I would've had this chapter sooner, but well, we got a new kitten. I'm the one on kitten duty as she stays where I'm sleeping. So, depending on how hyper she is, my computer keyboard is compromised.

But whatever. This chapter is gonna be… fun.

BTW, Happy SOKAI WEEK!

Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

My OCs © to me!

Other OCs © to their respective owners.

Chapter 19: Fault Lines

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

Little Kairi struggled as the silver-haired man dragged her though dark hallways. She kicked and scratched, even tried to bite him once or twice.

The man's grip only tightened on her arm.

Kairi winced but kept on fighting back.

Her head whipped around as they entered a room with a strange machine surrounded by pods. The pod before a console lay open.

He pulled Kairi along, toward the pod.

"I hope you perform well, child."

Perform? What? What was going on!?

He scooped the flailing girl up before dropping her in the pod. She slammed into the back, knocking the wind from her lungs. The pod slowly closed on her. Kairi sat up, pounding on the pod as he pressed a button and turned away.

"Farewell, Princess."

Kairi screamed as the world around her turned white.

"Kairi… Kairi!"

Kairi blinked through the white haze before her vision cleared. She found herself inside the pod with Xehanort's back to her. He wasn't moving.

"Kairi!" Chirithy hopped onto the pod lid. "Come out of there!" His little paws reached through the pod, pulling Kairi up and out of the pod.

Kairi gasped. "H-how!?"

"This is a dream."

Kairi looked down at herself, seeing herself as a small child, and back in the pod, she saw herself in the pod.

"This is weird."

The two floated down to the floor, Kairi now standing just taller than the little dream eater in her five-year-old state. Shadow and Bubbles appeared shortly after, looking so much bigger from her new perspective.

"What's going on?"

"You're having a nightmare. We Spirits can devour nightmares, but this is a memory. If we were to devour it, we might take the memory away." Chirithy tottered away. "We're going to help you remember."

Kairi followed, her hand on Bubble's head. "But, isn't the memory over?"

"Trust me."

They walked back down the hall. Things began to flicker around them. Kairi saw herself being dragged by Xehanort. As she stopped walking, the images froze.

She saw herself trying to bite the man's hand.

"So when we walk…"

"We're walking back into the memory, basically rewinding it like a movie."

Kairi jogged toward the dream eater as they entered a large room. Images flickered before their eyes.

"Who are they…?"

She saw a man with red hair like her own and with green eyes. Pacing back and forth about the room, Kairi watched as the man tried to take Kairi from Xehanort, only to get punched by Aeleus.

Backing the dream up a little, Kairi saw Dilan standing nearby, standing over a kneeling older woman, his spear planted in the ground in front of the older woman. Kairi knew her. "That's my grandmother…"

"And the other two?"

She looked again at the red-haired man. At this moment in the memory, Aeleus held the man's arms behind him, trying to hold him back as best he could.

Braig held back a young woman with flaxen blonde hair and blue eyes; she looked like Naminé. The woman appeared to be screaming.

"They look familiar… If that's my grandmother, then they're probably my parents." She turned, following the gaze of her family to where she could see herself as Xehanort dragged her away.

Kairi walked to the memory version of herself. "Why?" She choked out. "Why did her do this? What did we do to him?"

"Listen," Chirithy jumped onto a desk, reading a piece of paper under his feet, "this is what Xehanort wrote: 'Opening the door to a world's heart causes its walls to crumble. These fragments are seen as shooting stars. This explains why these "gummi blocks" can travel freely to other worlds. I know the catalyst of this collapse- the appearance of the Heartless. However, it will take time to search out the worlds' doors and to retrieve each heart. Furthermore, the doors can be locked using a Keyblade, making the heart forever unattainable. I must take action before the wielder of the key appears in this world. If the princesses and the Keyblade are connected, they should resonate. I've chosen a girl. I don't know if she holds the princesses' powers, but I will find out. She will lead me to the key bearer. I shall set her free and observe.'(1)"

"What…?"

"Xehanort used you to find the Keyblade. You and your family didn't do anything. It was all him. He used you."

She jogged to the images of her parents. Her hand tingled as she touched the image of her enraged father. She could clearly see his clenched teeth and the tears in his eyes. He looked furious and afraid.

Her mother… Kairi felt her heart break at the teary eyes and terrified expression.

"I don't remember them… I don't remember their names, anything about them. What happened to them? What did he do to them!?"

"I don't know. You don't hold that memory. Maybe, you can connect with them since we're close to the doors to death and see the full event." The dream began flickering. "You're waking up. We'll talk when you're awake."

Kairi took one last look at her parent's faces before they disappeared.

