A/N: I have always been a fan of the KH series. In fact, it's why I even got a PS2 in the first place! My favorite pairings throught the series are all over the place ranging from the yaoi perspective to the M/F genre, but no matter what, my favorite pairing will always be the Sora/Kairi and the Roxas/Namine pairing. (Poor Riku…I wish they'd create him a significant other and for the love of God, I don't mean a Nobody or a Heartless significant other, lol. It seriously is a shame, because Riku just got hotter and hotter. Le sigh) This is an A/U and a crossover between (maybe) two or three Final Fantasy games. I played through the Japanese version of the game, so I'm just used to the honorifics (like Kairi-Chan, Sora-Kun or Riku-San (or Kun, depending on who's speaking) so they'll pop up every now and again (Once more, depending on who's speaking) I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!!
Kairi released somewhat of a sigh as she sat on her bed, gazing out of her window. It'd been raining for almost three days straight on their little island and while she loved the rain, now it was just getting depressing. There was almost nothing to do when it rained and all of her friends were busy.
"Kairi-Chan?"
Kairi turned to face her bedroom door and saw her mother standing there with a small, white envelope in her hand.
"Looks like you have a letter."
Kairi crawled off her bed and her mother handed her the letter. Upon reading it, her eyes widened and she looked at her mother who wore a knowing smile.
"I believe it would do you some good to get off this island for a little while anyway. Your cousin has been wanting to see you for a very long time."
"I heard the island where she grew up is so beautiful. What was it called again?" Kairi asked.
"Besaid. I believe it was called Besaid. Nonetheless, she's inviting you up for the summer since Spira is having their annual summer festival. It would do you some good to go. Besides,"
Kairi looked at her mother who wore a slight grin.
"I heard her boyfriend's cousin is around your age and her friends have siblings and family members your age. It'd be good to meet some kids your age."
"Kids?! Mom, I'm sixteen!"
"Stop reminding me. Speaking of, make sure you bring home some stories of all of the cute boys you meet there."
"Okaasaaaan!!" Kairi blushed.
Her mother left and Kairi excitedly prepared herself. She closed her eyes, remembering the one time she visited her cousin. It was a very long, long time ago, when she was four and her cousin was seven. Those thoughts aside, she began packing and wondered what the other kids were like. Were there even boys were her cousin lived? There had to be, but
The next morning, it was thankfully sunny. Kairi gave herself the once over in the mirror; the pleated pink mini skirt reminded her of the blue school one she wore, especially because it went a several inches above her knee. The white, strapless top enhanced her bust slightly, but never obscenely; she was a girl with class, though she was pretty sure her mother would argue that point when she was wearing a skirt that short. After accessorizing with a pink choker and a few silver bracelets, Kairi brushed out her long red hair and placed two white clips in it. She smiled at herself and grabbed her duffle bag. Hurrying down the stairs, she saw her mother standing by the large trunk of her clothes and various things she needed to survive the summer with. Kairi completed her outfit by stepping into a strappy pair of white sandals with a beige platform to them.
"Well, how do I look?"
"Very cute. Do you have your Heart and Soul?"
Kairi pointed to the silver necklace around her neck with the light pink heart-shaped pendent around her neck. It was a special necklace given to Kairi when she was born.
"Okay, let's get you down to the dock."
"The dock?"
"How did you think you were getting there? Or do you plan on swimming?"
Kairi stuck her tongue out sheepishly and scratched the side of her face. It actually never occurred to her how she would get to Besaid. A knock on the door prompted Kairi to answer it and come face-to-face with a gruff looking sailor with huge muscles. Kairi felt all of the color drain from her face.
"Ah, James! Thank you very much!" Her mother smiled.
"No problem. I'll just take Kairi's chest here to the boat. Come on now, lass. We mustn't keep the captain waiting. Got other passengers to take to Besaid too."
"See, Kairi, you'll already have other guests to keep you company."
Kairi nodded nervously and turned to kiss and hug her mother. Kairi and James headed to the small dock where a boat waited for them. The appalled look on Kairi's face suggested that the little dingy wouldn't even be able to hold her weight, much less the weight of her, James and the large chest. James laughed heartily.
"Ah, lass! Don't worry now! This little boat will take us to the larger ship."
"What ship?" Kairi asked, looking around.
"The one anchored out a little ways out. We knew the waves from that boat would cause a small hurricane on this island!" he laughed.
Kairi didn't think the joke was at all funny, but laughed nonetheless. As they hopped in the small rowboat, Kairi prayed to whatever God there was up there to make sure they didn't sink. Ten minutes into the boat ride, James yelled heartily,
"There be the ship, lass! Isn't she grand!"
