So uh, this is my baby right now. My favorite thing, as of this moment, though it'll change like…tomorrow, probably. I'm just happy that it turned out the way it did and that it didn't take a year to write. It was hard and it was easy at the same time, hah, but still. I'm really happy.

Thanks to my beta, who is eloquent and amazing, and hope you guys enjoy.

Life inside the music box ain't easy

The malots that hit the gears are always turning

And everyone inside the mechanism

Is yearning to get out.

-Music Box, by Regina Spektor

At eighteen, Sora believed he could finally rest. They'd been home for the better part of a year and a half, content to try and regain some kind of a semblance of the life they had once had, before the Keyblades, the castles, the Heartless. Riku had been skittish and distant at first, but nearly a year later he was sitting on the tree beside Kairi, their fingers loosely intertwined while Sora stood before them, leaning against the tree they were sitting on. He tilted his head back and grinned up at them. "It's perfect." In the comforting blanket of warmth, the sound and smell of the ocean, they both could not help but agree.

--

Panting for a breath Kairi scrambled up the hill past Tidus and Wakka playing blitzball, ignoring Selphie calling her name, to where she could see the glint of bright silver hair by their tree. The conversation the two teens had been having cut off abruptly, Sora's eyes wide as he reached out to touch her shoulder and ask what was wrong only to find a bottle shoved in his face. For a brief moment, he was sure his heart stopped. The King's seal usually meant one thing and he didn't want anything to do with it. Against his will he found his hand reaching out and taking the bottle from his friend, popping the cork off and sliding his fingers under the seal.

"What's it say?" Kairi asked, her voice still breathy as she leaned on his shoulder to see the letter. Still silent, Riku did the same on Sora's other side, their eyes all scanning over the careful, flowing script. "Oh no."

Sora,

First and foremost, I'm sorry that the way we are finally contacting you needs to be with such grave news; I feel as if I should come right out and say it and simply get to the point. King Mickey, as of a few days ago, has passed away. Please, if you could come to the castle, many things will be explained to you. In two days time, Donald and Goofy will be coming to pick you up; the Princess Kairi may also accompany if you so desire.

-Queen Minnie

Sora was still staring hard at the letter when he felt Riku slowly back up. In a second, the letter was on the ground and Sora was staring up at the taller teen, his face stern. "You're coming, too."

"You read the letter, Sora, it's addressed to you an-"

"You," Sora annunciated clearly and precisely, "are coming. With us. I don't care what you say, but you are. We're not just going to leave you behind, Riku."

Kairi nodded, reaching out and taking one of his hands. "We promised, remember?"

Riku nodded quietly, vaguely touched at how the friendship between them had instantly overridden a death, even one as important as the King's. "Alright."

--

Packing in secret proved to be harder than Sora thought as he stuffed the last shirt into his bag, glancing around his room for anything else that he might need. It had been decided early that they would not waste time on having a longer conversation with their parents about this; a note would have to do or else they would never be allowed out of their rooms.

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs didn't register with him right away as he bent down and tried to find one of his shoes that were under his bed. The sound of the door opening did and he shot up, eyes wide and holding one shoe behind his back.

"…You…you're packing. Why are you packing?" his mother asked quietly, her eyes sweeping over his half-empty room. "Sora, what's going on? Why are you packing all of your clothes up? Your shoes…"

Mouth working but no sound coming out, Sora floundered for a response, his fingers tightening their grasp on his boots. When she saw the note sitting on his shelf he couldn't stop her from going to pick it up; he could only jam his shoe into the bag and bite his lip as he tried to figure out what to do. "Mom- I-"

"You're leaving," she said weakly, the note fluttering to the ground like a dead bird. Sora's stomach rolled at the tears that were shining in his mother's eyes but he curled his hand around the straps to one of his bags anyway. "You wouldn't even tell us that you- you were just leaving? Again?"

"Mom, I don't have a choice, I have a duty. And I know I didn't explain everything; I can't and neither can the other two, no matter how much you may want us to. I'm…I'm really sorry." He took a few steps forward hesitantly hugging his mother loosely and couldn't help but notice how much taller he was now; had it really been that long since he'd noticed? "We'll try to come back."

