I've been looking forward to this chapter!

I hope you enjoy it!

Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

Kaimu, Clover, and all my OCs © to me!

Other OCs © to their respective owners!

Chapter 21: A Sea of Clovers

Riku strode into the computer room as Isa chatted with the rest of the group. "I have word from Kairi!"

"Oh, really?"

"She gave us permission to check in on her as long as a girl is in the room and clears it first."

Ienzo nodded. "I will have Aerith come here and help us." He stepped offscreen for a moment."

"Also," Riku continued, "she asked if you guys had any information on her family."

At that, everyone in Radiant Garden went silent.

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Do you know something?"

Silence.

"You do know something." Jiminy pushed up his hat, face wrought with seriousness. "You just don't want to tell us… or you don't want to tell Kairi."

Ansem the Wise stepped into view, letting out a deep sigh. "We do know something. And yes, we didn't want to say anything."

Even rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We had a hand in their fates, some of us a direct hand in it back when Xehanort called the shots."

"I don't remember this." Isa tapped his chin.

"You and Lea were with Ienzo. You were children at the time," Dilan spoke softly, "when it came to the worst stuff, we kept you three away from it. Giving up our own hearts was one thing, but we didn't let you three see some of the worst things…"

Ienzo cocked his head. "I suspected as much."

"I have to relay this info." Riku sat down, pulling up a pen and paper. "Tell me what happened."

Even wrung his hands slowly before he began typing. "Their names were Kaimu," a picture of a man with red hair and deep green eyes popped onto the screen, "and Clover Utada." A young woman with curly blonde hair and indigo eyes appeared beside him on the screen. "They lived with Kaimu's mother, who was known to most as Widow Hikaru(1)."

Kaimu, the captain of Radiant High's soccer team walked down the streets of Radiant Garden after dark, arm-in-arm with the young science prodigy, Clover.

Away from prying eyes, in a garden which may or may not have been off limits, the two kissed and made a commitment of love that bound them forever.

Only, days later, they found out the true consequences of their actions.

"Mother," Kaimu walked into his mother's room where she sat reading, "I-I have something to tell you."

Widow Hikaru looked up from her book. "Yes son?"

"Mother… Clover… Clover's pregnant."

The old woman closed her book, a very serious look on her face. "Are you the father?"

"Yes…"

…

Fourteen-year-old Clover dropped out of high school after becoming pregnant. She and Kaimu decided together to keep the baby, and with their parent's permission, they married before the end of the school year.

Kaimu continued to in school and took on a late-night job at a carpentry shop. Clover became a maid in the castle.

Soon, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl with red hair like that of her father and soft blue eyes like her mother.

…

"Kairi." Clover smoothed her little girl's hair. "I wonder what she'll grow up to be."

"She'll be whatever she wants." Kaimu bit back tears of delight at his daughter's small face. "Our darling little girl…"

…

Kaimu worked to finish school while Clover continued to work at the castle. Widow Hikaru watched little Kairi while her parents were out.

Kaimu soon became a manager at the carpentry shop. And Ansem the Wise saw the potential of Clover when she would offer her ideas as she worked around them; he offered her a job, but she refused, wanting to finish school first. He told her the job was waiting for her when she was ready.

That day never came.

"Xehanort found out about Kairi and assumed correctly that she was one of the seven pure lights he desired." Even continued, picking up a piece of paper. "He had Dilan, Aeleus, and Braig arrest their family on false charges. He took Kairi away and sent her away. Her parents and grandmother were taken to the lab. They became some… some of the people turned to Heartless for the experiments of the heart."

"Perhaps one day they will be recompleted…"

Riku's hand shook as he wrote all this down. "You knew all this time…"

"I did. Most of the others did not, but we found out soon enough. Why do you think we literally dropped everything for Kairi? We have other things we can be using some of our time to do, but we're pouring every ounce of our time into this."

Olette slammed her hands on the table. "You should've told her! Kairi's parents are dead! She's dealing with enough right now, and now she'll have this!"

