've said it before and I'll say it now. There's no one else for me but you. But I'll stop yapping. How about it, Kairi? Can you trust me to handle the rest?"

Riku led her to the left, where a gray haired man she vaguely remembered was standing. She was pretty sure she'd met him at one of Roxas and Xion's parties. His face remained expressionless as he handed her two, white lilies from the sleeve of his blue suit. Though, she could've sworn there was a hint of tenderness in his singularly visible, blue eye. He nodded to her as they began walking away.

Hayner, Pence, and Olette were next. Olette's eyes were brimming with tears as she handed Kairi two, pink roses. Kairi felt her own mist as she took a moment to embrace her. Olette knew better than most what she had been through to get to this day. Hayner handed her two stems of yellow acacia blooms with a grin. He then put his arm around his wife's waist to try and comfort her. Pence gave Kairi two, yellow roses and whispered his congratulations.

Riku gingerly nudged her as they moved on. A silent gesture of comfort that was so appreciated. Kairi blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. It was too early in the ceremony for her to get weepy.

Roxas and Xion were waiting for her next. Both of their faces were flushed with joy. Kairi could distinctly feel the swollen bump of Xion's abdomen when they hugged. Xion took a moment to straighten the necklace around Kairi's neck and then took a step back. Roxas passed two, pink alstroemeria flowers to her. Before she could properly gather them in her hands, a small child pushed through Roxas's pants with a laugh.

Kairi giggled, released Riku's arm, and stooped down to give the boy a hug. He had his mother's raven hair and his father's blue eyes. He kissed her cheek and offered the baby's breath clutched in his tiny hand. "For Auntie Kaa-ree!"

"Thank you!" She rubbed her hand into his hair, making him laugh again, before standing and rejoining Riku. Kairi was nearly at the head of the hall now. She could feel his loving gaze on her as she walked, though she avoided his eyes. She was feeling more bashful by the minute.

To her left, Sora was waiting for her, in the last row, with the biggest grin plastered on his tanned face. She grinned back, stopping in front of him. He teetered on his heels with his hands hidden behind his back.

She eyed him. "Don't tell me you forgot," Kairi chided playfully.

"I already told you, Kai. I'm not going to forget anything else," he replied with a wink.

Sora had stayed true to his word. She would never forget the first letter she received from him. It'd been ten months after his departure, and in it he'd explained everything that happened and what he'd learned. His honesty had been the first step to repairing the damage that had been done to their friendship. Kairi's therapy sessions and Sora's restraining order against Naminé were also fundamental steps in rebuilding the broken trust.

His years away had been good for him. The sweet, caring boy she'd known had resurfaced and replaced the deceitful, workaholic that had broken her heart. Sora had no plans to ever return to the university. Instead, he'd chosen to work with his cousin, Ventus, as a travel guide so he could keep exploring and learning.

Kairi and Riku kept to the tradition of sending him off and celebrating his homecomings. But Kairi would never forget their initial return. It had a special place in her heart.

I waited on the dock of the island with Sora and Riku's letters in my lap. I'd been reading through a few of my favorites to pass the time.

They'd had so many adventures. Sora had surfed the roofs of the marketplace in Agrabah with its Sultan and accidentally destroyed half the shops. Riku and Sora had competed against each other in the carnival games in Disney Town and won special ice cream cones. Sora re-discovered the meaning of love in a place called Halloween Town, but his explanation of doors and skeletal people didn't quite make sense. Riku griped about how Sora got them thrown around by gorillas in a jungle. And Sora detailed how he had to drag Riku out of a deal with a cruel woman named Maleficent.

However, my personal favorite was Riku's description of Sora's questionable musical performance in Atlantica. Apparently, he hummed the tune all the time much to Riku's chagrin.

"Kairi!"

My head shot up at the sound of their calls. I leapt from the dock and into the water, running and swimming to the boat that was slowly approaching.

Sora grinned at me, blue eyes gleaming with a happiness I hadn't seen in years. The vibrance had returned to his skin. He was exuding confidence. Even his hair seemed spikier…

"We're back!" he announced, offering me a gloved hand as I waded toward them in the warm water.

His face was as bright as the sun, but rather than let myself be blinded, I smirked. I took his hand and yanked him into the water. Sora resurfaced quickly and spewed out a gulp of ocean. "Hey!" he whined, rubbing the wet hair out of his eyes. "What was that for?"

I giggled mischievously, "Welcome home!"

Riku sighed from his spot in the boat. He'd also been caught in the splash. "You two can never act your age, can you?"

Sora and I exchanged a conspiratorial glance. "Nope," I answered, before helping Sora flip the boat.