His mother was clinging tightly to him as if she thought that holding him would make him stay but it only forced him to gently pry her fingers away and back away as much as possible. "I'm really sorry, I wish I didn't have to go." And he really, really didn't because he was happy here, happy with the calm life on the islands, happy with the life that meant there would be no fighting other than the spar and roughhousing with the other boys on the beach. He would be leaving all of that behind and he really didn't want to but there was a duty he had and he wouldn't let them down. "'Bye," he finally managed, because nothing else seemed appropriate. There would be no, 'I'll be back, I promise!' Because none of them knew if they would be coming back or not.

The older woman tried to grab him, choking out a shaky version of his name, but he only slid away and fled down the stairs, wishing he was deaf so he could ignore the crying he heard so clearly. His father was dozing off on the couch, obviously not aware his wife was in tears upstairs, though he woke up slightly at the thunder of feet coming down the stairs. "Sora? You going out?"

Sora froze for half a second, swallowing hard and then bolting, calling out a, "Sorry!"

His bags were heavy, but he had expected no less from the amount of things he had packed, unsure about how long they would be staying. Years of running and fighting had kept him in shape and this coupled with his ability to quick run left him standing on the beach where Kairi was already waiting, sitting on one of her own bags, shading her eyes from the falling sun. "My parents- my mom," he panted, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting them to be right there. "They caught me; they might try to tell yours or Riku's."

Kairi's eyes widened as she turned her attention to the narrow path through the bushes to the beach, relieved when she saw Riku coming at the exact time Sora breathed a sigh of relief. "I can see the ship."

The ship hovered over the ocean for a moment, Riku coming to stand behind Sora as they all shielded their eyes against the flurry of sand that stirred when the brightly colored ship landed, four pronged legs coming out to cushion its landing. The moment the doors opened and the two occupants stepped out, Sora bolted forward to hug the knight and the court magician as tightly as he could, laughing quietly when Donald protested half-heartedly and Goofy ruffled his hair.

"We need go soon," Donald said after he had separated himself from the brunet. A moment later when he caught sight of Kairi, he bowed and Goofy followed a little clumsily, obviously not used to walking in near-slippery sand. Instead of any sort of formal greeting as he had given the other two, the duck's eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the tall teen with bright silver hair. "We only have room for two."

All glanced to the overly-large gummi ship. Goofy raised a hand to protest, but Sora was already there stepping quickly in-between the duck and Riku, his eyes oddly hard. "There's plenty of room, Donald, and I know it. I've been on this ship- helped build them," he said, his voice quiet but heard by all perfectly. "We made a promise to never again leave each other behind and I'm not going to abandon that just because you have a problem with him. It's all or nothing."

Donald ruffled his feathers and made a displeased noise, but turned to the side and gestured for them to get into the gummi ship. It didn't take long for them to get settled; both Riku and Kairi took the back part of the ship, the former slouched in one of the empty chairs, his feet propped up on a small gummi block. Kairi kicked her sandals off and propped her feet up on his legs, grinning at him as if nothing was wrong, like they weren't leaving their homes once more. Meeting warm lilac eyes, Riku found a hesitant smile curling his own lips, more so when Sora finished talking to the two animals and the engines rumbled with life.

Dragging a hand through his messy hair, Sora jumped when he felt two small hands wrap around one of his belts, pulling him a few feet to where Kairi was sitting. "Happy faces," she said mock-sternly, laughing quietly when Sora sighed heavily and flopped carefully onto her lap, making sure to keep most of his actual weight off her. Dropping a casual kiss down on her lips, he sprawled a little more over top of her, sighing loudly. "Oof, Sora, you big oaf, go sit on Riku!"

"Kairi, that's just…" Sora brushed away a fake tear and stood up with a huff, making his way over to where Riku sat. Shrugging at the suggestion, Riku held out a hand and smiled when Sora sat sideways on his lap and wrapped his arms around the older teen's neck. "She's right," the aqua-eyed boy teased, his voice low. "You're getting heavy, maybe you should-"

"Stop moving around so much back there!" Donald squawked, glaring back at the three teens. "You're going to make me crash the ship!"

Sora peeked his head out around the corner, the warm weight of one of Riku's hands coming to rest on his hip to keep him from falling. "You're the best gummi ship driver around here, Donald, I know we won't crash."