Kairi's eyes widened at the amazing structure of the boat. It looked to be completely made of wood and the designs carved by hand. It was a very beautiful, long structure that looked as if it could hold over a thousand people! When they were close enough, James helped her climb up the rope ladder before following with her large luggage. Once on the boat, Kairi looked around at the beautiful boat. There were several people on it that regarded her presence kindly. James stood next to her and explained what was what.
"Ye're rooms are downstairs below deck. Nice accommodations they be. Feel free to explore anywhere on the ship you'd like, except the rowing room. That's the deck below the rooms."
"Rowing room?"
Kairi got her answer when she felt the ship jettison forward and nearly lost her balance. James went on to explain that a group of one hundred men rowed the enormous ship and the ores that suck out from the side of the ship were barely visible.
"That's amazing!"
"Aye, if ye think that's amazing, this ship was once attacked by the very scourge of Spira; Sin. Now that I think about it, ye're cousin and her guardians were on the ship when it happened."
"My cousin? Oh, you mean…!"
Before Kairi got a chance to finish her sentence, she felt something lightly tap the back of her ankle. She turned around only to see a large blue and white ball with slight bumps around it. She picked it up and looked at it. A blitzball! Was there a player on deck?
"Hey, over here!"
She looked up and two older boys walking towards her. One had an flurry of orange hair that spiked up slightly and the other had golden blonde hair that spiked out to the side. James put his hands on her shoulders and greeted the two boys.
"Ah, Tidus, Wakka! Coming from the Continental-Blitz?"
"Yeah, I'm sore all over, but I'm ready to go home." Tidus stretched.
"And who's this? Friend of yours?" Wakka asked, looking at Kairi.
James grinned as if he had a secret.
"Tidus, it'd do you very well to get to know her. I bet ye'll be babysitting her from now on."
"Babysitting?!" Tidus and Kairi yelled.
Kairi turned around and huffed.
"I'm almost seventeen!"
"Ah, no offense, lass. Take it easy. At anyrate, Tidus, this be ye're sweetie's younger cousin, Kairi."
Both boys stared at her for a minute and Wakka elbowed Tidus.
"Beauty must run in the family, ya?"
"Cut it out! So, you're really her cousin?" Tidus smiled.
Kairi nodded, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. This was her cousin's boyfriend? He was…he was…he was so hot, it should have been considered a crime! Were there more boys like this in Besaid? She hoped so. Clenching the ball nervously, she bowed her head a little.
"I…I've heard a lot about you!" she stammered.
"Really? I hope it's all been good." He grinned.
That smile. She prayed that she wouldn't go over in a faint. Wakka scratched the back of his head.
"Ehhh…I'm not sure. Good things? About him? You sure you weren't hearing wrong?"
"Hey!"
Kairi giggled and handed the boys back their blitzball. James look at the three and nodded.
"Well, why don't you guys keep her company? Spira's a long way off and this is her first time traveling alone."
"I definitely know the feeling of going to a different world alone." Tidus nodded.
"We'll take good care of her. Kairi, ya?"
"Ya…I mean, yes! That's right." She smiled.
"Okay. I'm Wakka, this here is Tidus. Since you're her cousin all, we'll take good care of ya. You're like family, ya?"
Kairi nodded and smiled. The boys escorted her over to the nose of the ship and began chatting away. When Kairi explained where she came from, Wakka nodded and grinned.
"Ya, Besaid's a little like your Destiny Island. It's a pretty rural place, but everyone's really nice. We'll show you around when you get there. I'll even introduce you to my girl Lu. She's really nice."
"Yeah, especially after she had Vidina. Lulu's still kinda bossy though…" Tidus sighed.
"Hey…!"
"What? You married her, you should know."
Wakka muttered something under his breath. Kairi looked at him with a small smile.
"So, is Lulu-San your wife, Wakka?"
"Yep. And Vidina's my boy!" he grinned proudly.
"Tell me, how does Vidina sound like a boy's name?" Tidus asked him.
"You know you're asking for it, ya?" Wakka glared.
Kairi giggled. These two seemed pretty close. Wakka looked at her and said to Tidus, though the thought was made no one in particular,
"Hey, she's about the same age as her other cousin's kid, ya?"
"Other cousin?"
"Yeah, your cousin's big sister. She lives in Luca with her husband, though." Tidus nodded
"That only reminds me of something else; Kairi, you can sing, ya?"
Kairi nodded, though she could sing, she sometimes thought she wasn't very good, since her audience only consisted of the younger children on the island, but they said they loved her singing.