"I agree!" Aqua snapped. "And you helped Xehanort kill them and send her away. She's fortunate that I cast that spell on her…"

"What spell."

"A spell that, if she was ever in trouble, would send her to the light of another, someone to keep her safe. It is probably what allowed her to reach the islands."

Lea tapped his chin. "Kaimu… I know that name."

"The high schooler that got kicked off the soccer team." Isa added. "Now we know why he got kicked off. He got a girl pregnant."

Xion cocked her head. "But I thought you had to be married to have a baby."

"Xion," Isa said firmly, "we'll discuss that later."

Donald tapped his foot on the ground. "So Kairi's parents were only fifteen when she was born…"

"Quite a lot of responsibility for two kids."

Mickey looked at the pictures of them. "Yeah, but it sounds like they did alright up until the end…"

"Yeah."

"AUGH!" Terra punched a wall, muttering curses under his breath before he stormed off.

"Terra?"

Riku followed him, watching Terra walk away, his body shaking. "Terra. Wait for me."

The older man slumped onto one of the crunches, hand dropping into his hands. "Why did I listen to him?"

"You mean Xehanort?"

"Yes… If I'd just trusted my master and my friends I so much pain could've been avoided."

Riku sat beside him. "Why did you trust Xehanort?"

Terra leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. "He was Master Eraqus's friend, and a Keyblade master. I trusted him because it seemed like Master Eraqus trusted him."

"You know, that makes sense. You can't blame yourself for trusting someone who should have been trustworthy. He fooled all of us, myself included." The younger man mirrored Terra's position. "You're blaming yourself aren't you? For what happened to Kairi's family."

"Yes."

"I thought you couldn't remember much."

Terra kept silent.

"You lied."

"I did." Terra sighed. "I remember some things. A lot of things actually. The memories pop up over time when brought up. As they were talking, I saw flashes of memory. I've hurt so many people… how c-"

"How can they forgive me for what I did?" Riku closed his eyes. "I know how you feel…"

"But what's past is past and you can't change it." A soft voice spoke as a third person entered the room. Naminé smiled softly.

Riku smiled back. "Nami's right… this is painful to think about, but it's in the past. Now, in the present… we need to do something. I'm going to go take a nap and pass this on to Kairi." He stood up, leaving for his room. But Terra stayed.

"Want to talk about it?"

The girl's soft voice pierced through his thoughts.

Just like before.

Just like when his heart slept in darkness and anger. She spoke to him then, telling him to help his friends(2).

For someone who spoke so softly, her words seemed so powerful.

"Just an old memory."

"Memories are my specialty." She sat beside him, pulling out her sketchbook. "If you want, I can help you remember it further, or even forget it."

"I want to forget it, but I don't think I should."

"Why?"

"To punish myself for what I did."

"Terra…" Aqua and Ven, having heard the last few sentences came into the room. They looked distraught.

Aqua took her friend's hand. "You can't run from your mistakes. But you don't have to face them alone. Naminé, could you let Ven and I see this memory too. We can bear the burden with him." The young girl nodded. "Great."

Terra smiled. There was no arguing with Aqua.

"Alright…"

Xehanort, in Terra's body, stood by a bookshelf, reading through some of Ansem the Wise's notes. Lost in thought, he barely noticed the door opening right as the clock chimed for two o'clock.

"Good afternoon, Lord Ansem. I have your tea!"

"Thank you, Clover. Just set it there."

Footsteps pattered around the room with the new voice. "Even, would you like coffee again today?"

"Of course."

"Ienzo?"

"I want juice!"

"Braig?"

"I'll take a beer."

"Braig, you know no drinking on the job."

"Fine… coffee."

The footsteps pattered over to Xehanort. "Excuse me. I don't believe we've met."

He turned around to see a girl in one of the castle maid uniforms. Her blonde curls bounced around her gentle face, and her indigo eyes held equal parts kindness and intelligence.

She curtsied. "My name is Clover, it's nice to meet you."

"I am Xehanort."