The muffled rustle of feathers and smug noise made Kairi roll her eyes and Sora smile innocently, relaxing against Riku. The redhead girl shifted in her seat a little bit, leaning against one of the walls as she tried to doze off in hopes of sleeping until they got to the castle. Riku was still and quiet, Sora content to trail his fingers gently across his neck and play with the zipper on the white and yellow vest. "Ri," Sora began softly, resting his head on Riku's shoulder so no one else could hear the conversation. "Are you okay?"

There. The question that they had all avoided up until this point. It was well known that he and the King had been through so much together, the latter of which saving Riku from the darkness' hold multiple times. "It's hard to think that he's dead, you know?" Riku said, his voice just as quiet. Both of his hands looped around Sora's waist, fingers intertwining to rest on one of the brunet's hips. "I can't… He helped me so much and…"

Sora nodded, wishing there was something, anything that he could do to make things better, but even he couldn't reverse time or death. "I'm sorry."

Riku didn't respond instantly; instead he pressed his lips to Sora's temple and found himself whispering, "Sora… he died because the darkness ate at his heart. Who's to say that the same thing won't-"

"I won't let it," Sora hissed, tilting his head up and digging his fingers into Riku's shoulder, his eyes flashing. "Riku, I won't. I won't, I won't, I won't, I wo-."

Lips pressed gently onto his, halting the furious rush of words. "I won't, Riku."

Silently Riku nodded again, not willing to say that it was entirely possible and no amount of protesting would change anything.

--

The moment they had begun to dock, Sora had gotten off of Riku's lap and headed to the front of the ship, watching as it slowly floated into the small inlet specifically made for it. Cracking his back when he stretched, Sora pressed the button that opened the cabin door, grabbing Kairi's bags along with one of his and taking them out before she could protest. Donald and Goofy followed her, the former snorting dryly when the princess used her bag to hit Sora for carrying her things when she was perfectly able to do so herself.

Distantly, Donald realized that he was happier than he had first thought; the two brought a much-needed sense of brightness to the shadow of grief that had fallen over the castle. The last one, however… Donald scowled, blatantly ignoring the dark Keyblade master. It didn't matter if their King and Sora had trusted him; there was always the fact that he had tried to kill all of them and it would take more than a few offhand affirmations that he wouldn't turn on them in an instant.

It was nightfall at Disney Castle, the only lights coming from the brightly lit torches reflecting off the polished white of the entire castle; even Chip and Dale didn't seem to be out this late. Entering the castle, all were quiet until a regally dressed rabbit approached, scanning over them with a quick move, his nose twitching. "I assume these are the guests?" he asked, his voice just as stiff and proper as the rest of him seemed to be.

"Ahyuck, this is Sora, Kairi, and Riku," Goofy said, smiling back at all of them.

The rabbit's eyes widened at the mention of two familiar names, abruptly bowing down and then straightening as he adjusted the suit-top he wore. "Forgive me, Keyblade Master, Princess," he said, his voice oddly humble. "I had not realized who you were. You are most welcome here." His eyes slid from the two to the oddly quiet teen and instantly the name registered. "And your…guest, as well."

Uncomfortable, Sora offered a tentative smile and nodded, not quite used to the respect that seemed to generate whenever he walked around now that everyone knew what his name meant. "Thank you," he returned, hoping his voice didn't show how utterly tired and just how unsure he was about what to say in return.

"It's getting late," Donald said, crossing his wings. "Maybe you could show them to their rooms and we can explain everything later."

"Of course." The rabbit bowed again, turning around and then pausing. "But, I was aware of only two visitors coming, I can have a room in the lower hall prepared for-"

"It's fine, you don't have to worry about it, Riku can room with me," Sora interceded quickly, ignoring the startled looks he got from some. The lower hall was most likely just what it sounded like and the last thing he needed was for Riku to have to deal with that kind of attitude, not when he didn't deserve it. "It's easier, for everyone."

The rabbit looked vaguely uncomfortable but unwilling to argue; he settled for nodding and gesturing for them to follow. Quiet goodnights were thrown back and forth from four of them, Riku nodding to the two animals and feeling slightly better when Goofy gave him a smile and a wave- he ignored the scowl and glare Donald sent him. None of them could hold back the sense of relief that came when the two side-by-side rooms were shown to them, along with the private baths that connected to both rooms. With a final vaguely disapproving look, the rabbit informed them that at eight in the morning they would meet in the main room for breakfast and explanations with Queen Minnie.

