just reveal your brave face

[destinysembrace]

Who: Kairi and Xion
When: October 9th, afternoon
Where: Back of Kahve
Summary: Girls doing girly stuff like talking about their job, about boys, and about Keyblades.
Warnings: None.

Comments

[mirroredmemory]

Xion had been in the store room doing a stock-take and putting away the newest coffee delivery. When the last beans were stacked neatly on the shelf, and the numbers double checked and put into the ledger, Xion quickly dismantled the boxes the beans and had come in and tucked them under her arm. Her shift was over, the day was winding down a bit, and the last batch of muffins she had baked had needed a little longer than she'd realised so she was running a little behind schedule. Finally she was done, her coat was on, the ledger was locked away and She was ready to head home. She picked up the broken down boxes to take out the recycling and headed out the back door.

The sight that greeted her was unexpected; for one she had said goodbye to Kairi a while ago and thought she was already long gone, and for two...

Kairi seemed to be wielding a Keyblade.

Xion hadn't ever seen the older girl with a Keyblade, and now that she thought about it she hadn't even realised that she could use one. It seemed like Kairi was running drills or

[destinysembrace]

The sudden voice cause the Princess of Heart to fumble with the flowery Keyblade, and she did drop it. To her pleasant surprise though, just before it hit the ground, it appeared back in her hand in a flurry of petals and light. Kairi sighed in relief, free hand over her heart, before it raised to wave at her co worker in greeting.

"Hey! You surprised me there." And with another sigh, Kairi relaxed her shoulders. "Sorry, I guess I didn't realize I was still at it."

Right, the place would have been locked up by now, and she should be heading home herself. She'll have to find somewhere else to train.

[mirroredmemory]

"No it's alright, you just surprised me, that's all."

She put the stack of flattened cardboard into the recycling bin and looked at the Keyblade in Kairi's hand. She'd never seen it before, and gave it an appraising look. It was pretty, really pretty. The colours and the flowers wrapped around it seemed fitting, almost familiar, like sunset and something else she wasn't sure of, something she didn't remember but she knew to be familiar.

The islands.

It was funny, she thought, how even now after she had ceased to exist in their own world and she knew Sora now, had all these memories of her own that she had made and cherished, she could still remember the things she had seen from Sora's memories.
"I didn't know you could use a Keyblade," she said softly. "Are you training?"

[destinysembrace]

Kairi weighted the Keyblade in her hand. It wasn't heavy, like she expected. In fact, it was light to her touch. She always thought weapons, being made out of metal, would be heavy. She couldn't even lug around the wooden swords at the islands as effortlessly as Sora and Riku did. But this felt like it was made for her. She saw Xion eying it as well, and scratched her cheek with a free hand sheepishly.

"To be honest, I just got it back home before I came here. No one seems to know where it came from, but... it hasn't left me and I was able to use it." Kairi still doesn't now how Keyblade wielders are made, or chosen for that matter. At the question, she gives out a nervous laugh.

"I was thinking about it. I never fought before, and I wanted to ask Sora and Riku if they can help me, but they've been really busy lately. Especially Riku. So I thought I'd try to get by myself for a while."

[mirroredmemory]

"I'll spar with you, if you want. I'm not as good as the boys are, but I practice a lot, I think maybe I'm better now. Sora and Ven have taught me a lot."

Roxas never sparred with her, and she never asked him to either. She had frozen up just sparring with Ven once; the idea of turning her Keyblade on Roxas again, even in good faith, tied her up in knots. Never again, never.

She looked at Kairi and her Keyblade and offered her a quick smile.

"But if you don't mind me, I'd be happy to teach you some of the things I know. We could just do some simple stuff, I don't think practicing with magic would be a good idea here."

She held out her hand and called up her Keyblade, fingers closing around the weapon's handle as it materialised in her palm.

[destinysembrace]

Kairi's face brightened up considerably with enthusiasm. Having another girl teach her? That was perfect! Sure, they looked alike, but maybe that's what made it better. It's like having a sister teach her.

"Really? You'll do that? You don't mind--" her next words are cut off when Xion called her own Keyblade, and Kairi paused to stare. Silver blade, crown shaped edges, and a yellow handle. That looked like...

"Hey, that... looks like the Keyblade Sora uses." Kairi bends down a little with her hand on her knees to inspect it closer. "Exactly like it!"

[mirroredmemory]

Xion mentally flinched upon Kairi's recognition as she realised that she hadn't exactly explained herself to the other girl just yet.