"Hey, now that you mention it, she is. You said you were sixteen right, Kairin?"
"Kairin? It's Kairi!"
"Kairin's just a little nickname for ya. Chill. Anyway, you're sixteen, right?"
With a grin like that, she thought, he could call her Mud for all she cared. Nodding once more, Wakka grinned.
"Uh-huh. I knew it! Well, she should get along with him then. Tidus, your cousin the same age as Paine's brother, ya?"
"Yeah, they're both eighteen. The only one I can think of being sixteen is Rikku's Kid's sis."
So many people to remember, Kairi though to herself. As she wondered what all these people were like, she couldn't help but ask,
"So, who's Lenne?"
"Your oldest cousin. She's about the same age as Lu. She's nice though."
"But…if she has a son, that means she was…"
Kairi tried doing the math, but something just didn't add up.
"Anyway, Lenne is this amazing singer. She's got a rival in her younger sis, though. She sings like an angel…" Tidus smiled.
Kairi watched the soft look Tidus had in his eyes whenever he spoke of her. She could tell he really loved her.
"So, how did you two meet?"
Wakka and Tidus looked at one another for a minute, both smiling nervously.
"It's kinda of a long story…" Tidus sighed.
"Really long, ya?"
"Well, we've got some time and we don't reach Spira until tomorrow. There's time, right?"
Tidus shrugged and told her to suit herself. For the next few hours, Kairi listened with awe and amazement as Tidus and Wakka retold of how Tidus came to Besaid from Zanarkand and how they did battle with the great behemoth, Sin. They told her about how they were on the very same ship they were on now when Sin attacked it. Wakka even went into detail about all he'd heard about his 'kid sis' when she left Besaid for two years to look for Tidus and saved the world all over again. Tidus even explained how he'd 'died' and come back and how he was happily living with his girlfriend on Besaid Island. By the time they were finished, the moon was in its midnight alliance and they were very tired, but happy to speak of the past once more. Wakka stood up and stretched.
"Man, I'm hittin' the sack. Goodnight, Tidus, night Kairi."
As Wakka headed off below deck, Kairi leaned on the edge of the boat and stared up at the clear sky.
"All these things you've said about her…I can't believe she's such an amazing person."
Tidus looked at her before standing next to her.
"Well, believe it. I mean, it's embarrassing to say still, but I really love her, you know?"
"So what are you doing all the way out here instead of back home in Besaid?"
"Wakka and I were doing the Cross-Continental-Blitz tournament. I've been gone almost a month, so you can bet that I miss her."
Kairi smiled and looked at Tidus; he had the same soft look in his eye.
"You really love her, don't you?"
He turned to her and with a small chuckle, nodded.
"Anyway, let's get some sleep. We'll be in Spira by tomorrow morning."
"Um, you go on. I'll get some sleep in a few."
"You sure?"
She nodded and brushed a strand of red hair out of her face. He smiled and headed below deck. Kairi smiled to herself. There were many different people to meet in this brand new world that seemed so separate from her little island world. Kairi fingered the heart-shaped necklace around her neck out of thought and couldn't help but wonder if any of them were Keyblade masters…
The boat landed in Spira at dawn the neck morning. Kairi dusted off her pink mini-mini skirt, spritzed herself with her favorite perfume and brushed out her hair before exiting her cabin. When she reached the deck, she could see the beautiful, lush island of Besaid that looked ten-times bigger than her own Island! She watched two natives of Besaid take her large chest of items ahead as she stepped off the boat and stretched her arms. A yawning Tidus and an energetic Wakka joined her.
"Ah, good to be home, ya?"
"Yeah, you know it..." Tidus yawned.
"Titus, Wakka…!!"
The three looked up and saw a familiar, perky blonde waving at them from the other side of the beach. Kairi had never seen a more beautiful girl in her life; long, blonde hair braided in various different ways, a yellow mini-mini-mini skirt and a simple yellow bikini top with a long red and orange scarf. She met them halfway and caught her breath for a moment.
"Welcome back, guys!"
"Rikku! How have you been?" Tidus grinned.
"Never better. Things haven't been the same since you guys have left. Wait a second…"
She looked at the young girl dressed in a pleated pink mini skirt and white topless shirt. Rikku couldn't help but smile.
"You're Kairi, aren't you?"
Kairi nodded, excited to finally meet Rikku at last.
"Oh, wow! Remember me? I'm Rikku! Your other cousin!"
Kairi's eyes widened a little bit. Another cousin? Kairi shook her head and said she didn't remember Rikku at all. Rikku only smiled and shrugged.