Kairi said goodnight to both boys, accepting a hug and kiss from Sora and catching Riku by the wrist before he could follow the other boy. Startled blue-green eyes met her own. "Riku, you need to believe us when we say that we won't leave you, okay?" She pulled him close and hugged him gently, relieved when it only took a split second for him to return the gesture. "We promised."

It was kind of funny, he mused, content to take in the light, flowery scent she had. It had only taken a few words and he felt like this might be okay, as long as he had them. Riku nodded, squeezing her one final time and then pulling back with that shadow of a smile she had grown used to seeing. "See you in the morning," he said quietly, pausing once more before they were in their rooms fully. "And Kai? Thanks." When the redhead girl flashed him a pleased look he ducked into his and Sora's room, unable to push aside the nagging doubt that something would go wrong here in the castle of white walls and full of people who he had wronged.

Sora had thrown his bag into one of the corners and was already exploring the extravagant room, taking note of the extra door that lay in the wall between their room and Kairi's own. Turning the handle a little, he found it locked- something he probably should have expected. The brunet snorted quietly, summoning the Keyblade in an instant and aiming it at the keyhole, turning it just so and hearing the lock click open. Opening the door, he peeked into Kairi's room and grinned wryly at her when she stared at him. "Keyblade," he said sheepishly, turning the now unlocked doorknob a few times for emphasis. "Sorry."

"Oh, right. Let me get changed and I'll be in, in a moment." Kairi moved over to the bed, setting out the clothes she had brought along and organizing them quickly. "Think they're worried about my womanly virtue?"

Sora snorted quietly, closing the door a little so she would have some privacy while she changed.

In the other room, he glanced at the bags and at the bed, deciding that the unpacking could wait until morning when he didn't feel so exhausted. Kicking off his shoes, he pulled his over shirt over his head and began working on the belts on his pants, leaving him in socks, his boxers and a plain white undershirt. Kairi entered a moment later wearing one of Riku's shirts and simple shorts, closing the door halfway behind her and heading to the bed where Sora had already sprawled out with one arm thrown over his eyes. "You're taking up the whole bed," Kairi pointed out dryly, poking him in the side. Making a muffled noise of realization, Sora moved to the middle of the bed, feeling the mattress dip down as Kairi joined him.

Riku glanced over to the bed and then turned his eyes out the window, trying to ignore the nasty voices that were pointing out all the things that could and probably would go wrong. Refusing to think of it anymore at that time, he walked over to where Sora and Kairi were already curled in the sheets, half-asleep with exhaustion. It took only a moment for Riku to shed his unnecessary clothing and slip into bed with the other two, draping an arm over Sora's slender waist and sighing when the warm body curled close to him. Slim fingers slid up and intertwined with his- Kairi's- and at least for a little while, he was comfortable.

--

Minnie didn't look anything like the cheerful mouse queen that Sora had first met when he'd helped save the castle. This Minnie was quiet and composed considering what happened, wearing not her fluffy pink and white dress but a simple black and white lace one. The four of them had only picked at their breakfast until Minnie suddenly sighed and drew her eyes up to the bright blue ones of Sora. "I have a request to make of you, Sora." She glanced at the other two. "All of you, actually."

"As you know, Mickey was king of this castle as well as being a Keyblade Master which also had a set of responsibilities. He helped keep peace and order in multiple worlds, fighting the Darkness until the time where he and Riku became locked in Kingdom Hearts. His heart was something that the Heartless themselves were thirsting for and instead of being able to get it, they simply infected him in a way. The Darkness eventually just ate away at him enough to the point where he was too weak to go on." Minnie paused, her fingers fumbling for a tissue to wipe her eyes. "He never got a chance to tell you the…well, the sort of guidelines or precedents that have been passed down since anyone could remember. You're so young, all of you."

"We're supposed to take his place," Sora whispered, his fingers clenching his napkin tightly. "Or at least I am. I'm the first Keyblade master and it's my duty to keep it safe, isn't it." It wasn't a question; he knew where this conversation was headed and already knew what his answer would be. It was in that moment that he realized he would have to break the promise he had always spoke so much about- Riku and Kairi would have to return to the Islands, they deserved the life that they had all tried to have and keep. He wouldn't allow himself to take that away from them.