Her eyes fluttered open to the image of Shadow flapping above her face, trilling softly.

"Chirithy…" The girl sat up to Bubble's squeaks and saw Chirithy sitting on the bed. "Was that really my memory?"

"Yes. Do you remember the dream?"

"Yes."

Chirithy laid his paw on her hand. "I'm sorry." He looked up as her hand began to shake. "Kairi?"

"My fault… Sora's death was my fault, and what happened to my parents was my fault."

"It wasn't yo-"

"IT WAS!" She laid her face in her hands. "You read the note! Xehanort came for me! He came for me! They didn't do anything!" She sobbed, her shoulders shaking. The dream eaters left her in silence for a bit, letting her express her emotions. "Chirithy… can you send a message across dreams?"

"Huh?"

The girl wrapped her arms around herself. "Can you send a message to Riku or someone through dreams?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I want to know who my parents are. I want to know their names. Their jobs. What happened to them."

Chirithy looked over at Shadow. "He can. He's Riku's dream eater. I can make a message for him to take to Riku. I'll send the message for you. Think you'll be alright?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kairi swung her legs out from under the sheets. "I'll be fine. Just send the message."

"Are you sure…?"

"I will be fine." She went and got dressed, trying her hardest to push the images from the dream out of her mind just to get through the day.

"Put them over there. Kairi, bring that crate here."

Kairi shoved the small crate across the floor. Lucky drafted her, Aegis, Yozora, and Magia to load supplies into the giant airship. Manual labor was nice and all, but it gave her plenty of time to think about her dream, which she didn't want to do.

And the boys weren't talking much, which didn't help.

"Hey you guys." Cid strode inside. "How are you this morning?"

"Ok."

"Ah, looks like my new parts are all in. gotta keep this ship in tip-top shape. Right Ai?"

Aiko followed him in. "That's right." She grabbed a crate with her metal arm and began dragging another crate over. "So, Kairi, I heard you had a run in with the Yakuza."

"Yeah…"

"It was a trip." Lucky huffed. "And they have a magic user too."

Aegis raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since they did."

Kairi sat down on top of a crate. "Do you think the LLE and Yakuza will cause problems together?"

"You mean work together?" Magia shook his head. "The Yakuza aren't really into violent crimes. Most of the time they keep peace in a way. So, if anything, they would be helping us and taking down the LLE on their own."

Cid huffed. "They're bad news. We put up with them because they keep the streets clear of violent crime, but they are big into other kinds of crime, some I detest more than crimes like theft(2)."

Aiko cleared her throat. "Speaking of the LLE, Yozora, I am very proud of that call you made regarding them. Instead of attacking, doing surveillance. Very good call."

"Thanks."

"Yozora's a chip off the old block." Cid grinned. "He'll be a great king one day, as well as a good husband and father." He clapped the prince on the back. "Now, I know you're not happy about this whole marriage thing, but who knows. Maybe you'll find a woman; I know you're not happy about it, but maybe keep an open mind."

Kairi, trying to block out her own feelings, spoke quietly. "Maybe you'll make a friend out of this."

Yozora's head snapped toward her. "Seriously!?"

Oh boy.

"You of all people." The prince glared at her as he stomped toward her. "Look, these girls want nothing to do with me other than marry me, so making friends with them is worthless. Are you like the rest of them!? I know my father asked you to marry me. So, are you like the others, just wanting to marry me, after you understand how I cared about the maiden!?"

"Do you think I asked to marry you!? Your dad approached me! I told him no! All I'm saying is that you might want to just be a little friendly and make a friend or two."

"I don't care about them! I don't care about this whole situation! They don't understand how hard it is to get over someone whom you killed, but you wouldn't know anything about that either."

"Really!? I'm the reason Sora is dead!"

"But you didn't have to point a weapon at him and pull the trigger yourself. I did!"

"So what! I'm still the reason he's gone, and I just found out my parents are dead because of me too! So stop pretending like your problems are worse than mine! Because guess what, they aren't!"

"Just shut up!"

Yozora whipped out his sword, lunging at her.

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, blocking the attack.

His sword met hers, sending sparks flying. A small piece of metal hit Kairi's cheek.

Her Keyblade!

She could see chips of the blade falling off as cracks deepened.

"That's enough!"

Two sets of arms grabbed Kairi's, pulling her away as Aegis and Cid grabbed Yozora's arms. Aiko stepped between them, eyes darting between the two. "What has gotten into you two? Cid, take Yozora and have a chat with him. Aegis, Magia, continue helping Lucky." The general walked over, grabbing one of Kairi's arms. "You're coming with me."