"Here." He tucked the snowdrop blooms he'd brought into Kairi's growing bouquet. She bit down on her lip, attempting to hold back the feelings that were rushing through her. Kairi had no regrets, but the thought that it could've been Sora... Their eyes met once more and she knew he was thinking the same thing. She couldn't stop herself from pulling him close.

Sora held her carefully, doing his best not to damage her flowers. "I'm happy for you, really. You deserve all the happiness in the worlds, Kairi," he whispered into her ear, voice shaking, "Go get him."

"Thank you, Sora. That means...everything."

Riku gently led her away. He hadn't said a word, but his breathing seemed shallower. She squeezed his arm tighter as they paused at the foot of the short steps that led to Lea. Kairi finally met his gaze, allowing herself to sink into the obvious love he was sending her way. The calming effect he had on her had only increased with time.

Riku escorted her up the stairs and placed her hand into Lea's. He whispered his congratulations briefly and started to leave.

"Riku, wait."

He turned and Kairi could see the internal struggle written on his features. She couldn't think of any other time she'd seen his face painted with such raw emotion. Kairi tugged him back to her by the sleeve of his suit and reached up to place a kiss on his cheek. His face colored and it seemed like he couldn't stagger away quickly enough.

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen Riku so...tickled pink," Lea joked with a smile.

Kairi giggled, "I'd say it's about time."

"I couldn't agree more, sweetheart." And she knew he wasn't talking about Riku anymore.

Lea lifted the veil from her face, letting it billow behind her head. Her eyes closed as he tucked a piece of her short, red hair behind her ear. She relished in the familiar feeling.

I watched as Lea mindlessly consumed his ice cream, careful to not let a drop escape his mouth. He wasn't looking at me. His green gaze was traveling across the horizon to some far off place I could never seem to find. He grew more pensive with every visit we made to the clock tower.

"It's gonna melt if you don't eat it, princess."

I raised the stick to my mouth but Lea beat me to it. "Lea!" I cried as he took a huge bite of my popsicle. Lea smirked as he swirled the treat in his mouth and swallowed.

"It didn't look like you wanted it anymore," he defended with a laugh.

"Now you have to give me some of yours," I demanded, reaching for the bar in his hand.

He expertly swung it out of my grasp and held it beyond reach. "Now, now, no need to be aggressive. I'll give you what you want if you ask nicely."

Somehow, his words flustered me. "Nicely?"

"Of course. I can't go around denying ladies what they've asked for nicely, can I?"

His words seemed like a trap. A trap I was willing to risk getting caught in. "Okay, would you please share with me?" I requested sweetly.

Lea lowered his ice cream and offered it to me without further fuss. It was all very anti-climatic. I found myself frowning. Part of me had believed that he was trying to…well, finish something we'd started a while ago.

It wasn't that I hadn't thought about trying again with Lea. It'd never left my mind, not once. But every time it seemed like we might address the white elephant between us, nothing happened.

"At this rate mine is gonna melt too," Lea complained, accidentally waving his melting bar in my face and splattering my cheek.

For the second time, I yelped, "Lea!"

Rather than express concern, he howled and more ice cream ended up on my face. I growled and flung what remained of mine at him. The cream trickled down from his fiery hairline and toward his eyes.

"We look like a couple of kids now. Are ya happy?" he reproached, attempting to pick out pieces of blue bar from his hair. "I'll have to ride the train like this."

"You can shower at my place," I offered without a second thought. He raised a brow incredulously. I hesitated, "...What?"

He paused, tapped his chin, and then shook his head. "I'll pass."

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean you'll pass? You're covered in ice cream, like me."

He eyed me steadily. His look was startling. I nervously bit down on my lip, and Lea groaned and looked away. My face burned. Why had I done that? I knew what that...wait.

"Lea, is this about me?" I nearly squeaked.

He smacked his hand against his sticky forehead. "Of course it is! Can't you see how in love I am with you?" I blinked at his strained words. He was clearly exasperated. "I thought you knew...all this time... Did you think I'd stopped?"

I looked away, staring at my dangling feet. I wasn't blind. I just thought he might've caught on to how I felt by now. But how could he have? We'd been skillfully dancing around each other. Longing glances disturbed by playful jests. Brief touches interrupted by anxious jumps and shifts away. Excuses offered instead of the truth.

Lea sighed heavily and gently brushed some ice cream from my face. I inwardly shuddered. "Look, I didn't mean to-"

If he could be honest, so could I. I reached out and cupped his chin. Lea sputtered as I brought his face to mine and kissed him. I opened my eyes to meet his stunned silence.

"No, I'm sorry, Lea. I've been afraid. I've known that I loved you all this time, but I was just so scared of what happened before."

His eyes softened. "That's why I never said anything. I didn't want to pressure you."