"I know." Xion adjusted the grip on her Keyblade, turning it over so that the crown shaped teeth rested upon her upturned palm. "My Keyblade is..."

A copy of his, just like how I'm a copy of him.

That wasn't the right way to come out with it, especially not here where people could hear. She wasn't ashamed of what she was, or who she was, just shy of the idea of people who didn't understand overhearing and getting the wrong idea. Xion looked around her, then brushed her fingers over the metal blade. Yes, her Keyblade was the twin of Sora's, it shared all the same abilities, but at the same time, to her, hers was so much more than just steel and magical power. It was a talisman, the strength of her friendship with Roxas and Axel taking shape in this one Keyblade.

"My Keyblade and Sora's are the same."

[destinysembrace]

"... the same?"

Kairi looked up from inspecting it, tilting her head in confusion. But, people could only wield one Keyblade per wielder, right? Or maybe she didn't understood how Keyblades work fully? She was aware of how Sora lost his ability to wield it when Riku had it briefly in Hollow Bastion.

"Does that mean Sora can't use a Keyblade right now? Or does it work differently? I mean, how can it be the same?"

All this talk made her realize how ignorant she's been to her friend's adventures. Or maybe there were some things they really couldn't explain.

[mirroredmemory]

"No, he can use his and I can use mine at the same time. It's not the same same. We don't share."

She looked at her Keyblade fondly, brushed her thumb over the metal, then met Kairi's eyes. Looking into someone's eyes that were exactly the same as her own was something she had mostly gotten used to, living with Naminé, but it still intrigued her at times.

"Did... did Riku or Sora tell you about me and who I am?"

[destinysembrace]

Kairi lowered her gaze to the floor, staring at her shoes. She remembered her conversation with Sora regarding the people connected to them, and how there might not be a way for them to meet anymore. She really didn't want to think of it that way, especially since she has met so many of them who had been friendly. (With the possible exception of Sora's face clone, Vanitas, of course.)

"No, not really. Sora mentioned he's connected to a lot of people in passing, but I figured anyone can guess that."

She gestures to her and Xion's identical faces.

"There are at least three of us who can pass off as siblings, more in Sora's case. That can't be a coincidence."

[mirroredmemory]

"It's not a coincidence."

Xion tucked her hair behind her ear, wondering how to phrase this and not have it sound worse that it was.

"Sora and me, we're sort of connected too. I know I don't look like him, and you wouldn't think that it was him I'm connected to, but I'm- well. I was the Organization's back-up plan for collecting hearts. They needed a Keyblade, and they made a copy of Sora to do that."

She kept her eyes fixed on her Keyblade, half afraid of what Kairi might think.

"And well... that copy took in some of his memories and that changed how it- I- ended up looking to some people. Not to others, but to the ones who really matter, who see me for what I really am, I look like you."

She looked up and smiled shyly.

"I... I like looking like you. I hope that's okay."

[destinysembrace]

A copy of Sora? Kairi was silent for a while, trying to take it all in. Took some of his memories? ... did that have something to do on why she couldn't remember him before? There were too many questions, and it showed on Kairi's face.

But... Xion seemed okay with explaining the situation. And as she looked back up, the other girl looked as if it was something she truly regretted. But if that was the case, what she said was true, then it wouldn't be her fault. Even her appearance. Kairi let out a deep sigh, smiling and placing her free hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"It's completely fine. I don't mind so much. Maybe now I can go around and tell people I have siblings!"

Kairi grinned, before her smile became more gentle.

"And Xion? You don't have to force yourself to explain if you don't want to. You can tell me any time once you feel more comfortable. Even if you are a copy of Sora though, I'll always think of you as another friend. Because from the sound of it, it's nice like you chose to end up like that."

[mirroredmemory]

Xion laughed at the idea of being called Kairi's sister, but it was a nice idea anyway, and one she didn't disagree with.

"Well, if you wanted to say that we were sisters that would be okay with me. If it's okay with you, that is. I think the only real family I have is Joe; he's sort of my brother. Kind of. But everyone else I care about is my family too, in my heart. That's what I feel."

Kairi's hand on her shoulder was comforting, and Xion smiled. She looked up to the older girl, always had really, ever since they had first met when Xion had newly arrived in the port. The two times that Kairi had gone since then had always made her feel sad, not just for Riku and Sora, but for the lost opportunities that each departure had hailed. She was determined to make the most of things now.

"I'm glad you think like that, because I'd really like to be friends with you too."