Kairi's Tale: Prologue – A Prelude to Darkness

(Scene Start: Kairi stands at the base of the Mysterious Tower, practicing with her keyblade against Goofy as Donald Duck watches from the steps while Master Yen Sid and Master Mickey Mouse supervise from a window near the top of the tower)

Kairi swung Destiny's Embrace and hit Goofy's shield, bouncing off it harmlessly. She stepped to her right and swung, similar results. She tried to jump to the left and swung in again, only for Goofy to block her once more.

Goofy laughed, "Ahyuck, Kairi ya gota be faster than that."

Donald interjected, "Goofy, that's not fair, she's just started!"

Goofy wriggled his nose, "I know Donald I was just—"

Kairi snuck to the side and swung softly, tapping her keyblade against Goofy's shoulder, "Got you Goofy!"

Donald laughed, "Goofy! You got to be faster than that!"

Goofy gave Donald a dry look before joining the laughter, "Ahyuck, maybe I do."

(Up above…)

Mickey contained a smile and looked up to Yen Sid, "So, what do ya think?"

Yen Sid closed his eyes for a moment, "She will be slow to start with the keyblade, physical strength is not her forte."

He opened his eyes and gazed down at Mickey, "But as a princess of heart, I fully expect her magic, predominately her powers of light, to become formidable. I hold no doubts that should she master her training, she will become far greater a wielder than I was."

Mickey rubbed the back of his head and gazed back down at Kairi, "Gosh, you truly think so?"

Yen Sid walked away from the window and sat down at his chair, "I do, now, let us settle the matter at hand before you leave and I descend to take over for Donald and Goofy."

Mickey nodded solemnly, "Soras disappeared, and Riku has to."

Yen Sid shook his head, "Riku has not gone missing, he has merely been sent out on a task."

Mickey's ears perked up, "A task? What kinda task?"

Yen Sid breathed in slowly before exhaling out, "I have sent him to understand the world's fate should we fail to stop Xehanort."

Mickey gave him a confused look, "I don't understand."

Yen Sid crossed his hands in-front of him on the desk, "I have sent him to the Keyblade Graveyard, to see the results of the Keyblade War firsthand."

Mickey paled, remembering the first time he seen the crossroads of that world, the countless keyblades, and countless tragedies, "Oh…"

Yen Sid shook his head, "Mickey, our time grows short, Sora will return when he is ready, we must be ready to act and guide him when he does. It is time to begin…"

Mickey locked his gaze with Yen Sid, "You mean…"

Yen Sid nodded, "It's time to find Master Aqua, we need both her and Sora in order to find Ventus."

Mickey asked, "What about Terra?"

Yen Sid said nothing for a moment, "I do not know…"

(Down below…)

Kairi held her keyblade out in front of her, concentrating, "Fire!"

A small puff of fire blew out from her keyblade, splashing against a barrier Donald had created. It wasn't nearly as powerful as Donald's, but for her first time actually casting the spell, it wasn't half bad.

Donald nodded and lazily put up another barrier, "Good Kairi, now try again, this time give it more energy."

Kairi nodded and concentrated hard, ignoring an ill feeling that was starting to form in her gut, "FIRE!"

An explosion rocketed out from her keyblade, shattering Donald's barrier and knocking the duck off his feet, "Yeeoooooww!"

Kairi gasped and rushed over, "Donald! I'm so sorry!"

Donald's eyes rolled around for a few moments before regaining his focus, "Wow Kairi, that sure was something."

Goofy laughed, "Ayhuck, it sure was, Sora wasn't able to cast Fira for awhile after we first met him!"

Kairi tilted her head, "Ra?"

Donald smoothed out his feathers and started to rise to his feet, "That's true Goofy, we should slow down, if she's more natural with magic maybe we should focus on her weaknesses firs…t?"

Donald frowned and looked over Kairi's shoulder, "Who's that?"

Kairi turned to see a tall man with silver hair and yellow eyes approaching. He wore an odd outfit, a black high-collared shirt with red straps that made an X over his chest. He had a distinct kind of tan pants. She could have sworn she had seen or read about them before, were they Hakamas? Connecting the shirt and pants was a large belt. Along the man's arm were pieces of armor with a glove covering his hand.

