A/N: Oh man, the stuff that Nomura comes up with for this series, I'm kinda starting to sympathize with the guy a lot more after writing this fic. Also, this chapter should feel somewhat nostalgic for those who grew up with KH1, so enjoy a little trip down memory lane :D
Chapter 73: Darkened Memories
It started off as a normal day in Scala Ad Caelum as any day normally world. The sun was shining, the water surrounding the world was calm and the wind was blowing at a decent pace. A friendly game of chess between Ira and Gula was interrupted when the sudden sound of thunder cracked in the distance. Ira jumped in his seat before getting up and rushing over to the balcony window to see what was the matter.
The blue sky was beginning to turn gray as darker clouds started to form. They hadn't engulfed the whole world yet, but looked like they were working toward it. The wind was picking up and gusting harder and the water's currents were more active. Ira could feel something powerful within him as he saw the world was changing. The world that was once a place where all Keyblade wielders gathered had changed once and was now changing again. Something was going to happen.
"The time is close." Ira muttered softly.
"What time?" Gula asked, hopping from his seat.
"The Master's return…"
Aced gasped, stepping back. "You're sure about this?"
"I can feel it." He said, resting a hand against his heart. "Can't you feel it too?"
Gula paused, scratching the back of his head. "I...I'm not sure."
"Why do you feel this, Ira?" Aced asked, standing beside him.
"Maybe there was a reason the Master chose me to lead us." Ira guessed while resting his hand on top of a copy of the Book of Prophecies. "Perhaps, we shared the strongest connection."
"Wait, if he does, then why weren't you bequeathed No Name?" Gula asked.
"Whatever the reason, The Master doesn't want us to know." Ira answered, turning his back to his fellow Foretellers.
Aced scoffed, folding his arms. "That's the best you can come up with?"
"Ever since our return, all we have learned is that the timeline that was written in the Book of Prophecies was warped and it was because of two Keyblade wielders, one of which Invi was assigned to watch from a distance. We haven't been given any answers other than those either."
"I know the reason."
Each of the Foretellers turned at the sound of their comrade's voice. It was none other than Invi, returning to Scala Ad Caelum following another day on the job. Staying out of sight, and keeping track of Kairi just as Luxu had asked her too.
"Invi? What did you see?" Gula asked.
"Kairi has found another piece and she has learned the Power of Waking." Invi reported.
The remaining Foretellers all gasped. "The Power of Waking?" They asked in unison.
"A Princess of Heart can't use the Power of Waking! That's asking for trouble!" Aced growled. "If she's already responsible for disturbing The Master's prophecy, then her actions will only worsen things!"
"They may. Or they may not." Invi shook her head. "In the meantime, we're not even sure if her learning the Power of Waking or finding those seashells will guide her to the boy that Luxu cautioned us about."
Gula shrugged his shoulders. "Then why is Luxu worried about her?"
"I'm not exactly sure, but the Book of Prophecies does mention that one of the seven pure lights stands out amongst the others." Ira answered after he grabbed his copy of the book and flipped open his book to the correct page.
"Luxu mentioned that too." Aced noted. "That's nothing new."
Ira nodded in agreement. "That may be true, but The Master was also very vague in his wording."
"That doesn't surprise me." Invi stated. "The Master usually doesn't go into much detail on the world's events. Luxu is also not very clear."
"Oh yeah! Invi, what were you saying about Luxu and The Master?" Gula asked.
"Oh, it's because-"
The booming thud of double doors slamming filled the room, causing each of their hearts to jump. There was never ever telling where Luxu was anymore or when he would be within the same perimeter as them. It was almost as if half the time, he acted like he was invisible. Ira could even sense that ever since their reunion with Luxu that something was off. Luxu was not the same young man that was just as much an apprentice to the Master as they were. He had become a master at the Keyblade himself, but could see that it was changing him.
"Luxu, I have-" Invi spoke up.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you already." Luxu scoffed as he brushed past the rest of the Foretellers.
Luxu let out a great yawn of boredom. How he was feeling at the moment was anybody's guess. On the one hand, the Foretellers had never seen him so relaxed and yet, he also gave off this attitude of just not caring anymore. What did this mean? Why was his body stiffened as if something terrible just happened and yet his face was pure bliss? Where was Kaguya? What had Luxu been doing for the last several days alone? There were so many questions that Luxu would most likely answer with another question, but there was one he could at least give a straight answer to after Gula noticed his hand looked different.
"What...what happened to your hand?" Gula asked.
Luxu chuckled, brushing it off. "Keyblade accident, what can you do?"
"And that girl who followed you around?" Ira asked.
"You know, you guys sure ask a lot of questions. When are you gonna just let the world run its course?"
Aced growled. "That's a lot of talk coming from someone who continues to meddle with The Master's plan! There's a reason why the book clearly states that one must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds!"
Luxu laughed, shaking his head. "You don't even know what The Master's plan is either! How can I meddle if I don't know?"
"What do you know?" Ira asked.
"I know all that there is to know and nothing else. I didn't even get a copy of the book so let's just assume that you four are smarter than I am and then you can do the math from there."
Typical answer, Ira thought. Gula and Invi could only shake their heads as they fell further into a state of confusion. There was one who wouldn't tolerate just a typical answer. Aced could feel blood rushing all throughout his body. It was never a pleasant feeling and one that always left his hands trembling. Unleashing a cry of frustration, Aced finally summoned his Keyblade and rushed toward Luxu. The master who bore the mask of the bear was strong, but Luxu knew that Aced's anger was a weakness and used it against him. He caught him off guard and summoned No Name to block him.