"The pleasure is mine, Xehanort. Now, is there something you would like to drink this afternoon?"

"Tea."

"Alright." She bounced out of the room, coming back in a few minutes with a tray of drinks in hand. She went around the room once more, handing each and every person their drinks.

Ansem smiled as the girl handed Xehanort his tea. "Clover, come here for a moment." She came over, folding her arms around the tray she held. Ansem pulled out some notes. "What do you think of this?"

Lord Ansem was asking a maid for input?

"Hm," the girl tapped her chin, "I think it looks good. But, these numbers are off." She set down her tray, grabbing the paper from the lord of the castle and a pen. Ansem said nothing as she scribbled down something on the paper. "There, that should be correct."

Ansem took the paper, reading over her work. "Very good, Clover. Thank you."

"It was nothing, my lord."

"That job as my apprentice is still open if you want it."

"I am honored my lord, but I do want to finish school first."

"I know… I just thought I'd ask."

Xehanort stared at the girl. She didn't look like much, but that just hid the brains beneath.

Day after day she came, and soon even Xehanort asked for her opinions and assistance on different experiments.

But a later memory…

The day Xehanort took Kairi and sent her away…

Xehanort came back after sending away the little girl. Kaimu now lay on the floor with Aeleus kneeling on his back; he was certainly a fighter. He pointed at Kaimu and Widow Hikaru. "Take them to the cells."

"Mother! Kaimu!" Clover screamed, struggling against Dilan as her family disappeared.

Xehanort knelt before the young woman. "Now, I'd hate to see such brilliance and talent like yours go to waste, Clover. I am giving you a chance. Work with us, help us finish our experiments."

"Return my daughter and release my family!" She cried. "Please… I'll do whatever you want, just give them back!"

"I could release your husband and mother-in-law, but your daughter is gone, sent among the stars." The captive woman's face paled. She knew about the machine known as the Ark, after all, she helped finish the calculations to complete the project. "It was necessary, but my offer still stands. Will you h-"

Clover spit in Xehanort's face. "I'd rather die!"

"So be it. Take her away."

"So, what's the word, Fitz?"

"Give me one bloody minute!" The young man snapped, spinning around in Stella's chair, as the group of them hijacked her office for a bit. "Hacking is hard enough as it is, but the LLE has a very good security system."

Kairi looked into the camera feed from their little LLE spycam, the same one she'd help set up. "Those little gigas, what are they called?"

"No clue. The LLE built them."

Yozora's red eye shuddered. "Which they shouldn't be able to do."

"Don't let Frode take over again."

"I won't."

Kairi stared at the new gigas. They seemed to be about 7 feet tall and looked like something out of a Halloween movie. Skull-like faceplates on the front with one arm made up of a sword and the other a giant needle.

"They're freaky."

"And they're called Doomtrain(3) Gigas." Fitz spun around, a confident smile on his face. "Got through the first layer of security." He spun back to the monitor. "Looks like they're preparing for a full-scale assault on the door."

Kairi bit her lip. "Why don't we contact them?"

"Huh?"

"If we tell them we have a way to close the door forever, maybe they can actually help us."

Fitz grinned. "That's brilliant! Yozora what do you think?"

"I don't think they'll listen or care."

"Let's try it. If they say no, it won't matter. We can just act like nothing has changed then, but if they say yes, we have a new ally."

The prince huffed. "Fine."

"This might take a while. I need to word this so they don't think we know their plans and then send it and… just give me a bit."

Kairi sat down, leaning against one of Stella's large stuffed animals in the back corner. Her mouth opened to let out a long yawn before she drifted off for a peaceful nap.

Or maybe not so peaceful…

"What's this?" Kairi took a letter from Shadow's claws.

A letter from Riku…

She read it.

…

CRACK

Her knees hit the ground as images poured into her mind.

So many-

So painful-

A scream pierced the air as Kairi awoke from her nap.

The four boys turned, seeing the girl curl up in the corner. Tears spilled from her eyes as she cried out.

