The Embrace of Destiny
I sense Light within this girl…
What?
Yes, I'm quite certain she's someone we're supposed to protect …
Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!
One day, when you're in trouble, the Light within you will lead you to the Light of another. Someone to keep you safe …
'The Light of another'? You mean So-
Kairi. Something tells me I didn't run into you by accident …
Kairi's eyes fluttered open, revealing inky blackness. It felt like … like she was surrounded by water, but … she felt … calm. Serene. Like she was in her bed at home. Bubbles floated up from her soft breaths, another sign that she was underwater. But how was she breathing, then? Why was she so calm?
She slowly tipped forward, landing on her feet on the seabed. The redhead looked around her, baffled at her surroundings. Was she dreaming? she took a step forward-
She flinched back at a sudden bright light. Scores of doves emerged from the seabed to fly in a whirling flock around her and then away. She watched, stunned, as the flock faded into the distance. After a few moments, her shock wore off and she looked down.
Only to be caught by another surprise.
Kairi stood on a huge stained-glass surface, glowing with lavender light. The stained glass depicted … her, with her eyes closed, lying on the rim of the circular platform. The edge was dotted by interchanging symbols of paopu fruits and stylized hearts. Before her own image sat images of those she held dear. In the center was Sora, his goofy grin ever present. To Sora's right was Riku, with his cool and collected smirk. And to Sora's left was a beautiful woman with sapphire hair and eyes, a gentle smile gracing her lovely face.
Memories tickled the edge of Kairi's mind at the sight of the woman. Who was she, and why was she so familiar?
So much to do, so little time … Take your time, Princess.
There it was again! That voice! A smooth, soothing, feminine voice. One that was as familiar as the image of the woman in blue.
One door has been shut. But the journey is far from over. So step forward … if you can …
A faint column of light formed above the center of the platform. Station. The word appeared out of nowhere, but it felt right. Kairi, violet eyes narrowed in suspicion, stepped forward and into the light. The column split into three slowly moving apart. Within the three new columns appeared three objects. Weapons.
Power sleeps within you. Give it form … and it will give you strength. Choose wisely.
'Okay,' Kairi thought, just a touch sarcastically. Assuming this was a strange dream, she decided to go along with it. The redhead chose a direction and approached the first tool. Hanging blade-down was a shining sword, a familiar symbol etched into its crossguard. Kairi gently took hold of the handle and removed it from the column of light.
The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?
Kairi thought it over for a few moments before hanging the sword back up. Invincible courage was all well and good, but even fools could have courage. And without wisdom, that "terrible destruction" could do unspeakable things. She had a brief thought of Riku before forcefully brushing it aside. Riku was her friend, and no one was perfect.
Departing from the first column, Kairi approached what looked like a red-and-black shield, emblazoned with that familiar symbol. She reached up with both hands and took it down.
The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?
Protection. Now that seemed a little better. The ability to protect others was the only reason she would want power in the first place. The shield felt heavy in her hands, but not unbearably. It felt like it could repel anything that struck against it. She felt an urge to take it, but something inside told her not to.
Well, it wouldn't be fair to make a decision without investigating the last option.
She hung the shield back up and approached the final column. In the light hung a green staff, capped in blue with the symbol from the previous weapons. A sense of peace seemed to emanate from the rod. The redhead took it down and held it in her hands.
The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Is this the power you seek?
Mystic? As in magic? Kairi's mind flashed to a hazy memory, tinted with pink. A memory from her time hidden within a certain boy's heart. A gloved hand that was not her own reached toward a lanky humanoid dog bearing a shield. With a wave, green light surrounded the weary knight and he rose up, his wounds and weariness gone as if they had never been.
Inner strength … that seemed even better than courage. And magic, she had learned, was adaptable. It could fit any situation, as long as one had the wisdom to use it well. Kairi wrestled with the choice for a second longer, and nodded to herself. The staff disappeared in a flash of light, and she felt something stir within her. Like a candle being lit within her heart.
Your path is set. Now, what will you give up in exchange?
Kairi turned to look at her previous choices. With a firm set in her shoulders, she approached the rightmost column and snatched the sword from the air. Like the staff, it vanished from her grasp.
You have chosen the power of the mystic. You have surrendered the power of the warrior. Is this the form you choose?
Kairi nodded in affirmation, some instinct telling her that speaking would be unneeded.