"You don't need to answer me now, Sora," Minnie assured, straightening her shoulders in an attempt to regain control of herself. "I know it's a tough-"

Before he could try to talk himself out of it, he spoke. "I'll do it. I've already got all of my stuff here; I'll stay. I want a ride home for-"

"For who?" Kairi and Riku asked at the same time, both staring at their friend as if he'd lost his mind. "You don't honestly think we'll let you just leave us, or leave you behind. It's all or nothing, Sora, remember?"

Sora swallowed hard. Part of him was glad that he would have company because he was human and he liked to be selfish every once in a while. Another part of him wished there was a way to convince them to leave; they wouldn't be happy here in the castle where they had to dress up and grow older even quicker. They belonged on the beach, playing games and going to sleepovers, not sitting in meetings and trying to fight for their lives all over again.

--

Life in the castle after two weeks and Mickey's funeral had grown somewhat normal. In the mornings, Sora would go with someone, either to train, to learn proper etiquette, or something equally boring. After that, he would go to lunch with his friends who had done something else that day and then it was back to work.

At night he would arrive to either Riku in his room with Kairi, or both in the redhead's room. One particular night Sora trudged to his room kicking off his shoes into the corner and instantly curling up on the bed next to where Kairi was sitting with her back against the headboard and her legs stretched out. Riku was sitting next to her, thumbing through his own book and glancing over at hers every once in a while when she laughed. The moment Sora walked in and curled up on the bed without a word, the book Kairi had been reading was dropped on the ground as she wrapped her arms around the brunet teen carefully, combing her fingers through his hair as she tried to figure out what was wrong. Riku had put his own book on the small dresser, his face just as questioning as Kairi's was. He leaned over and brushed his fingertips across Sora's cheek, watching Kairi continue her soothing movements of brushing her fingers through the brunet's hair.

"Sora? Sora, what happened?" Kairi asked, her concern obvious. The strain of this entire setup must have gotten to him, she figured, and the stubborn idiot wouldn't tell them anything; he always grinned and told them that everything was fine. Evidently it wasn't.

"Apparently, it's bad news to hear that there's a teen taking over the place of Mickey, even if he's the Keyblade master. Rumors have been going around the worlds that their lives are in the control of a teen in foolish puppy-dog love, or under a spell, with Maleficent's last knight. They think that he's holding Kairi prisoner beneath my nose and manipulating the both of us." Sora growled a curse under his breath and snuggled closer to the two, their warmth comforting. "There'll be an official coronation to finalize it, in five weeks. Delegates from almost every world will be sent to judge us-me and gods above; I'm not ready for this." He drew in a deep breath, surprised when he felt the bed shift as Riku got off of it though it was only to walk around it and go to the other side and sit down so he was between them. "What do they expect me to do about this? Donald and Goofy are even acting like they're worried about this 'cause they know that everyone is just waiting for me to fail, waiting for me to make a mistake and…"

"Sora, you don't need to worry, okay?" Kairi assured, making him meet her eyes. The nervous and uncertain look in his eyes made her sigh heavily and try to think about what she was going to say to try and convince him, or at the very least assure him that everything was going to turn out alright. "Everything is going to be fine; you're the Keyblade's chosen one. It wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't strong enough, remember? You have the strongest heart out of all of us, you're the original one and we're here to help you with whatever you end up doing."

"She's right," Riku added confidently, his voice a low murmur of reassurance. As Sora laid there, the comforting feel and smell of his two closest friends all around him, he tried to keep his mind away from the worst case-scenario which was quickly turning into the most possible one.

--

The coronation was probably going to take all day, he was informed. It would begin with the guests all coming in and those who would be staying for the night would be shown their rooms. The invitations had been sent out to all of the worlds, so there was no way of knowing exactly who was or who wasn't going to show up so almost every one of the rooms was prepared.

There had been the long process of being fitted for new clothes; no matter how much Sora had thought that his normal clothes would do, he was informed that if he were to become royalty then he was to dress like it. Kairi and Riku, Minnie had said with a small smile, would be suffering the same fate. That had earned her a little laugh from the brunet teen, though he instantly quieted when the mouse fitting his clothes poked him in the side and told him to stop moving.