Her body shook as sweat began to pool on her face. Her breathing came hard, fast, as her heart pounded in her ears.

"Kairi!?"

"What happened?"

The office door opened. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Stella bolted to Kairi's side, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Nothing!"

"Get out! Call Cat and Lucky and get out!" The boys left; Stella wrapped Kairi in a hug. "Shh, it's ok. I'm here Kairi. It's ok."

Kairi, didn't speak. She just shook, goosebumps prickling up and down her arms and legs.

She couldn't breathe.

Why couldn't she breathe!?

Was she dying?

The door opened again, Cat and Lucky racing in.

"Cat, she won't talk! I don't know what's wrong!"

Cat knelt down, taking Kairi's hands. "Stella, let go of her for a moment." She waited till Stella moved back. "Kairi, listen. I know you're probably scared. But I need you to listen. Close your eyes for me."

Kairi forced her eyes shut, plunging everything into darkness.

But Cat's calm voice still reached her. "Good. Now, take some slow deep breaths. Focus on your breathing. In… and out. In…. and out."

In and out.

In and out.

In and out.

Kairi felt the tightness in her chest lessen.

"Kairi. I want you to focus on five things you can feel. You don't have to tell me what they are, but find five things you can touch and feel right now(4)."

Five things…

The cold concrete floor.

The kind but firm grip of Cat's hands.

The ripples in her sweater.

The hair touching her cheek.

The stuffed animal against her back.

"If you think you're calm enough to open your eyes, go ahead."

Kairi allowed her eyes to open gently, looking into Cat's gentle face. "C-Cat…"

"Sh," the woman smiled, "don't talk. Let's get you back to your room and then we'll talk. Alright?"

"Alright."

Aerith walked into the lab, glancing around at all the serious faces. "I'm here… is something the matter?"

"We need your help with something." Ienzo quickly explained everything and Aerith's task.

The woman nodded. "If I think it's alright, I'll call you."

"Good." Ienzo activated the mic on the console. "Pence, we are ready to begin the test on our end."

"We're ready on ours."

"Good. Olette should be able to activate everything once the men are out of the room."

Both in Twilight Town and Radiant Garden, the men left the computer room as Olette input the command. The computer screens fizzled for a moment before images and voices began to appear.

"Kairi…"

"I-I think it's safe to let them in…"

Aerith went and got the guys.

…

In Twilight Town, Riku was the first boy to step back into the room. "Kairi?"

"What happened?"

"We don't know…"

On the screen, they saw Kairi sitting on a bed with Chirithy and a blonde woman in a lab coat. The woman rubbed Kairi's back as Kairi sobbed. "Kairi, can you tell me what happened?"

"I-I had a dream… a dream of an old memory."

"Can you tell me what happened in the dream?"

Kairi looked on the verge of more tears but nodded. "Y-yes…"

"On yonder mountain-side a vine clings at the foot of a mother pine…(5)" An old voice sang softly.

Little Kairi walked into a room with soft green walls and a cherry wood floor. An older woman stood in the kitchen, dusting flour off her hands. "Oh, there you are, dear! Want to come help grandma make scones?"

"Yeah!" Little Kairi ran over, reaching to grab a stool so she could get up to the counter. But as the front door opened, she skidded to a stop. "Mommy! Daddy!"

A man with green eyes smiled down at her, his red hair tainted with layer of brown dust. "Hello, my little princess!"

"Did you have a good day today with Grandma?" The blonde woman giggled.

"Yeah."

"I was just about to start making scones." Her grandmother leaned against the counter. "Clover, I know you have some school work to do, so Kaimu, mind coming to help me?"

"Of course, Kairi and I will help!"

BANG BANG!

"Open up in the name of the king!"

Kairi stared at the front door, scared and confused by the mean voices outside. But her grandmother's voice still caught her attention. "Kairi, go to your room."

The little girl went to her room, sitting on the bed, watching the door as a tiny bird chirped at her from a cage. She could hear voices.

"Dilan? Aeleus? Braig? Is something wrong?"