As if in response to her silent declaration, the station trembled beneath her. Cracks formed in the glass surface and the station shattered beneath her feet, leaving her to plummet into the inky void. A wordless, soundless shriek escaped her as another station emerged from the emptiness, this one glowing sky-blue with an image of Sora, along with Riku, herself, Donald, and Goofy. Kairi crossed her arms in front of her face in fear … and brought them down as she felt herself gently lowered to the station's surface.
In a flash, the staff from before appeared in her hand.
You have gained the power to fight.
From the surface of the station emerged … something she had never seen before. They were vaguely shaped like housecat-sized lions, composed of shimmering iridescent flames. Green orbs of light stood where eyes would be, and a jagged dash in place of the mouth. The … creatures surrounded her, their postures aggressive.
One leapt at her and her arms moved as if with a mind of their own, the staff swinging and striking the creature out of the air to disappear in a burst of glowing platinum mist. Kairi had no time to wonder how she'd done that when two other creatures attacked. And just like before, her body acted faster than her mind, twirling out of the way and striking the creatures' backs.
Spin, strike, cartwheel, duck, strike! Like some kind of violent dance.
The remaining creatures shrunk back into the surface of the station, and the silvery mist seemed to spread across the glassy surface. The mist grew thicker around Kairi's ankles and she abruptly sunk to her knees, soon followed by the rest of her body.
Kairi tried to fight down her panic, the icy terror spreading through her veins. She thrashed in feral terror until she felt a solid surface beneath her. With deep breaths, her heart rate returned to normal, and she opened to eyes to find herself on yet another station.
This one was violet and depicted Riku, armed with the demonic-looking sword she had seen in her fragmented memories and an upraised hand filled with dark flames. Before him resided the images of Sora and herself, as well as a kind-looking mouse, a strong-looking brunette man she didn't recognize, and … Ansem? Kairi shook off that disturbing thought and focused on what was around her.
At the far end of the station appeared a faintly-pink, wrought-iron double-door. Kairi approached the doors and took hold of the handles. She tried to open them, but they stayed firmly shut. She took a step back to consider her next move … and the doors opened themselves, revealing a piercing light. Kairi winced at the brightness, but stepped forward with determination and into the light.
The light soon faded to reveal the Grand Hall of the castle at Hollow Bastion. The carpet was emblazoned with the symbol of the Heartless, the jar-like vessels that held her fellow Princesses carved into the walls. In the distance, up the staircase and beyond a large platform, she could see the heart-shaped vessel of the Final Keyhole.
The one Sora had almost destroyed himself to complete, to save her.
Brushing off the icy pit of guilt in her stomach, as well as the heartache at her best friend's selfless sacrifice, Kairi's attention was drawn by three denizens of the room, all standing calm and serene, as if waiting for her. All of them seemed familiar, as if she knew them without ever having met them.
Hold on. The door won't open just yet. First, you must understand yourself.
Kairi shrugged at the unusual request and approached the nearest girl, one about her own age. She had skin pale as milk, framed by bobbed hair as dark as ebony. Brown eyes filled with innocence sat above a ruby-red mouth. She was dressed in a dress with a high white collar, blue bodice with poofy sleeves, and a yellow skirt.
"What is most important to you?" she asked, her voice high and tinkling like glass. Even with the unexpected question, Kairi hardly paused before answering.
"Friendship," she said clearly. As far as she was concerned, friendship and love were what made life worth living. The girl nodded with a smile.
Kairi moved on to the next woman, this one seemingly in her late-teens. She had strawberry-blonde hair in an up-do, kind blue eyes and lightly-tanned skin. The woman was dressed in an elegant white ball gown that sparkled like diamonds, her hair held back by a matching headband.
"What do you want in life?" the woman asked. At this, Kairi hesitated, thinking her answer over. A few things came to mind and she debated with herself for a few minutes before coming to a conclusion. "To broaden my horizons," she answered quietly. The woman nodded in reply.
Finally, Kairi approached the final girl, this one in her mid-teens. She had shining golden hair that fell in perfect curls, framing a lovely, angular face. Purple eyes, similar to her own, gazed into her soul. She was dressed in a simply cut blue gown, a gold necklace around her throat.
"What is it that you fear?" the blonde asked. Kairi, surprised yet again, thought over her answer carefully. After a few moments, she nodded to herself.