Something didn't feel right, causing Kairi to take a step backwards, staying behind Donald and Goofy, "Who are you?"

The man held out a hand, palm outwards, towards them. In a puff of darkness, a keyblade appeared in his hand, grey and black with a single eye similar to the one on Riku's keyblade near the top of the blade and at its handle.

The man gave a war cry and surged forward towards Kairi. Goofy reacted instantly, managing to shield Kairi in time. The man smashed aside Goofy, sending him flying against the tower. Donald gave a cry and started to cast a spell. The man would not have it, he extended his free hand towards Donald and sent him flying with a blast of darkness.

Kairi stood riveted in place by shock and fear, her keyblade held meekly before her. The man smiled cruelly at her and showed no mercy. He smashed her keyblade out of her hand and swung again, smashing his blade into her shoulder and knocking her against the tower wall.

Kairi let out a horrific sob and crumpled to the ground. She winced as she felt for her shoulder, it had gone completely numb. She could feel something wet, was she bleeding? She tried to rise to her feet, only to let out a scream and crash back down to the ground as the man unleashed a blast of darkness against her.

"STOP!"

Mickey Mouse leapt down from top of the tower and swung at the keyblade wielder. The man blocked him and dove to the side as Mickey flipped through the air and landed on the ground.

Mickey knew this could be only one person, "Xehanort!"

Xehanort smirked, "Somewhat."

He surged forward and swung with a brutal barrage of blows, chaining one dark ars solum after another back to back. Mickey could only go on the defensive, wincing painfully with every block. The man's brute strength was immense, the blows rocketed throughout the mouse's arms, and the darkness seeping from the keyblade began to sap his strength.

Xehanort laughed, "Be gone pest!"

With one brutal swing of his keyblade, Mickey was sent flying against a nearby tree, unconscious. Xehanort held his gaze over the mouse for a moment before glancing up at the top of the tower and passing through the doors.

(Up above)

Yen Sid sat at his desk, unmoving as Xenahort defeated those below. He had not known Terra's fate, nor had he anticipated the horror that had befallen the man. He understood that he was not strong enough to best Xehanort and expel him from Terra's body, he had long since left his prime. It gave him pain to even think of trying to stand against one of his fallen friend Master Eraqus' pupils, possessed by Xehanort or not.

He looked up as Xehanort opened the door and stepped inside the room, saying nothing. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Xehanort grinned, closed the door behind him, and hefted his keyblade, approaching the retired master with fatal intent.

(Down Below)

Kairi crawled towards Mickey weakly, "M…m…mickey… a… are you… al…right?"

The mouse let out a small fitful moan but did not reply. Kairi let out a sob of relief at seeing that he was still alive. Her relief died as she felt a sharp pain spike through her heart. She glanced at the top of the tower, knowing what had just happened. Tears rolled down her eyes as she felt Master Yen Sid perish.

Mere minutes later Xehanort left the tower, pausing his gaze on Kairi as he stood in the doorway, murmuring to himself, "Training a princess of heart as a wielder…"

Xehenort said nothing for a few minutes before his eyes glistened, as if some idea had just manifested in his mind, "What a fascinating decision."

Kairi winced as the man picked her up by her throat and opened a corridor of darkness, "Wh…ere… are you… taking me?"

Xehanort grinned and thought for a moment before opening a second corridor next to the first, "I am taking you nowhere, but that does not mean I am not sending you somewhere, somewhere far away dear princess of heart, somewhere away from the guidance and protection of your friends."

Xehanort hefted Kairi and threw her into the second portal, "To the farthest world I have walked is where you will find yourself!"

Kairi let out a yelp as Xehanort threw her through the second portal. He grinned as the portal closed and started walking towards his own portal.

He murmured to himself as he entered the portal, "A princess of heart fully trained as a wielder could be dangerous; however, a princess of heart clumsily self-trained as a wielder could prove useful. Follow in your friends footsteps, struggle through your journey, and when you finally return to your home, you will find me there waiting."