"Wow...someone's getting worked up?" Luxu scoffed.
Gula gasped, running and laying his hand on Aced's back. "Aced! What are you doing?"
"I've had it with the waiting! We also still don't even have a single clue of where Ava is, even before you summoned us here!" Aced growled.
"Although I don't agree with Aced letting his emotions get the better of him," Ira stepped forward, cornering Luxu. "He has a valid point. The last time we saw Ava was when said she was going to meet with you."
"She wasn't very clear with why she was meeting you." Invi noted.
Gula huffed as he stepped closer. "Yeah, and neither were you when you came back."
"What do you know?" Aced asked harshly. "Our master, Ava, that Princess of Heart, everything! Tell us!"" He shook the fellow apprentice.
Luxu sneered as his eyes appeared to be pure gold for a second there. His pupils and the outer parts of his eyes had gone and his normal human teeth had evolved into canids. Staring into his face, Aced could've sworn that Luxu had flashed into a primitive beast-like state. Having enough of Aced's aggressive behavior, Luxu swung his Keyblade and struck his fellow apprentice down. Everyone stepped back, shaken up by Luxu's sudden outburst. Ira gasped out of concern for Aced as he ran to help him up. They may not have seen eye to eye, but they were both like brothers at the end of the day.
"I think we've made it quite clear that you won't be trying that again, right?" Luxu asked as he dismissed his Keyblade, reverting back to his calm and collected state.
Ira grunted as he got back up. "That power...it's…"
"Pretty cool, huh? Picked it up recently."
"Luxu…" Invi breathed out. "What are you doing…?"
"The same thing all of you should be doing! Playing the role The Master passed down to me."
"I hope he gave you the role of a coward." Aced huffed as he brushed himself off.
"As if! You want to know who the real coward is?" Luxu chuckled. "If you do, you might wanna ask what happened to your friend Master Ava…"
Invi gasped, stepping back. "What?"
"No…" Ira shook his head.
"What did you do to her?" Gula asked, summoning his Keyblade.
"Easy there, boy! What happened to her wasn't my doing, if that's the answer you wanna hear."
"Are you implying that Ava was responsible for her own demise?" Aced yelled.
Luxu snickered and shrugged his shoulders. "Who said anything about demise? She's a Keyblade Master. Try and figure it out from there, why don't you?"
Aced grunted in pain as he tried to stand back up, having taken a hard hit from Luxu. Instead, Ira shook his head, nonverbally telling him not to push himself any further. If what just happened was anything to go by, it was that Luxu wasn't anybody they'd want to mess with. There was no mistaking it. As Luxu had gone through the years of body hopping to await the day where he would bear his master's Keyblade, the darkness had found its way into his heart. The logical solution would be to escape, but as Keyblade Masters, could they really abandon one of their own? What would their master do?
Luxu left The Foretellers lost in their thoughts and retreated to his personal chamber. He had his own thoughts to relish in. This newfound power that Darkness had granted him was a great help, indeed. It was a whole new level of strength that he hadn't obtained even during his younger days of training with The Master. Yet, there was one new bit of knowledge he had learned that left him with rather conflicting feelings.
"So the kid has learned the Power of Waking…" Luxu sighed as he gazed down at his Keyblade. "Not sure if I should be surprised by that or not."
"That depends." Darkness answered. "I already told you of the Master's plan and how it involves that black box you've been hiding."
Luxu smirked as he pulled the black box out from behind a wall that was detachable. "Neither of those chumps still have any clue as to what's in here."
"Indeed. We're the only ones outside The Master himself who knows what's in there."
"I'd hate to see their reactions when they find out it has to do with the Seven Pure Lights." Luxu shook his head as he pushed the box back in.
Darkness laughed. "I fondly remember overhearing when The Master shared that with you. You were much younger then."
"Still am. There's a reason why body hopping exists."
"That and humans age horribly when they're stressed." Darkness noted.
"Can't help the stressing part!" He huffed. "Why do you think it's crucial to dispose of Kairi? If she or any of those bonehead friends of hers get ahold of the box, The Master's plan is done for."
"Not necessarily. Remember it takes a special x to open the box."
Luxu hummed as he thought to himself. "The x-blade?"
Darkness nodded and shifted closer. "Once The Master returns, another war is inevitable. Xehanort set off a warm up with his army of replicas. The real war will begin when it's time to put his plan into motion."
"That'll be the day."
"Does it frighten you at all?"
"Not at all!" Luxu laughed. "Especially now that I got you!"
"Naturally. Why do you think The Master and I were such good friends?" Darkness chuckled. "Friendship has its advantages, you learn the other person's secrets."
"Is that so? So you do know when The Master is coming back!"
"...Yes."
"Well?" Luxu pressed him further. "What is he waiting for? Where did he go anyway?"
Darkness exhaled deeply. "He's waiting for-"
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
After departing for Master Yen Sid's tower, Kairi took a few moments to reflect on the events that occurred earlier that day. On a normal trip aboard the gummi ship, she would have brought out her journal and chartered her accomplishments of that day, but there was no time to waste. Kairi had set the coordinates for Master Yen Sid's tower and set them to warp speed. Having used it a number of times recently, Kairi, Naminé, and Xion had grown used to it and weren't as dizzy at the end of a trip utilizing warp speed. Even if they were, the two knew Kairi was eager to get back anyway.