"Indecision," she answered firmly." The woman smiled and nodded to her.
You fear indecision. You want to broaden your horizons. You want friendship.
The day you approach the door to your fate is both far off and very near.
And with that, everything around her faded to whiteness. After a moment, the white faded away to reveal yet another station. This one depicted a girl she did not know, but looked much like her. She had flaxen blonde hair brushed over one shoulder, identical violet eyes, and a sad smile. Her hands were clasped before her and she wore a simple white sundress. Black thorns surrounded the girl, as if trapping her. Images of Sora and Riku were on her right, images of several people she didn't know to her left. All of the strangers, from an almost pink-haired man to a cruel-looking blonde woman, to a green-eyed blonde man wore hollow, sinister grins.
As she studied the image of this mysterious girl, movement caught Kairi's attention. More of those iridescent cat-things emerged from the station's surface, surrounding her. Her staff appeared again, and she adopted a crouching stance that felt both right and somehow wrong.
As the creatures attacked, Kairi once again whirled through her dance of death. Spin, stab, slash, duck, block, counter, cartwheel, slash, uppercut, spin, cartwheel, jump, slash, roll, stab, slash - it all blurred together as her body went through the motions. After several minutes, all of the creatures had faded into that glowing platinum mist.
As she caught her breath, another column of light appeared above her, moving to the far edge of the station. A platform of multicolored glass appeared, quickly followed by more that formed a trail into the distance. With nowhere else to go, Kairi hurried up the mystical ramp.
The path ended on what somehow felt like the final station, this one depicting the blue-haired woman from the beginning. She stood, poised and dignified with a firm-yet-kind expression, a Keyblade held out to her side. She wore a black-and-blue, high-collared halter top and black shorts that all emphasized her ample physique, as well as detached white sleeves and pieces of armor, fingerless gloves, and armored boots. A silver badge hung on straps that crossed over her chest and Light was cupped in her free hand.
The column of light stood in the center of the station and Kairi approached it.
Though your heart is free of Darkness, danger still lurks.
Kairi glanced back to see her shadow stretched behind her. The shadow shimmered and turned white, before emerging from the surface of the station and changing shape. Kairi stepped back in surprise as her shadow metamorphosed into a massive opalescent lion, standing crouched on its haunches and its forelimbs extended and capped with vicious claws. Golden flames surrounded its face in a fearsome mane, its green eyes glaring and its open maw filled with fangs. A heart-shaped hole stood out in the center of its chest.
But do not be afraid. And do not forget ...
Kairi gasped inaudibly and, on instinct, ran away. She stumbled and nearly tipped over the edge of the station, just barely recovering her balance. With nowhere to go, she turned to face the monster towering over her. As her staff appeared in her hand, Kairi's fear turned to determination, and she took her alien-feeling battle stance.
The monster loomed and drew back its fist, slivers of Light whirling around it before it plunged into the station itself. Smaller creatures emerged from the misty void, but Kairi chose to ignore them in favor of the bigger threat. Without thinking, Kairi leapt for the monster's extended arm and ran up to its head. With slashes and strikes far too sure for her meager experience, she attacked the monster's head with reckless abandon. After a few combinations of attacks, the monster straightened up and shook her off; she landed back on the station with a roll.
The monster leaned back and held up its hands, a massive sphere of golden Light forming between them. Her instincts taking over, Kairi hurled her staff end-over-end at the sphere, shattering it and sending the monster reeling. It collapsed at her feet with a great crash that shook the station, but Kairi recovered and darted for its head to repeat her onslaught.
After a handful of moments, the creature shook itself and roared. It rose and slammed its fists upon the station, rocking it and sending Kairi hurtling into the void above. Kairi righted herself in the air and faced the snarling monstrosity. And just like that, the remains of her fear ignited into righteous fury, bolstering her determination.
How dare this thing attack her within her own dream?!
Kairi focused on that fury, the heat of it burning in her gut, and the feeling flowed through her arm and into her staff. The head ignited into marigold flames and she swung her weapon, the flames shooting away and striking the monster in the face. Gravity took back effect, and with a soundless cry, Kairi hurtled toward the monster and struck it across the crown with an air of finality.
As Kairi rolled across the ground from her fall, the monster thrashed in agony, pieces of itself falling like a congealed rainbow. Her staff disappeared and she rolled to the side to avoid her assailant's mindless strikes. Platinum mist formed around the station, drawing Kairi in like quicksand.