"Huh?"

"Come on." Aiko pulled Kairi out of the ship. "We need to have a chat."

"Any reason we needed to come out here and have a chat?"

Aiko sipped a cup of tea. "What? Would you rather have a chat inside the base? I wanted you out of that environment to cool your head. Now drink your tea."

Kairi glanced around the small café that had… "Why a cat café?"

"Cats are nice. That's why." She sipped her tea.

Kairi drank her own tea, studying the general. "Oh, I never noticed that locket."

"This old thing?"

"Yeah," the girl studied the golden heart that hung around the woman's neck, "it doesn't really fit your… terrifying general look."

Aiko laughed. "That it doesn't." She gently removed it, holding it in her hand. "It was a gift. Solid gold you know. Not cheap… it's very special."

Splash!

"Oh no!" A little girl with black hair, maybe about ten, gasped as her cup spilled all over the ladies' table. "I'm so sorry!"

Kairi and Aiko stood up before the liquid dripped into their laps. "Be more careful." Kairi chided.

"I'll clean it up." The girl reached for a napkin, but Aiko beat her to it.

"No worries. It's just a little spill. We can handle it."

The girl clasped the general's hands. "Thank you so much!" With that, she skittered off.

"Well, lets clean this u-" Aiko opened her hand. "My locket!?"

Kairi gasped, glancing after the little girl. "She's gone!"

"That little thief!" She turned to the waitress. "Put this on my tab!" Her face burned as she charged out of the café, followed by Kairi.

Kairi switched the Keyblade to Hippocratic Oath. "Which way?"

"This way! I can see her!" Aiko stormed down the street. People cleared for the small but intimidating woman as she ran.

The little girl, not too far down the road, heard the commotion and ducked into an alley. Kairi and Aiko followed into the dead-end alley.

"Kairi, stay here and block the exit. She's not getting away." Kairi nodded, setting up a barrier spell with her Keyblade. "Kid, I am General Aiko. Come out right now!"

Nothing.

Still nothing.

But then the lid of a dumpster slowly opened. The little girl peeked out, her eyes wet with tears. "I-I'm sorry. Please don't take me to prison…"

"That'll depend. Get out here."

The girl climbed out, holding the locket out. "I-I'm sorry. I heard you say it was solid gold. So, I took it."

Snatching back the locket, the general fastened it back around her neck. "Name?"

"Tsubame Sunrise(3)."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven."

"How does an eleven-year-old girl come to steal a locket from a general?"

"I need it. Mother and Father said I needed to get money or… or they'd get rid of me."

Aiko's expression shifted. "They what!? Where do you live? What are your parent's names?" The child didn't answer. "Tsubame," Aiko knelt down, looking the girl in the eyes, "I can't help you if you don't tell me."

"Yuki and Gekkai(4). We live in the Doma apartment complex in Ueno."

Aiko put a finger to her ear. "Stella, contact the police. Have them go to the Doma apartments in Ueno. Tell them to collect Yuki and Gekkai Sunrise, and let me know when they've done so. I have some questions for them… thanks." Her gaze softened on the child. "Come on. There's a temple of Shiva nearby. The clerics will take care of you."

She took the girl's hand as Kairi took down the shield. Kairi watched the little girl's face lighten as they walked. Tsubame seemed relieved, and she kept that expression the entire time as they walked down to the temple, and it disappeared through the temple doors with Tsubame as she left with the clerics.

"She'll be safe there. The temples keep those in need sheltered. And I'll know where the kid is."

"You were so gentle when you found out the truth."

"I have a soft place for children." She touched the locket again. "My father looked after me and told me to look after little ones."

"Did he give you that locket?"

"Yes." She popped it open; Kairi could vaguely see a small photo of a man. "This was his gift to me on my sixteenth birthday. He died a month later, fighting remnants of the last great evil." She sat on a bench, patting the seat next to her until Kairi sat down. "You said something earlier, during your argument with Yozora, about your parents."

Kairi nodded. "Last night, I had a dream… well, it was more like a repressed memory. I have amnesia, and I've been trying to work and recover those memories." She shuddered. "Last night, I saw a memory of me being taken from my parents. I could see their faces… they were so afraid. But, I don't know what happened to them. The only thing I know is that they were taken from their homes like I was, because of me. Those people were after me, and they had to get through my family. Their fates… their fates are on me."

"Kairi," Aiko laid her hand on Kairi's shoulder, "that's not true. The people who hurt your family are at fault. Tell me, how old were you in this memory?"

"Five."

"Five…" She sighed.