Riku and Kairi were in similar rooms, the former standing still and straight, his face perfectly blank as the quiet rabbit-seamstress he had been assigned worked quickly. Obviously she had been informed of who he was as well from the shy and ginger way she adjusted his clothes, her voice quiet and never meeting his eyes. Somehow, he found he wasn't able to get angry with her; he'd expected it, because he knew about his reputation and exactly what his name meant to all of the other worlds. She wasn't as rude as some of the other people here had been, which was a small blessing, but all the same he found that he wished there was something he could do to prove he wasn't going to suddenly attack them all.

Kairi yelped as a needle poked her in the thigh, laughing quietly when the slender cat squeaked and apologized profusely, staring down at the ground. "It's okay, really," the redhead assured, placing a hand on the cat's shoulder and smiling warmly. "It looks like it'll be a lovely dress."

The seamstress's bright gold eyes widened and then a smile found its way to her face as she continued stitching a line of silvery thread to tie together the silver and purple silk. "I hope the princess finds this to her liking?" She inquired softly.

"Oh, no." Kairi shook her head and then froze when she realized what that must have sounded like. "Oh! No, I mean, it looks lovely, but don't call me princess. I hate how everyone does that, it's just Kairi. But the dress does look amazing."

The cat nodded, offering a slightly warmer and more confident smile at the girl's words. "Kairi, then?"

Nodding, the girl stretched her arms up when prompted and smiled at the ceiling, thinking that things might turn out okay after all.

--

Mouth dry, Sora examined Riku carefully, lingering on how the clothes fit him perfectly and hugged every inch of his body. The dark colors suited him perfectly, the contrast from his fair skin and silver hair to the dark colors of his clothes making him seem that much more handsome. "Gods, Riku, you look…" He stepped forward, reaching out to smooth his hands over Riku's chest, slipping down to hold slender hips. "Yeah. You look amazing."

A quiet laugh escaped the older teen as he hugged Sora to him, resting his chin on top of spiky hair. "So do you. The blue suits you." Riku sighed heavily and nuzzled into brown locks. Content to stay there for a long moment, he wondered if he should say anything about what had been circulating around the castle. Chances were that Sora already knew about it, but there was the question of if he didn't, what would happen when the brunet found out. Sighing again for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, he realized that if Sora found out in a roundabout way from someone else, he would be more irritated that Riku hadn't told him in the first place. "They've given me a new nickname, you know."

The quiet, almost resigned tone to his friend's voice made Sora blink and try to pull away a little to see Riku's face. "Oh really?"

"Yeah." Riku stroked his fingers up and down Sora's back, listening to the soft, pleased noise that escaped the shorter teen. "I'm your dark knight. Kairi is your princess and I've been dubbed your dark knight."

Stiffening slightly at the quiet, resentful tone, Sora struggled a little more and placed both of his hands on Riku's cheeks making them face each other. "Riku." He shook his head, meeting Riku's moody blue-green eyes. "Don't listen to them. Don't listen to any of them, okay? They aren't the ones who are making the decisions- it's my choice to keep you here and-"

Riku's eyes narrowed at the implied meaning that he didn't have a choice of if he stayed or went. "Don't get too comfortable with your position as King, Sora," he bit out angrily, making to move back. The last thing he needed was for Sora to think that he controlled if they were there or not. It had been a promise but Sora didn't have a right to act as if he were king over the two of them as well, not when they were friends.

Sora looked startled for a moment, mentally running over what he had just said and then shaking his head quickly. "No, Riku, that's not what I mean by that; I'm sorry, I should have…" he trailed off. "I know I'm not your master or anything. I was trying to say that they aren't the ones whose opinions about my friends matter. Dark knight, Keyblade master, castle clown, whatever, you're still my best friend and you will always be, no matter what some pompous, no-name royalty tries to say."

Still silent, Riku tried to calm or at the very least, slow down his chaotic thoughts enough to function without getting a headache. He'd always admired that Sora could see only the good in people and that he figured there was a bright side to everything, but at this point he couldn't help but look at the boy as naïve.