"That's right, you wouldn't. I think the one time I came to Besaid was right before you came to visit."
"Is Besaid not your hometown?"
"Oh, no, the Bikanel Desert is. That's where most of us Al-Bhed live."
"Al…what?"
"You should know! If you're my cousin too, that means you have a little Al-Bhed in you too."
Kairi looked to Tidus and Wakka for guidance, but Wakka shook his head and shrugged.
"Not necessarily…it all depends on whose side of the family Kairi's mother is from."
"Crid ib! She's an Al-Bhed nonetheless. I can just tell. Kairi, do you like mechanics?"
"Mm-hmm…" Kairi asked, not sure where this was leading.
"GREAT! We're totally related then! Come on! I know everyone's dying to see you."
Rikku took Kairi's hand and the Destiny Island girl could only smile as they walked along the beach for a few more feet before walking through a more jungle forest.
"We have to be careful, there's Fiends on these highroads." Wakka reminded Rikku.
"I can handle a few Fiends."
"I wasn't talking about you, I meant Kairi. They don't have Fiends were you live, ya?"
"What are…Fiends?" Kairi asked nervously.
"See? Anyway, they're just a few ugly creatures. Stand behind us and it's nothing we can't handle."
Fortunately, they had nothing to worry about. Kairi didn't want to see any Fiends while she was in Spira, but unfortunately, Tidus informed her that they were all over the place and he was surprised they hadn't encountered any whatsoever. They reached Besaid Village and Rikku ran ahead.
"She's here! Kairi's here!"
When she saw a lot of the villagers waving at her and staring at her, Kairi took a step backwards only to be steadied by Wakka.
"It's no problem. I promise, everyone's pretty nice."
"R…really?" she stammered.
Kairi looked up and saw someone coming out of the temple with Rikku. This girl was dressed in a pair of tight, blue, short-shorts with what looked like a frilly half-skirt attached to one side of her shorts. A white top with a red hood covered her chest except for the middle of the top where a familiar symbol rested between her breasts. Kairi glanced at Tidus and recognized it as the same one he wore on his necklace, on his shirt and the small piercing in his ear. She had short, brown hair that fanned out, save for a long, tightly wrapped braid that resembled a lion's tail flowing all the way down to the floor. For a moment, Kairi watched her relace up her knee-high black boots and then hurry over to them.
"Kairi-Imoto-Chan!"
Tears filled Kairi's eyes as she ran towards her.
"Yuna-Oneechan!"
The two girls hugged one another tightly.
"You've grown up so much! How old are you now?"
"I'll be seventeen in two months." Kairi said, smiling up at her cousin.
"Wonderful! I'm just so glad you made it here safely…"
It was then she noticed Tidus and Wakka heading towards them. Kairi smiled when she saw the lovestruck look in Yuna's eyes. Kairi smiled and giggled.
"He watched over me very well. Well, what are you waiting for? You're man's home!"
Yuna nodded and Kairi watched as she hurried over to Tidus. He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around Yuna's slender waist, picking her up and spinning her around once as he embraced her.
"Welcome home!" Yuna said tearfully.
Kairi watched the display of affection between the two. She noticed how Yuna blushed when he gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Kairi was still reeling from how her twenty-three-year-old cousin had changed. Kairi had come to the Besaid and at that point, Yuna was wearing formal and modest robes. Now she was showing more skin than anything. One thing that never changed about Yuna, though, was her warm personality. Yuna walked back over to Kairi, her hand in Tidus's. Releasing his hand for a moment she smiled and placed one hand over the other.
"I know it's an old, dated tradition of bowing this way, but Kairi-Chan,"
Everyone in sight of the two bowed in a way Kairi had never seen before. Kairi looked around when a few of the villagers and even Tidus bowed to her. Raising her head, Yuna smiled.
"Welcome to Spira."
Translations:
Okaasan (Japanese): Mother
Crid ib (Al-Bhed): "Shut up!"
Imoto: (Japanese): Little sister (Can be used as a term of endearment when referring to your actual little sister or someone you see as your little sister)
Oneechan (Japanese): Old sister-(Informal, sort of like saying 'Sissy' or 'big sis'. Can also be used as a term of endearment when referring to your actual older sister or someone you see as your older sister)
San: (Japanese): Honorific meaning 'Mr.' or 'Miss'
Kun: (Japanese) Another honorific usually attached to the end of boys' names, also used to show the friendship or level of relationship between two guys.
Chan (Japanese) A honorific attached to the end of names (mostly girls) a term of endearment or sometimes an indication of closeness between two people.