Once the ship landed, Kairi unbuckled and departed the ship, not even bothering to completely shut it down. Xion ended up having to do so otherwise they would have another fuel problem like they only had recently. By the time she and Naminé had the ship powered down, Kairi was already walking in through the front door of the tower. They understood she had big news to share with Yen Sid, but wished she would have at least waited for them to get off the ship. There were a lot of steps going up to the master's chamber and they'd have to do a lot of jogging if they were going to catch up.
"Master! Master!" Kairi called out as she ran up the stairs.
"Kairi! Slow down!" Naminé yelled from behind.
Xion breathed heavily. "Yeah...there's...a lot of...steps...here!"
"I can't help it! I have to tell him what happened!" Kairi said as she came to a stop.
Xion and Naminé were grateful to have a moment to catch their breath as well as catch up with Kairi, but it wouldn't last long. As soon as they caught up, Kairi got going up the stairs again. There was no slowing her down, the other two finally accepted. Like small children, Xion and Naminé chased the redhead up countless flights of stairs until they reached Yen Sid's chamber at the top. Kairi managed to courteously wait for her friends at the top before bursting through the door, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Master Yen Sid! I did it!" Kairi exclaimed. She gasped when she saw Aqua, Ven, Riku, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy all in the chamber by Yen Sid. "Huh? What are you guys all doing here?"
"My wounds had healed up since you left." Riku answered. "And Mickey called not long ago saying that Yen Sid had asked for me to come here. I'm not even sure what's going on."
"Master mentioned you were interested in training with me, so Ven and I came down here, but…" Aqua looked over at Yen Sid standing by the window staring out his window into the twinkling starlit sky.
"Master? What is it?" Kairi asked.
"I could ask the same of you, Kairi." He answered. "But it appears that the stars have aligned and communicated an important message to me."
Kairi froze in place. For starters, Yen Sid's voice was low and serious, almost in the same tone it as in when he told her recently that she wasn't deemed ready enough for the Mark of Mastery exam. Riku and Aqua exchanged confused looks as Kairi stepped closer, hoping to get the master to look away from the window. Even with her small steps, it was enough to draw Yen Sid's attention to her. Kairi stopped and straightened herself out. Her racing heart slowed down to a calm pace when she saw Yen Sid's stern expression melt away into a soft smile.
"Kairi, you have successfully learned the Power of Waking." Yen Sid proudly declared.
"Whaaaaat?" Everyone else in the room asked in unison.
Riku, who was the most surprised of them all, stepped closer to her. "Kairi...how did you-"
"I'm not sure, Riku. It was just something that I did...with all my heart." She said softly.
"Just like the way Sora did!" Goofy reminded everyone.
"Yeah." Mickey nodded. "Gosh Master, I guess we were wrong." He admitted. "Looks like Kairi didn't have far to go after all."
Ven smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it was with her all along."
Yen Sid nodded smiling warmly. "Kairi, please, step forward." He held his arm out. She stepped forward from Naminé and Xion, anxiously awaiting for what the master had to say. "Kairi, Princess of Heart, you have made extraordinary progress in the time you trained with Merlin, and in your personal endeavors. For the strength of a true Keyblade master is measured by the strength of their heart, which you have demonstrated commendably. In turn, you have learned the Power of Waking, and used it to restore the heart of a world that was in great danger of falling to eternal darkness." He held his arms out. "I declare you, Kairi, a Keyblade Master."
"M-Me…? A Keyblade master?" She stammered.
"Oh boy!" Donald leapt up and down.
"Kairi! You did it!" Naminé exclaimed as she hugged her.
Xion laughed as she joined in the hug. "We knew you could do it!"
Kairi smiled before hugging her friends back. "Hey, a Keyblade Master is only as strong as the love they share with those they whole precious in their hearts."
"Hey! Don't forget us!" Goofy added as he and Donald ran over to her.
"We know you'll continue to do great things, Kairi!" Mickey proclaimed.
Riku smiled and nodded as he rested a hand on Kairi's shoulder. "Sora would be proud of you."
"And so would your grandmother!" Aqua added.
Kairi gasped, remembering what her ultimate goal was. "Oh! My grandmother! Master, I can save her now?"
"Indeed, with the Power of Waking, you have gained the ability to release her heart from your own, but heed this warning, should this power be misused, great consequences will be bestowed upon you." Yen Sid warned her.
"I'll be careful." She promised.
"And Kairi, though you have reached the status of a Keyblade Master, your journey has only just begun. There is much more to learn as you gain further knowledge and power."
"I'll remember that, Master." Kairi said with a bow of her head.
With Master Yen Sid's blessing, Kairi was ready for the next step in her journey. She may have had one more piece of her charm to find before she could save Sora, but there was still one other person who could use her help just a little sooner than Sora could.
"So, what's your plan of action?" Riku asked as they walked out of the tower.
"First, I want to go somewhere else." Kairi answered. "I want her to feel right at home when I bring her back. Besides, that's where I lost her. Mickey said not to use the Power of Waking to go chasing hearts through different worlds."
Aqua nodded and smiled at Kairi. "I know just where to go."
"The gardens at Radiant Garden?" Kairi asked, smiling just as widely.
"Looks like our minds were in sync for a minute there!" Aqua laughed.
Kairi laughed as she could see the nostalgic sparkle in Aqua's eye that the two of them had in common. Although Aqua hadn't known Kairi for very long when she was a child, a special connection had been forged instantly, almost as if Aqua immediately knew who she was. If there was one thing she knew would make Kairi's grandmother feel right at home, it was a beautiful garden of flowers just like the ones Kairi picked when she was a little girl. There was no place that had more beautiful flower gardens than Kairi's hometown itself.