--

Just as expected, there were hundreds of people milling about, offering condolences to the queen and congratulations along with that, to Sora himself. He'd tried his best to meet with at least every group of people scattered about the great hall; he didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't at least make an appearance- someone might take offense to that and it was one more headache he really didn't need. Kairi had trailed around with him for the first few minutes before going off with a group of girls her own age, all clothed in similar fancy clothes and practically dripping with shiny jewelry.

Riku had followed him just as carefully, every inch the knight he had been dubbed, as he scanned the crowds and kept an eye on Sora while keeping to the least populated areas. There were cautious glances and whispered conversations about him, but he had expected it already so he simply was content to watch as the brunet talked with people, smiling, nodding and generally being as amicable as possible.

A few moments later, Sora moved onto another group of people, starting up yet another conversation that seemed to be going well enough.

Riku took a few more steps, glancing about the room until he found Kairi nodding and smiling politely at something the other girls were laughing about, some of them holding half-full glasses of one of the drinks, others sprawled in some of the chairs. Turning his attention back to his other friend, he blinked when he noticed the forced smile on Sora's face, along with the careful blankness of his expressive blue eyes. About to make his way forward and see what was wrong, he was stopped by a quick shake of Sora's head, just enough to let him know Sora didn't want him to interfere just yet- if at all.

"But the rumors, Sora," a tall man with brown hair vaguely streaked with gray said. While almost every other person Sora had encountered had spoke to him with some form of respect, be it "Master Sora" or "Keyblade Master", this man had been blunt and frank, almost mocking in the friendly way he instantly addressed Sora. "You're so very…young. And while the King's passing is sudden and a great loss, I hardly, no, excuse me. Do you believe that you are fully…capable, of taking over such a high position? Regardless of if you've saved the worlds or not, at heart you are still just a child. A child, who, if the rumors do not deceive me, is consorting with a perhaps…less than desirable company."

Inwardly bristling at the implications, Sora willed himself to keep at least a tight smile on his lips and a civil tone to his voice. "I assure you, sir, that I understand that I've been given a great responsibility." He let his gaze linger on each person around him to be sure he was understood. "The Magician Donald, the Knight Goofy, and her majesty Queen Minnie all support me. I also have the benefit of two other friends whose opinions, just like the previous others, I trust wholeheartedly."

The man smiled thinly, tipping his head at that. "Quite a lovely answer, but you seem to have evaded my previous question." He turned his head briefly, eyes sweeping over the lanky, silver-haired teen. "Maybe I should put it another way. Some of the rumors that have been floating about are…less than desirable, I suppose one might say."

A short, stout woman with fat jewels on every one of her fingers spoke up, now. "Correct me if I am wrong, but is he not the same one who aided the witch Maleficent in her attempt to gain control of Kingdom Hearts?"

"Forgive me, madam, but please remember that this was in the past and the circumstances were a little more difficult than anyone might imagine. We were all very young and I trust Riku with every inch of my being; I trust him with my life."

"Admirable, but foolish I think." Another man spoke up, leaning against one of the tables and swirling his drink around indulgently.

"Still, Sora, you have yet to address my question. Is it true that you are having relations with the knight? A former traitor, at that? And what of your princess, does she know of thes-"

Sora's jaw was clenched, his entire body tight with tension as he willed himself to not say anything he would later regret. "Sir, I hardly think that my relationship with Kairi or Riku is anything fit for conversation." He offered a slight bow to all of them. "If you all will excuse me, I have more people to speak with. Thank you for your time."

As quickly as he could without seeming as if he were running, Sora made his way through the crowd, grateful to get lost in the mass of people. The balcony was mercifully empty as he passed a table and grabbed a glass of simple juice, making his way to the cold air and closing his eyes. Could he really do this? Could he stand all the questioning and veiled smiles? Could-

"Sora?"

Jumping slightly, Sora turned around and then relaxed when he found it was just Riku and Kairi standing there, both of them looking anxious. "Hey," he greeted lamely, accepting the warm hug from the redhead and smiling when Riku took the glass of juice and set it on the railing so Sora wouldn't drop it. "How are you two holding up?"

"Half of the girls think that the three of us 'engage in sexual activities' every night, and the other half spent the time giggling over one of you two, asking embarrassing questions and cooing at how lucky I am to know you." Kairi drew back and brushed slender fingers through her curled hair. "I didn't realize our personal lives were so interesting."