"I can't even mourn them properly. I just remembered their faces last night. I don't know their names, or anything about them. I can't remember…"

Aiko pulled Kairi into a hug. "Kairi, no matter what happened, it wasn't your fault. And, they're not truly gone." She pulled back, holding the girl's shoulders. "They live in you, even if they are gone from this world. My father told me, right before he died, that parents live on inside their children. They are a part of you. You are their legacy, and they live on in what you do and who you are. I hope they're alive, Kairi, I really do. But, if they aren't… remember they're inside you. In your heart, they live."

"General…" Kairi bit her lip as tears pricked at her eyes.

"Aiko. Just call me Aiko, Kairi."

Kairi sobbed as she was pulled into another hug.

A warm hug.

Like the hug of a mother.

"Kairi!" Stella grabbed her hands as the girl returned from dinner that evening. "General Aiko left you something!"

She did?

Kairi walked to her bedroom door, looking down at the small box lying beside it. On top lay a note. She picked it up. "Dear Kairi, let me know if you learn anything new, or just need someone to talk to. I like to consider myself the 'Army Mom' so don't be a stranger if you need help. This is a gift for you. Now, normally I'd say to put a picture of someone inside it, maybe of that boyfriend of yours that you're doing all this for, but in this case, I want you to use it to make a B.A. Keyblade. -Aiko".

Opening the box, the girl found a locket just like the one Aiko wore, hanging from a golden chain.

"Keyblade time!" Stella cheered! "And Z told me how we can hook dresspheres to it! We can do it in the morning!"

"Sure… thanks, Stella."

Stepping into her room, Kairi switched out the keychain again.

The Keyblade changed into a large weapon with a black handle with silver metal as the guard. The thick shaft, glowing an electric blue, seemed to pulse with power and energy, a drastic opposite to the simple three metal spikes that made up the blade.

"Golden Heart." Kairi smiled as she ran her hand along the blade. She could feel it. This weapon was powerful, just like the general. "Thanks, Aiko."

Squeak!

Riku looked up. Again, he found himself in that city in his dreams. But this time, a bright bat came fluttering toward him, a note clasped in his talons.

"Hey, buddy." He smiled as the bat landed on his shoulder. "I thought you went to where Kairi is." The bat trilled as it dropped the letter into Riku's hands.

A letter?

Kairi?

His fingers trembled as they tore open the letter, reading out the words.

"Riku, I hope you get this. Shadow should be able to reach you… Kairi asked me to send this. She's been recovering her memories of her past and wants to know if the people in Radiant Garden knew anything about her parents. Please send a reply back with Shadow. -Chirithy"

Not from Kairi, but it was something.

Riku focused, waiting until a pen and paper appeared in his hands. This was a dream… his dream. He wrote a letter back.

"Dear Kairi, Next time, I'd like to hear from you. I've been worried, we all have. I'll ask about your parents for you. How are you? What's going on? Are you close to finding Sora? Please tell me. Oh, and Ansem the Wise thinks we can use the datascape to not only bring you and Sora home, but we might be able to use it to see what you see, so we know what's going on and when to bring you home. I know it is an invasion of privacy, but would you be alright if we did that? If you say no, we won't. But, at least we now have a way to communicate with each other. Kairi, I miss you. Be safe. -Riku"

He folded up the letter and handed it back to Shadow. "She calls you Shadow, huh? Do you like that name?" Shadow trilled happily. "Shadow it is then. Get this to Kairi, quickly."

The bat trilled once more before nuzzling Riku's face and flying off into the city…

Riku awoke, blinking as he remembered the dream in full.

"If she sent a message, then she's probably alright…" Swinging his legs out over the bed, he pulled out his gummi phone, not caring if he looked like death warmed over, as he usually did early in the mornings.

Ienzo picked up nearly right away. "Riku? Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, Kairi just contacted me in my dreams. I asked her about the datascape thing, and I'll tell you when she answers."

"Really!? That's great!"

"Also, Kairi's apparently begun to remember her past. She wants to know if you guys know anything about her parents."

Ienzo's smile dropped immediately. "Her parents… um, well. I'll… I'll look into that and get back to you. Alright?"

"Alright." Riku rubbed his eyes before shutting off the phone and laying down again. His eyes begged to close once more.

And he obliged.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Footnotes:

(1) This is Ansem Report 11 from KH1.

(2) The Yakuza are known for trafficking drugs and people.

(3) She's a shinobi from Final Fantasy 14.

(4) These are names of other FF14 characters that are also related to the ninja discipline.

VAs:

Tsubame Sunrise- Lindsay Seidel (Tsubame, Ruka Urushibara, Nejire Hado, Reba)