A gummi ship flight later brought Kairi, Riku, and all their friends back to Radiant Garden. Specifically, they found themselves returning to the palace gardens. Almost as if the nature spirits themselves could sense something big was about to happen, the wind picked up ever so slightly as Kairi entered the gardens. The flowers with weaker stems blew with the wind and mingled with the dandelions that floated right past Kairi. She watched the flowers freely fly to wherever the wind may carry them and smiled upon remembering the various lessons of nature from her journey.
"Gawrsh! The wind sure is blowin'!" Goofy noted as he held a hand up to shield his face.
Kairi nodded, shutting her eyes. "There's spirits around us that live in the earth, water, and sky. They are meant to guide us through our trials and tribulations. They know something's about to happen."
"Wow, I could spend a whole day here! Maybe have a picnic!" Ven gasped.
"As long as you bring the coffee!" Chirithy noted.
"Something in my heart told me this was the right place." Aqua said. "It feels so alive right now."
"Grandma used to bring me out here all the time when I was little. I can...I can feel her presence here." Kairi said with a fond smile.
Xion sighed and folded her arms. "I guess this is where we'll see you off."
"There's just one problem…" Kairi murmured. "I can awaken her heart, but what about her body?"
"We can use a replica?" Naminé suggested.
"Except for Even hasn't made any new replica vessels in a while, and that last one was stolen by Luxu and used to create Aros." Riku reminded her.
Xion sighed as she threw her hands behind her head. "Well, until we can get a vessel for her grandma's heart, I guess Kairi can't do much more."
On the one hand, Xion was correct. Freeing her grandmother's heart was already going to be a challenge and without knowing where the body was, Kairi was faced with a unique conundrum. When Sora freed Naminé from her heart and when Roxas was freed from his heart, they both had vessels that were ready for them. Even Xion had a vessel for her heart in Organization XIII. With no vessel, how could Kairi free her grandmother's heart? In a matter of a second, what sounded like the possibility of reuniting with her only family now sounded impossible.
Before Kairi's anxiety could jump any further up, a burst of wind blew through her hair. A soft feminine voice hummed in her ears and it was familiar. Kairi had heard this voice before. It was the same voice that reminded her that her heart would guide her the right way. Listen with your heart...you will understand, the voice of Grandmother Willow echoed. Kairi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the familiar words of wisdom. All this time, Grandmother Willow's advice of listening with her heart was usually the answer. All she had to do was listen and trust.
"Wait...maybe we don't have to use a vessel." Kairi said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Naminé asked.
"I think all I need to do is follow my heart. It's connected with my grandma's and it'll show me the right way." She said as she summoned her Keyblade.
Riku's content smile faded as he watched Kairi walk into a patch of flowers. A pit in his stomach grew as she began to raise Destiny's Embrace. He believed in her. She had given him no reason not to. Yet, that inner fear of something happening to hear left a heavy burden on Riku's shoulder. He had to give her at least a few more words of encouragement and rushed forward, resting a hand on her shoulder.
"Riku?" Kairi asked.
"Just...be careful. I know this isn't your first time using the Power of Waking, but still, be careful." Riku said softly. "I'd hate to go back to Destiny Islands empty handed."
"I'll be okay, I promise." She smiled and nodded. "My heart knows the right path."
"Besides…" Chirithy hopped out of her hood. "I'll be right there with her!"
Kairi smiled as she patted Chirithy on the head. She gave one more assuring nod to Riku, Xion, Naminé, and all of her friends that had supported her all the way. Just like Sora's journey to save Kairi was his mission, saving her grandmother was hers. Although Chirithy would be by her side, this would have to be something Kairi could only do herself. With Chirithy on her shoulder and her friends behind her, Kairi raised her Keyblade and fired a beam of light into the sky, her body engulfed in light as she began the mission of a lifetime.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
With her heart stronger than ever, the Power of Waking sent Kairi diving deeper into her heart than she ever had, even more than the night before she and Xion left for Master Yen Sid's tower when she had the dream. She dove even deeper than she had in Arendelle when her heart connected with Anna and Elsa's. Kairi gently fell through the pure darkness of what appeared to be nothing, except there was something below her. She opened her eyes to see her Station of Awakening. It was exactly as the one she had seen before she left on her journey.
Only this time, Kairi knew someone was waiting for her.
"Kairi? Is that you?"
"It's me, Grandma! I'm here to wake you up!"
"Oh, my dear...it's been so long. I'm...not sure I can…"
"Yes you can! Your heart went into mine so I would protect it. Just like my heart went into Sora's so he could protect me."
"Oh Kairi...you've grown up so much."
"We have a lot to catch up on, Grandma."
"I've watched over you, but I want to hear everything."
"We will, I promise. All I want is to see you. I miss you."
"I miss you too, my little Kairi."
"We'll finally be together again, just like you promised. But first, after I awaken your heart, I need to find your body and piece it back together."
"I will see you soon, Kairi."
Kairi stood in the middle of the platform and held out her hand to summon her Keyblade. She took a deep breath as she readied herself to use the power of waking for the second time. A part of her was scared at the idea of using it a second time so soon, but knew deep down that this was her only choice if she was going to see her grandmother again. Kairi gripped the handle of her Keyblade with both hands and shut her eyes, concentrating all of her light into the weapon. As her energy transferred, a large keyhole formed beneath her.