"I appreciate that, but maybe I needed a little bit of a nudge," I admitted with a shy smile, "If I ask nicely, think we could try that again?"

Lea smiled too, taking a moment to study my face. "Nah, you don't have to ask." He moved a few strands of hair out of my face and tucked them behind my ear. "I'll gladly give you what you want."

Kairi divided the bouquet in her hands, and handed half of the flowers to Lea so that they both had an even amount of every type. Together they tucked both halves into the glass vase on the table next to them. The vase had a chain of pearls and lace wrapped around it; their names were inscribed into its surface. Lea retrieved the red tulip that had been lying on the table. He knelt down with flourish and presented it to her.

She rolled her eyes and took it from him, breathing in its sweet smell. He moved to stand, but Kairi held him down with her hand. After placing the tulip in their vase, she turned to the white box on the table.

With a smirk, she placed it into Lea's hands. He peered at its surface quizzically. "Open it," she commanded, doing her best not to laugh.

Lea carefully lifted the box's top and peered inside. He snorted and couldn't seem to stop himself from throwing his head back and chortling. The sound echoed off the walls and soon Kairi was laughing too.

"R-Really?" he howled, "You got me this!?"

Her smirk widened. "Most people say thank you after receiving a present."

Lea cleared his throat and stood. "Excuse me, you're right. Thank you, Kairi. Thank you for the cactus." He freed the plant from its box and placed it next to the vase. Several red blooms were popping out from its prickly exterior.

The graying minister rose from his seat in the audience and instructed them through the rest of the ceremony. Rings were exchanged. Vows were delivered. And now, the traditional, Radiant Garden sash was being wrapped around the two of them as they held hands. Kairi admired the shimmering, white fabric as the man expertly tucked the end between the palms of their hands.

There was only one thing left to do.

Kairi met Lea's eyes. He looked so sure, so confident, that it gave her strength. Her eyes closed as his face drifted closer. Her heart steadied with the touch of his lips. This was it; Lea was it.

She listened as she was happily pronounced Mrs. Fierro. Kairi might've said something or reacted to the raucous cheers, but she was more than a little preoccupied.

A/N: Thank you SO much for sticking with me and reading this story in its entirety. You are all magnificent beings and I am so grateful for you. Every review/favorite/alert I have received has meant so much to me. I've said it before, but it has been a seriously long time since I posted something and completed a fanfic. So thank you for putting up with my rustiness and life-forced absences. And a serious thank you to the following:

HoPe-BriNgeR1, HelloIamSquiddo, PhoenixDowner, Broncozfan623, Rosewick267, Corrin644, and Guest(s)? There's no way for me to tell if you were one person or multiple people but I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

Going into this, I wanted to experiment with unpopular pairings and character psyches, and I have to say it's been one heck of a ride. If you've glanced at my profile, I think it's obvious that I am a hardcore Sora and Kairi shipper, so this story truly pushed me out of my element. I only intended this to be a short, 20-chapter, round of fun, but as things like this usually go, it became a project that encompassed my waking and sleeping moments. It took so much plotting and planning and often exhausted me, but there were other moments where I simply couldn't stop writing because I was so immersed in the plot I'd concocted. I hope you felt the same reading it and that it also came alive for you.

Some things to note about the story... Let's see. In it's original state, I intended the role of Axel/Lea to be played by Roxas. I'm sure you can see, uh, why I made that change. Roxas doesn't quite have the charm or the personality qualities required for the role. Riku never had a role in the original plot, either! And now I can't imagine this without him in it. In the original, Kairi was also going to succumb and cheat on Sora while he was cheating on her. Sora was always meant to be kinda a scum bag because I wanted to explore a different side of him (I'm so sorry, Sora! I didn't mean it!). It was a whole mess. So I took that and edited and ran with it, I've been working on this damn thing since I was 19? I'm pleased with how it turned out, though, and I hope you are as well.

This plot was crafted from my 'what ifs' mostly. I wanted it to mirror CoM, in the sense that it is a journey of Sora losing himself. What if Nam actually was cruel enough to manipulate Sora into being her slave? What if Kairi was aware of Sora when he was being mislead? What would it take for Kairi to begin to fall for someone else? What if I gave Axel a place to run wild? What if Xion was more sassy and confident than she's portrayed? What if they were older? How could adult themes change their interactions?This was great. I had so much fun!

As always, I'm overjoyed to hear your thoughts. Please feel to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. My next project will be to begin re-writing the, er, messes I posted in my earlier years. I want to craft them into something awesome! But if you want to read some other stuff from me, I recommend How to Eat a Paopu Fruit (it's a total crackfic, but well-written) and some of the one-shots I have on here. The rest is read at your own risk.

Once again, thank you! And can I just say, I am SO EXCITED for KH3?