But do not be afraid—
Kairi sank further, the mist rapidly eclipsing her body. The monster loomed over her, its features relaxing into … a sort of peace as its essence crumbled.
For you hold the mightiest weapon of all …
Kairi thrashed, trying to free herself, but her efforts were in vain.
So do not forget …
A wordless, soundless shriek ripped from Kairi's throat as the platinum mist finally covered her face, leaving her utterly entrapped.
You are the one who will do what no other has. Kairi …
Kairi slowly rose from the haze of sleep, eyes fluttering open. With stiff joints, she rolled onto her back and sat up, rubbing the grit from her eyes. As the haze faded away, she stiffened and her heart raced, memories of the dream resurfacing as if carved into her mind.
Had it all been a dream? Just one unbelievably vivid dream?
Brushing aside her impossible questions for later, Kairi crawled across her bed and opened the shutters of her window, gazing across the rooftops of Destiny Islands as the sun rose into the sky. Without meaning to, her gaze focused on the distant silhouette of the play island.
The place where the Darkness had begun to consume the world, where she had gone to try and stop it. Even if she'd had no idea what she could do. The place where she had reappeared as the worlds began to reform. The place where she had stood helplessly as Sora's grip in her own became weaker and weaker.
Where he had promised to return to her.
As she remembered that fateful night, countless emotions rose in her chest. They gathered and intensified, rising until she grit her teeth and clenched her fists in an effort to hold it all in. As these feelings reached a crescendo … they faded away into nothingness, leaving her hollow inside.
Kairi had cried herself to sleep for three nights after Sora's promise. And frankly, she was tired of that. She knew Sora, what his promises meant to him; she trusted him without a shred of doubt. He would return; it was silly to think that he could find Riku and return home in the span of a week.
At the thought of Sora, two final emotions rose up in her heart. A wave of sadness threatened to drown her, but the thought of Sora, of his glittering cobalt eyes, his soft chocolate hair, that cheesy grin, brought a tide of happiness to rise against it. The two emotions battled in her heart and, after a handful of moments, she smiled.
No more crying. No more tears. Either she trusted Sora to return or she didn't. And she did, more than anything.
Kairi started at the feeling of something small and wet hitting her wrist. A quick brush of her fingers across her cheekbone confirmed the wetness there. Just like when she had discovered the mural, their mural, in the Secret Place. Where she had discovered just what she meant to him.
Kairi smiled at the memory, eyes watering again before she shook off her sadness. No more tears!
With a final glance at the play island, Kairi dressed and decided to head for the island itself. School started back in two weeks, but that didn't mean much for her. After she had arrived on the island one fateful night and the mayor and his wife had adopted her, they had decided to homeschool her until she caught up enough to join public school. But she had done so well, they had never taken the time to enroll her. Kairi didn't really mind; after all, she had Sora and Riku and the others anyway.
Kairi descended the steps to the main floor of their house to be greeted by an expected silence. A note on the kitchen table told her that May was running errands. Alphonse would be at work at city hall by now.
She grabbed an apple from the the kitchen and locked up the house, heading for the island's small wharf. As she crossed through town, passing people she knew by name or by appearance and waving, her thoughts eventually returned to her dream.
What was that place? So bizarre …
As her mind wandered, a strange sensation seemed to settle over her. It felt … like the firm click of a lock, a faint rumble of thunder. Like something had ... Changed. She stood in place for a few seconds before shaking it off.
What could possibly happen?
Far across Interspace sat a small island of a world, where the great sorcerer Yen Sid watched the heavens from a window in his tower. His eyes, so light as to be colorless, closed in a slow blink as he drew himself away from his stargazing and sat in the high-backed chair at his desk.
Like a handful before him, Yen Sid had the talent to divine wisdom from the stars. The stars, the worlds themselves, saw all, and were willing to impart their experience to those with the gift to Listen.
With this talent, Yen Sid was quite aware of what had happened mere days previously. He knew of the Seeker's attempt to capture the power of Kingdom Hearts, and his destruction therein. He knew of his former apprentice's closing of the Door to Darkness, along with the boy chosen by the Keyblade itself, Sora. And he knew of the sacrifice of the boy Riku, who still struggled with the Darkness.