Just as the platform in the station of awakening began to glow, Kairi saw various memories of her and her grandmother flooding back to her. The memories of them in the garden, walking in the town, reading in the library, all of them precious to her. Kairi opened her eyes and leapt off the platform in a black flip and levitated in the air. She opened her eyes and watched as doves flew off the shadowed platform and unveiled the station of awakening for Vor. Taking in one last deep breath, Kairi aimed her Keyblade at the keyhole on Vor's heart, firing a beam of light towards it. She gasped at the sound of unlocking and a ray of light emerged from the keyhole. Vor's heart emerged from the keyhole and began floating upwards, indicating that her heart was finally freed from Kairi's and it was time for her to wake up.
Well, it was almost time to wake up.
"Hm?" Kairi furrowed her eyebrows.
Vor's heart remained in place before it began to float its way down. Kairi gasped, immediately swimming through the air and following it. She knew that her grandmother's heart had nowhere to go at the moment because there wasn't a vessel for her. Where was the heart going and why did it appear to be diving even further? A part of Kairi was unsure about this and was worried about diving too deep after remembering what she had learned at Ansem's lab about the deepest part of the heart being where someone's darkest memories lay.
At the bottom of where Vor's heart was travelling lay Kairi's Station of Awakening once again. Only something was different about it this time around. Instead of its usual pinkish color scheme. It was a dark purple. Kairi still had her portrait, but this time, there weren't any portraits of Sora, Riku, Xion, Naminé, or her grandmother. In fact, she was all alone and Kairi herself could feel a sharp pain in her chest after landing on the station. What was going on? Why would her grandmother's heart lead her down here?
Kairi whimpered as she fell to her knees, trying not to let the pain spread all throughout her body. Was this what anyone who used the Power of Waking had to deal with? She looked up and gasped at the scenes that appeared before her eyes. They were just like the ones she had seen the last time she dove into her heart. Unlike the last ones, these memories were unpleasant to watch. One memory was when Xehanort tried to take her away from her grandmother, another was from when she was attacked by Unversed as a little girl.
Another memory, and the most interesting one thus far was one that appeared to have occurred at nighttime. There were Heartless surrounding her, a man right in front of her donning an Organization XIII cloak with the same Keyblade Xehanort used to strike her down, and behind him was a strange young man in his 20s rushing toward her. Kairi shut her eyes and turned her face away, feeling overwhelmed and unable to make out what this memory was or what was happening.
No matter how hard she tried, there was one memory she couldn't hide. Kairi opened her eyes and saw herself standing in front of the paopu tree in the dead of sunset all by herself. She remembered this day vividly, it was the day she and Sora shared their final moments together before he vanished. Unable to hold herself together, Kairi allowed a tear to fall from her face and into the ocean. It was when the teardrop landed in the water that the memory rippled and changed.
Kairi was no longer looking at the memory of Destiny Islands, but rather a memory from the Realm of Darkness. There it was...the end of it, the beach that connected the two realms together. As Kairi watched the memory carefully, she could see the sparkling teardrop remain solely in the ocean, but it wasn't long until it began to spiral and merge with the dark water. The sea and the teardrop, adding the mixture of dark matter, began to swirl like a vortex and in its place stood a young girl who looks nearly identical to Kairi, but the mute color in her hair, face, and golden eye color matched the pure darkness that her heart was created from.
"Kaguya…" Kairi whispered as she reached forward instinctively.
There Kaguya remained on the beach, having no sense of identity or memory. She might as well have been a newborn baby who had the motor and communication skills of a teenager. Kaguya was almost lifeless in her first moments of life. Lacking any clothing, desire to know who she was, or any curiosity of her location, Kaguya slowly passed through the shallow waters until she was on the beach. Although she could walk fine, Kaguya finally tripped on a stone and fell. Not having any sense of pain aside from what she could already feel as a result of Kairi's pain, she lay there, not even trying to get back up.
The memory gently rippled, showing a passage of time that Kaguya spent on that beach, all alone, without a single person to speak to. It was almost as if she were laying there lifeless, but was still alive and breathing. The memory finally slowed as it came to the day that changed Kaguya's life forever. A dark corridor appeared behind her and a figure in a black cloak emerged. Kairi gasped, knowing exactly who it was based on his height and build. She instinctively called for Kaguya to get up as she saw Luxu walk toward her.
Although Kaguya couldn't hear Kairi, she did turn around and stare blankly at Luxu. Once he removed his hood, something inside of Kaguya sparked and her pupils began to dilate. This new human connection was enough to get her started. She suddenly wanted to get up off the ground. She wanted to say something. Fear stirred within her and at the same time a sense of comfort from someone finding her only sent her deeper into a confused state. Finally, Luxu held his hand out and without thinking, Kaguya finally got up and took his hand.
"No!" Kairi shook her head. "Chirithy? What is this? Why are all of these memories here?"
"This is your heart's subconscious. It's the deepest part of the heart and is where a person hides their darkest memories." Chirithy explained.
"My darkest…" She breathed out. "And if Kaguya is connected to me, then…"
Vor's heart floated closer to Kairi, filling her with a sense of warmth and comfort over the distressing memories. Although the pain was overwhelming for Kairi, having her grandma and Chirithy beside her was enough to fill her with relief and remind her that she wasn't alone.
Although she was comforted, Kairi was about to learn that she wasn't finished from her journey deep into the darkest depths of her heart. Suddenly another memory floated down and began to expand, almost as if it were transporting them out of the Station of Awakening into a completely different world. The place they had ended up in was one that Kairi knew she had seen before. It wasn't that long ago when she was there too.