"We need you and your family to come with us."

"Why?"

"You will see."

"Braig, I demand to know why you came here and what you want!"

"Ugh, enough of this. Take them."

Something broke and shattered before a man with an eyepatch shoved open Kairi's door. "There you are."

Kairi barely saw her mother in the arms of a man with black hair, and her father fighting off a man with orange hair. Her grandmother lay on the floor beside a broken vase.

She jumped, trying to rush past the man, but he grabbed her with one arm, pinning her under his arm as he walked back into the main room.

The man put cuffs on Kairi's grandmother as the orange-haired man finally pinned Kaimu down and cuffed him.

Kairi fought. Kicking, screaming, punching, biting.

She fought and fought until they came into what looked like a doctor's office. Her eyes fastened onto trays of needles beside a man with silver hair.

The silver-haired man took her in his arms, holding her tightly. "Took you long enough."

"KAIRI!"

"Get off!" Kairi glanced back to see her father manage to get his cuffed hands in front of him and charge her captor. "LET HER GO!" Kaimu slammed into them, grabbing his daughter. "I've got y- augh!"

A purple arrow stuck into his shoulder, splattering blood across Kaimu's face. Kairi heard herself scream as the silver-haired man pulled her away once more. He held her up to some sort of device for a moment.

"Ah, so here you are at last. A princess under my very nose." He turned to the others. "Hold them here while I take care of the child."

"NO!

"DON'T TOUCH HER!"

"KAIRI!"

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

The screams of her family faded away as the man dragged a struggling Kairi into a room with a strange device. An open pod lay in the middle of the device.

"I hope you perform well, child."

He dropped her into it. Kairi hit the back with a thud, knocking the wind from her lungs. The man walked to a console, closing the pod as Kairi sat up. Her small fists pounded on the pod as she screamed for someone, anyone, to help her.

"Farewell, Princess."

Kairi broke down in tears again, hugging her legs to her chest after relating the dream.

Cat sat in silence for a while before pulling Kairi into a hug. "Kairi. Come to my office in the morning, alright. I'll help you through this. For now, just rest." The woman looked at Chirithy. "Please, take care of her for the night."

"I will, I promise. I won't let her have a single nightmare." Shadow and Bubbles popped into existence, looking over at Kairi. "None of us will."

"Thank you."

"Remember, just rest tonight."

Kairi silently nodded as the woman left, leaving Kairi to lay back on the bed, surrounded by dream eaters.

Riku shut off the feed. "Kairi…"

"D-do you think her parents survived. I mean, even if they became Heartless, they could be recompleted. Maybe…" Xion fiddled with her fingers lightly.

"Chances are slim." Isa muttered. "We became Nobodies, and maybe they did too, but if we haven't heard from them by now, they're probably not recompleted and probably not coming back."

"Ahh! We have to do something!" Hayner snapped. "We can't just give up on them! Kairi… she went through all that! If there's something we can do to bring her parents back, lets do it! We have to."

Even sighed. "Your heart is in the right place, but even so, finding their Heartless and Nobodies would be next to impossible. Even if, say, you've destroyed their Heartless, what if their Nobody is still walking around, or vice versa. There is nothing we can do."

Hayner continued to argue with Even about the situation as Riku stared at his own reflection in the computer screen.

Somehow, this had to be fixed. For Kairi's sake.

They could fix it…

Right?

Well, that happened.

Footnotes:

(1) Kairi's grandmother's name is in reference to Utada Hikaru, and her first name is actually Utada.

(2) If you remember in KH3, this is why the Lingering Will showed up.

(3) Doomtrain is a summon from Final Fantasy 8.

(4) This is part of a calming technique for someone having a panic attack.

(5) This is from "Norse Lullaby" a poem by Eugene Field.

VAs:

Kaimu Utada- Kaiji Tang (Osamu Dazai, Bill, Munehisa Iwai, Archer, Vegeta)

Clover Utada- Erika Harlacher (Ann Takamaki, Violet Evergarden, Els, Nina)