And above all he knew of the near-unfathomable event that had occurred the night before. His divining had brought to his attention the resonance of an Awakening. From a tiny world filled with Light, he had felt the power of the Keyblade begin to stir. And while the use of Keyblades was unfortunately rare these days, that wasn't what was so odd.
The Keyblade had Awakened within a Princess of Heart. Now that-! Such a thing was unprecedented. Ever since the Keyblade War and the shattering of the X-blade, the Princesses had been sought after by those with malicious ends. The details had been nearly forgotten, but the sense of power around the Seven Pure Lights had never faded away. And while they had been sought, they had never been gathered together. At least until recently.
Thus through the centuries since, the Keyblade Masters had striven to protect the Princesses. Some were aware of the dangers that threatened them, of what made them so special; others remained blissfully ignorant. A small few had even taken it upon themselves to learn to protect themselves, through swordplay or magic.
But none, not one, had been Bequeathed a Keyblade.
And yet, despite the strangeness of the idea, Yen Sid felt the ghost of a smile on his lips. Perhaps this was one of the olden Masters' mistakes. Perhaps, if the Princesses had been taught to protect themselves, the Seeker and the dark fairy would never have collected them to open the Final Keyhole. Or, at the very least, it would have been far more difficult.
Yen Sid drummed his nails against his desk, thoughts shifting through his mind as his eyes bored into the wood. Ten years ago, he had sat in this chair and watched three Keyblade wielders' lives fall apart. All he had given was advice, when perhaps more direct intervention could have spared them from their tragic fates.
He had made a great mistake, and he knew that. He accepted it, and had faith that one day he would have the chance to make it right. Perhaps this was the beginning of his redemption. Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from mistakes. The difference between wisdom and foolishness is not learning from those mistakes.
Yen Sid clapped his palm against the surface of his desk, his mind made up. He stood and moved away from his desk, donning his trademark pointed hat. He stretched out his arms and dove into the energy of magic within himself, waving his hands in motions like a conductor, fingers forming arcane patterns as he wove his powerful enchantment.
Before the sorcerer, a door of wood began to emerge from the air, engraved with waves, palm trees, and star-shaped fruit. As the enchantment finished, the door's edges flashed with white light, the door itself becoming more solid, more real.
Yen Sid gripped the doorknob and turned, the door opening to reveal another world. He saw golden sunlight, heard the call of gulls and the roar of waves on the shore, smelled salt in the untainted air. As the sorcerer passed through the Gateway and closed the door behind him, the door dissolved into sparkling dust, which in turn faded to nothingness.
It was time to take on another apprentice.
What do you all think? I tried to put my own spin on a Dive to the Heart for Kairi, especially with the Stations. How did I do? Don't worry - like the games, this is just a prologue.
A few notes:
*Anyone who has played Birth by Sleep can probably guess who the mysterious "voice" is. She isn't actually speaking, Kairi's subconscious just manifests her voice, linking the woman with strength and wisdom.
*I'm working on the assumption that Kairi was at least partially conscious during her time in Sora's heart, and she remembers bits and pieces. They come to her at random or through her dreams. That will actually play a bigger part later.
*The creatures she fought are not Heartless. Kairi has no Darkness in her heart, so it wouldn't make sense for her heart to manifest them for her to fight. These creatures are not Nobodies, either, but something of my own creation. They'll be explained later.
*The Grand Hall is the part of Hollow Bastion where you fight Ansem-Riku and the Princesses were being held. The questions were asked in the lower part, where the prisons were. For the record, canonically Snow White is fourteen (Kairi's age in KH1), Cinderella is nineteen, and Aurora is sixteen. I chose them because they were the original Princesses, who set the standard for all who came later. Even if the standard has (thankfully) grown much in the last quarter-century.
*Kairi's adopted parents were named after Alphonse Elric and May Chang from "Fullmetal Alchemist". No, they're not the actual characters. I just like the names.
*Yen Sid's "Doors Between Worlds" are based on the Sorcerer's doors/portals in "Once Upon A Time". While Yen Sid hasn't displayed this power in-game, the Kingdom Hearts series' heavy use of door-related metaphors made it too good to resist. Plus, I just think it looks cool!
Special thanks to PhoenixDowner, who edited this chapter. Their story "Dear Sora" was a big inspiration for this. Check it out, their characterization is beyond excellent.