Kairi stepped to the end of a crevice and allowed her eyes to follow the strangest sight. There were blocks of ice surrounded by waterfalls. These weren't ordinary waterfalls, but falls that actually fell upwards. Standing in the distance of these 'rising falls' was a palace that looks incredibly similar to the one at Radiant Garden, albeit more twisted and its appearance had its own share of emblems that matched those on various Heartless. The place wreaked of darkness and left her with an unsettling feeling in her chest.
"This place…" Kairi muttered softly.
Chirithy nodded as he got a good look. "Yep! This was the world that Radiant Garden became after it fell to darkness over ten years ago, Hollow Bastion."
"Why am I here though? Radiant Garden has been restored." She asked.
"After you were sent to Destiny Islands, the world fell to the darkness. Your grandma's heart took refuge in yours, but her body disappeared. It's very possible that her heart is guiding you to where her body might have been." He guessed. "But…this can't be that simple."
Kairi furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at her companion. "Why not?"
"Because, Hollow Bastion is technically a world from the past. You can only travel back to a time where you once existed. And-"
Kairi gasped, cutting Chirithy off as she looked higher up and saw some familiar faces on a ledge above her. It was Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but there were also a couple other familiar faces. One was an animal-like beast who she recalled being a friend of Sora's while the other was Riku! He held up his hand and literally stole the Kingdom Key out of Sora's hands, leaving Donald and Goofy's jaws hanging wide open at the hidden truth.
"Look! It's Sora, Donald, and Goofy! And Riku!" Kairi pointed them out.
Chirithy nodded. "This was when Sora first arrived at Hollow Bastion during his first adventure."
"But...I thought you said I could only travel to a time where I existed?"
"You did." He confirmed.
"How is that possible? My heart was-" She paused, starting to put the pieces together. "Wait, that counts?"
"Yep, and don't forget, you were already at Hollow Bastion long before Sora arrived too." Chirithy reminded her.
Kairi sighed, holding her head low. "My body…That still doesn't explain why I'm here."
"When you used the Power of Waking, you dove into the deepest depths of your heart. "You'll have to travel some dark corridors in your heart to find your grandma."
"Well...when a heart is released, it'll naturally find its way to its vessel through a connection." She recalled. "But, it's just floating here. I wonder if it doesn't know where the vessel is too."
"Hmmm…" Chirithy thought. "Well, remember that Roxas and Naminé's hearts both found their vessels because they knew who they were meant for."
"Yeah, but wouldn't my grandma's heart be able to do the same? Unless-" Kairi gasped as she watched Riku run off with Donald and Goofy, leaving Sora alone with his new friend. "Riku's gone! This was when Sora lost his Keyblade and his friends. Should we follow Riku?"
"Considering he can't see us, it wouldn't hurt. Just remember, you can't change what has already happened." He cautioned her.
Kairi nodded, listening to Chirithy's words. While she may not have known much about the rules of time travel, or in this case, memory hopping, if there was one thing she knew not to do was change the past. Kairi followed Riku, Donald, and Goofy up various blocks of ice before reaching the top. A lift stop met them all there and would be their transport over the endless rising falls to the palace. While neither Riku, Donald, and Goofy couldn't see or hear Kairi, she instinctively kept her distance and didn't say much.
Upon arrival at the palace gates, Kairi couldn't help but wonder how it was possible for Radiant Garden to change that much. Even when their island disappeared, Aqua had mentioned to her that the island still appeared to be intact for the most part when she arrived there in the Realm of Darkness. Instead, she chose not to focus on the past. Kairi took one last look back. Sora wouldn't catch up with them for a while thanks to feeling de-moraled by his recent encounter with Riku. Still, even if it was just a memory, she had a natural tendency to wish him well in his endeavors.
This was different though. If Kairi had any memory of Sora's first visit to Hollow Bastion, it was all from his perspective thanks to her being in his heart. Vor's heart was insistent on following Riku and with her never seeing any of this before, Kairi was keen on following both. Despite now having the Kingdom Key, there weren't any Heartless attacking him thanks to his new at the time powers of darkness. Kairi, Donald, and Goofy all followed Riku into the massive entrance hall that reached two stories up, had two grand staircases with one leading to the library, all held together by an intricate fountain.
"Wait here. I have other important matters to attend to." Riku said in a harsh tone.
"Gosh...I don't remember Riku being such a jerk during this time." Kairi whispered.
"Probably because you got off easy and had a warm cozy heart to sleep in instead of his cold freezer of a heart." Chirithy said with an eyeroll.
Kairi gasped as she watched Riku disappear into a dark corridor. "There he goes! Can we follow him?"
"I don't think so. Remember, we're not actually here. That being said, we may wanna hurry." He cautioned her. "Because this world is an illusion of your memories, if we don't find answers by the time your 'past self' leaves this world, it'll be too late. You'll be forced out of this world."
"What will happen then?" She asked anxiously.
Chirithy rubbed her back. "I'm sure you're fine. You'll most likely return to the Station of Awakening or back to the real Radiant Garden, but if you return there without finding your grandma's body, then her heart will remain in yours. But it's best to hurry."
"Right, now if I can just figure out where Riku went-"
"Gawrsh, he sure isn't very friendly…" Goofy sighed.
"So now what do we do?" Donald asked.
Goofy though. "Well, I suppose we wait for him to come back. Maybe Sora will catch up."