Riku was still silent, his eyes knowing as he watched Sora drag his hands through his hair and make a strangled noise of annoyance. "It's almost time for your crowning, you know, and then it's mostly over."

Kairi nodded, standing up on the tip of her toes and pressing a gentle kiss to Sora's lips. "He's right, Sora, it's almost over. I'm going to get back inside; my feet are freezing out here."

Glancing around and seeing no one was there, Sora reached out and lifted a bit of Kairi's skirt to reveal her feet- no shoes. Giggling quietly, she smacked him and tried to look offended that he had ruined her womanly virtue. "You're going to catch a cold out here if you stay any longer," Sora pointed out, gesturing to her bare shoulders. "We'll meet you inside in a few minutes."

The redhead nodded, making her way back to the bright lights of the party, pausing at the door and glancing back to the two boys, catching sight of Sora arching his back slightly, his hands tangled in Riku's silver hair. When a quiet moan met her ears and she caught a hint of tongue between the two, she turned around and headed back to the party after making sure that no one was near or heading toward the balcony.

--

Sora was tense though it was just barely noticeable- those in the crowd wouldn't have noticed, but being only a foot away from the teen, Riku was acutely aware of it. The moment the crown was placed on his head and the Keyblade was summoned with the dimly glowing golden charm, Sora turned and faced the crowd of nameless, faceless people and forced a smile on his lips, distantly aware of the cheer that went up around them.

Nearly a half hour later, Sora was sliding in through the door into his bedroom where Kairi and Riku already were. Neither one looked too happy and the brunet found he couldn't blame either of them; it had been too long of a night. "Are you two okay?" He asked, taking the crown off of his head and tossing it onto the bed without a second thought.

"They were like harpies." Kairi sighed, picking her legs up and curling them under her. "I was just the little island girl who happened to dress like royalty, you know? I'm just tagging along with you two, sleeping behind your backs maybe."

Feeling inexplicably bitter, Riku picked up the crown and toyed with it absently, hearing Sora struggle out of his new clothes and muttering oaths under his breath. Kairi was sitting in one of the plush chairs in the corner, her hands folded daintily in her lap and wearing her worry as if it were another layer of clothes. Shirtless, Sora turned around and tried to take the crown from Riku, startled when the older boy pulled back, his eyes unreadable. "Ri, what are you doing?"

Glancing from the crown, to Sora's bright blue eyes, and then to his own black clothes, he laughed quietly, hoping that the almost desperate little gasp at the end wasn't noticeable. His eyes flashed from his own clothes to Kairi's then and he sighed heavily, smiling at Sora in a way that had nothing to do with happiness, only holding an almost mocking tilt to his lips. "Here, your majesty," Riku murmured, placing the crown on Sora's head, not bothering to nudge it to its proper position when it fell crooked. "Your dark knight bids you and your lady a good night."

Sora drew in a startled breath, reaching out as if to stop the older boy, only to clench his outstretched hand into a ball and let it fall back to his side. Kairi stood up in a rustle of silk, unsure which teen to go to, her bottom lip drawn in-between her teeth. "Riku- Riku, wait!" Kairi looked back at the brunet teen and scrambled after Riku, her bare feet slapping quietly against the polished marble.

'Your majesty.' His mind played those two words over and over in his mind, each time coming from a different person that he had met that night, though none held the loathing and the anger that Riku's words had held. Perhaps, this was the fate of the Keyblade master, he thought with a choked out noise of anger. "Bastard," he choked out, unsure of if he was talking to himself or to Riku. Jaw still clenched, Sora reached up and grabbed the crown in his hand, throwing it against the wall as hard as he could. A moment later he was falling to his knees, hating how he felt like he was about to cry as everything fell apart around him.

...and start to feel mortality surround me
I close my eyes and think that I have found me
But life inside the music box ain't easy
The malots hit the gears are always turning
And every one inside the mechanism
Is yearning to get out
Is yearning to get out
Is yearning to get out.

-End-

Sup, angst? Sup, 15 pages? Still don't own.

I'm really, really happy with the way this came out. It was a spur of the moment thing and it makes me just ecstatic that it turned out the way it did. Hopefully, you guys liked it; drop me a line if you did, or even if you didn't:)