"I hope so." The duck thought for a moment before huffing and pouting. "Aw phooey! I don't believe Riku is the key!"
"I don't believe it either, Donald." Goofy shook his head. "I say we wait here for Sora to catch up and when he does, we skedaddle and get our friend back!"
"Wha! But Goofy, the king said we have to follow the key!"
Goofy frowned and shook his head. "I know, Donald! But Sora is our pal! And I miss him!"
"I miss Sora too…" Donald said with his head low.
"Make that three of us." Kairi nodded in agreement. "Wait!" She gasped. "Key! Keyhole! I know where Riku is!"
Kairi couldn't remember how long Sora would take before he would reach the point in his visit where she would awaken with her heart restored. If she could be honest, the idea of travelling all the way up the palace seemed like a daunting task with all the different entrances and exits and lift stops. It was like a whole other maze! Instead, Kairi decided to get creative this time. She summoned her Keyblade, and fired a beam of light ahead of her and created a corridor of light. With her confidence at its peak compared to when she first left, she knew exactly where to go this time.
The corridor of light bypassed the rest of the palace and took Kairi and Chirithy straight to the grand hall where Hollow Bastion's keyhole was. There was a dark aura immediately as she stepped in. The torches were burning a blue flame instead of one that was yellow. Along the entrance, six girls who were the Princesses of Heart at the time were lined up, their bodies encased in glass. Kairi gasped upon seeing Jasmine's body encased, but more than anything, felt her stomach drop as she saw her own body engulfed in a dark magic and levitating in the middle.
There she was, a younger Kairi, completely vulnerable. Kairi walked over to her younger self and brushed a hand along her face. It was no wonder she never thought back to this point in her life. Why would she want to? Her heart may have been safe inside of Sora's, but the fact that she was being used for dark intentions just made her feel sick to her stomach. She'd argue that's what she had dealt with many times in her life. Even now, Kairi couldn't help but question. What was Luxu's ulterior motives and what did she have to do with them?
Kairi gasped upon hearing footsteps behind her. Her fight or flight reaction had her taking cover behind a pillar inside the hall. Entering the hall was a figure that Kairi hadn't seen in a long time, but she was recognizable. Her tall and thin stature was complimented by a black and purple cloak that looked comparable to dragon wings if she raised her arms up and allowed the sleeves to hang. The black horns that resembled a devil, the fair green skin, and the angled eyes were enough to cause nightmares to children.
"No...is that-" Chirithy shook his head. Even he recognized her.
"That's...Maleficent…" Kairi answered for him.
No way...Chirithy thought in his head. I recall seeing her in Daybreak Town a number of times. How did she get to THIS world? Or...did she come from this world…?
Shortly after Maleficent's arrival, Riku entered from his dark corridor. After entering, Riku held out his hand and summoned Keyblade Key, holding it out for the evil witch to get a good look at it.
"I see you were successful in finding what was rightfully yours." Maleficent said as her eyes fixated on the Keyblade.
Riku smirked and nodded. "That kid never had what it took to save Kairi, no matter hard he tried."
"If he were wise, he'd turn and run back to where he came from." She chuckled.
"He's not going to do that. He may not have what it takes, but the one thing he does have is a stubborn attitude." Riku shook his head.
Maleficent hummed as she thought for a moment. "Perhaps you might intervene more, my dear?"
"What?" He scoffed. "I already took the Keyblade back. There's no point in pushing him any further. He's worthless without it."
"Is he now? Or are you perhaps afraid that he just might possess a heart stronger than yours?" She asked while circling around him.
Riku growled as he swung the Keyblade. "Him? Stronger than me? You're delusional. His heart isn't worth anything."
"If you truly possess power that is unmatched, why not prove it to yourself?" Maleficent suggested. "It wouldn't hurt to know the truth, would it?
"I guess it wouldn't." He sighed while dismissing the Keyblade, looking down at Kairi. "I'll get you back home soon, Kairi. Just hang in there…"
With Riku now having a new reason to taunt Sora and try to bring him down, he summoned a dark corridor that, if Kairi remembered correctly, would take him back to where Sora would meet him at the entrance hall of the palace. There, the two would face each other and Sora would get his Keyblade back as well as Donald and Goofy on his side once more. Kairi sighed as she watched Riku depart, but not long after, her attention turned back to Maleficent.
Now that she had all seven Princesses of Heart gathered together, Maleficent was ready to continue on with her grand plan of summoning the final keyhole. She called out to the purest of hearts and demanded that they reveal the keyhole to her. Kairi gasped as all of the princesses' hearts began to glow with a sparkling light before shooting a beam of light above them. All but Kairi's heart seemed to respond, but Maleficent was a patient woman.
That is, until another party got involved.
From behind, a cloaked figure emerged from a dark corridor. Kairi gasped, remembering back to the night Destiny Islands disappeared. She had gone after Riku after she grew worried over his strange behavior, but instead of having a chance to help, he had gone into the secret place and opened up the door to the world. It was too late, and the island was swallowed, but Kairi remained in that secret place after Riku told her to stay in there and wait for him and Sora to come back and get her.
Riku never did come back. Instead, Kairi saw that cloaked figure in the secret place. She was scared, vulnerable, and her heart was weak at that moment. The figure had made an attempt to take her heart away at that very moment, but Sora rushing into the secret place was the only thing that stopped the whole thing. Kairi, already feeling like she had lost herself to the darkness, simply allowed the darkness to take her body, but her heart went into Sora's for comfort and safety. Although she would never see this cloaked figure again, Kairi would see the man who was under the cloak and would recognize him easily by his voice from that fateful night.
"Wait...is that…?" Chirithy gasped.
"Ansem...the Seeker of Darkness." Kairi muttered softly.
"Who dares disturb my work?" Maleficent huffed.
"You have nothing to fear." Ansem assured her. "I am the one who has overseen your work in retrieving all seven Princesses of Heart."
"Oh dear," She chuckled. "What an awkward situation. Had I known there was another one pulling the strings, I wouldn't have wasted time with that boy."
"No, the boy was necessary." He shook his head. "There is more than meets the eye. This world is an open book and the pages continue to turn as time moves forward."
Maleficent huffed as she moved toward Kairi's lifeless body. "I have no time for your riddles. I have all that I need."
"Such naivety." Ansem chuckled as he stood over Kairi. "If that were true, then you would know the truth about this girl."
"What truth?" She asked. "She is the seventh Princess of Heart, the last one needed to complete the keyhole."
"Come back when your heart is ready to listen."
Kairi sighed as she watched Maleficent brush off Ansem and depart into her own dark corridor. She was growing frustrated, knowing she had a limited amount of time in this memory before her past self would catch up and leave, forcing her out of the memory.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be learning from this…" Kairi sighed heavily. "This is stuff I already know."
Chirithy shook his head. "I'm not sure either. But all we can do is follow your grandma's heart."
Vor's heart drew closer to Kairi and shook as if trying to get her attention. Now with her attention fully on her grandmother's heart, she looked past and saw two more cloaked figures emerge. This time, they were both in Organization XIII coats. Now Kairi was beyond confused. She thought Organization XIII wasn't a thing until a year later after the worlds had already been restored. Then it occurred to her that Naminé was trapped in Castle Oblivion with members of Organization XIII for a while before Sora and the Riku Replica had a chance to help set her free. Kairi sighed, realizing that it was true. Organization XIII truly had been developing for a long time.
"Xemnas, Xigbar, has the Organization been completed?" Ansem asked.
Xemnas shook his head. "We need one more, the thirteenth. Once we have thirteen, it will only be a matter of time until the seven lights clash."
"And you're sure of the recruits?"
"Sure are!" Xigbar chuckled. "Two of them are Keyblade wielders from another time! A hundred years in the past, specifically! Crazy stuff, huh?"
"Indeed." Xemnas nodded. "However, they have since lost their ability to wield a Keyblade."
"That means for your thirteenth…" Ansem sighed.
"We kinda need at least one who can wield a Keyblade." Xigbar folded his arms. His eyes darted toward Kairi and a smirk grew on his face. "And I know just the one."
Xemnas looked at Kairi and hovered over her. "The girl?"
"Why the girl?" Ansem asked.
Xigbar chuckled as he created a hologram of Destiny's Embrace in front of them. "Not only is she a Princess of Heart, but she is a descendent from a long line of Keyblade wielders. Her grandmother studied with the old man Xehanort back in the day. Too bad she completely perished." He said with false sympathy.
"No!" Kairi yelled. "You're wrong!"
Chirithy shook his head. "Remember, this is a memory and he can't hear us!"
"Imagine this! Having a heart of pure light in the Organization!" Xigbar held his arms up.
"And how would that be of help to us?" Xemnas inquired.
Ansem nodded his head. "A pure light will not be thwarted or manipulated by dark intentions."
"As if!" Xigbar huffed. "What if I told you there's something about this girl that nobody else knows?"
"That will have to wait." Ansem said as he looked toward the doors. "In the meantime, I think I know of a boy who is fit to be your thirteenth vessel."
Kairi growled as she summoned her Keyblade, wanting to give Xigbar-or "Luxu"- a good beating. What was it he wasn't telling her? What did he know? She was tired of everyone speaking to her in riddles or in vague statements. Kairi went from simply wanting to free her grandmother's heart to having a desire to chase down Luxu and demand whatever hidden truths had had about her as he, Xemnas, and Ansem all departed the grand hall.
"What? What are they talking about?" Kairi asked. "What does Luxu know that nobody else knows?"
"I wish I knew! Even I am confused by what he's saying!" Chirithy rubbed his head.
"We have to find out!" She began running toward the dark corridor.
Chirithy gasped and held her back. "No! You can't! Remember, the rules of hopping through memories is like time travelling! You can only travel through memories in which you existed! It's already a risk doing this while you only just learned the Power of Waking! If you try and break the rules, something bad could happen to you!"
"But…" Kairi sighed. "But now that's going to be on my mind until we figure it out…"
"No it won't." He assured her. "I know your heart, and once you bring your grandma back, you won't have a care in the world about any of this. He could also just be bluffing. He has a way of manipulating others. Just look at what he did to Aros and Kaguya."
"Yeah, I guess you're right…"
Chirithy tapped on Kairi's shoulder, pointing her out to Vor's heart that began to float even higher up, almost out of reach.
"Where's her heart going?" Kairi asked.
"I don't know, but we'd better follow it!"
Kairi watched Vor's heart as it became engulfed with light, almost forming its own corridor of light. Where would the heart lead them? Wherever it went, Kairi knew she had to follow. With Chirithy still having her back, Kairi ran into the corridor of light, having no sense of where her grandmother's heart would lead her.
A/N: Holy hot damn, I ended up having to split this whole chunk of story into two chapters! Next chapter isn't far behind! I also went back and revisited KH1.5 while working on this chapter and oh my gosh, farming materials for synthesis in that game is work...