A/N: Ah yes! I got this chapter done quickly! Also guys, when you have a moment, please feel free to visit my profile for a new poll that I posted a few days ago. It's in regards to what my next fanfic project is gonna be, so it's in your hands! So please be sure to vote because I'm absolutely torn!
Chapter 74: Awakening
After following Vor's heart throughout a previous memory in Hollow Bastion and learning that her grandmother's body was shattered, Kairi didn't have any choice but to follow Vor's heart wherever it may be headed. It would know how to fix this mess. Kairi had never been steered wrong by her grandmother's wisdom and heart. This wouldn't be any different. Arriving from Hollow Bastion was Vor's heart followed by a light. The light would soon transform into Kairi, who would land safely in the location where the heart had led her.
It was a place that Kairi had been to in the past, albeit just once. She gasped as her eyes wandered around the peaceful place where the sky met the sea. She had to take a look down and apply pressure to the bottom of her foot just to make sure she was standing on solid ground and not floating in thin air. After taking a moment to adjust to her new surroundings, Chirithy popped out of the hood and let out a sigh. If there was anybody who knew this place best, it was him.
"Wait...is this…?" Kairi muttered softly.
"The Final World." Chirithy filled in for her. "This is the place where anybody with a strong enough will remains when they aren't ready to move on."
"Wait...do you think we might find Sora from here?" She asked.
"I'm not sure. It's hard to tell because while this may be The Final World, it's an endless realm where anybody could end up anywhere. Because we're following your grandma's heart, it most likely went to a place where she feels a strong connection." He explained. "Even if Sora were here, your grandma doesn't have as strong a connection to him like you do."
Kairi nodded. "Right...I understand."
As Chirithy had cautioned her, Kairi knew that if her grandmother or Sora ended up here, it would be a long time before she would find any of them. There didn't seem to be anybody else in The Final World. That is, until she saw a familiar figure walking off in the distance. It was a woman about her height, but much older. Kairi gasped, as she watched Vor's heart glow, reacting to the figure that was walking ahead. She knew who it was instantly.
"Grandma!" Kairi called out for her.
When her grandmother didn't answer, Kairi ran ahead toward her. Even when she was getting closer, there wasn't a single reaction out of the elderly woman. Sure, her hearing may not have been as good, but Kairi didn't remember her hearing being this bad. She reached forward to grab her grandmother's hand only for hers to pass right through. Confused, Kairi hurried to try and stop Vor completely. However, when the two crossed paths, the illusion faded away, engulfing Kairi in a light.
"Huh? What just happened?" Kairi asked.
Chirithy gasped, hopping up and down. "It's just as I suspected!"
"What is?"
"You may not remember this, or you may not have been aware of this, but do you remember what happened the first time you and the guardians of light fought the Demon Tide in the Keyblade Graveyard?" He asked.
Kairi thought for a moment. "Kind of. I remember floating in a cold and endless darkness, but desperately believing Sora to make it out safely and save the rest of us. It was almost like I was gone, but my light kept me in between."
"That's exactly what happened." Chirithy confirmed. "In actuality, while you and your friends had lost yourselves to the Demon Tide, your connection to Sora sent him here instead. While his heart was still intact, his body wasn't. It was shattered into pieces."
"Are you saying the same thing happened to my grandma?" She asked.
"It looks that way." Chirithy nodded. "When it happened to Sora, he had to piece his body together before he could return to the real world.
Kairi gasped as she looked further ahead and saw many copies of her grandmother wandering about. "So if I piece her body together…"
"Then you should be able to return back to the real world with her!" He said confidently.
If there was one person Kairi knew she could trust about this, it was Chirithy. He was there when Sora was in a similar situation. She was willing to do whatever it took to save her grandmother at this point. Even if it didn't work, trying to gather the copies of Vor's body was worth a shot
Kairi chased after Vor's various copies and collected them one by one, each of them fading away as she crossed paths with them. When it seemed like she was collecting all of them, she came to a stop at what appeared to be a dead end. There was a great white structure and there were copies of Vor's body on top of that too. Thankfully, Kairi was able to launch herself over the structure without much of an issue.
Now on the structure, Kairi was able to freely run around and keep collecting Vor's copies. There were a lot of them and it seemed to drag on forever, but as she could see the structure emptying out, she also felt the warmth of her grandmother getting closer and closer. It wouldn't be much longer before Kairi finally gathered the final copy, who happened to be wandering about over where she first started. She sighed with relief upon seeing that she had found all of the copies of her grandma's body and awaited for what would happen next.
With all of the copies of her body now collected, Vor's heart descended down and waited as the light that was gathered inside of Kairi emerged. It was hard to identify exactly what it was aside from being light, but Kairi could only take one guess and believe that this was some time of vessel that would house Vor's heart and be the final touch to restoring the fallen Keyblade wielder once again.
"Grandma? Is that you?" Kairi asked.
"It's...light." Chirithy muttered softly.
It was pure light and Vor's heart looked about ready to join with this vessel of light to restore herself. It had been way too long, and she was ready to go home, but unfortunately, that journey home would have to wait. Suddenly, the world around them started to ripple and shake. Vor's heart retreated while the light vessel vanished. With Kairi feeling like something was tugging at her heart, something definitely wasn't right. Whatever it was, it was trying to mess with her trying to restore her grandmother, and she wouldn't tolerate it.
"Bravo, my dear!" An elderly man's voice echoed from behind.
Kairi gasped, whipping around immediately as Chirithy cowered into her hood. Her eyes locked with a hooded figure that bore an Organization XIII coat. He was unfamiliar thanks to him concealing his face and yet, his voice sounded like one she had heard before.
"You! Who are you? Show your face!" Kairi growled as she stepped back.
The figure, without hesitation, removed his hood. Kairi didn't even have to wait until he was finished removing the hood to know who it was. The chiseled jawline, the age in his face, the small silver goatee on his chin and the lack of hair due to age and his alliance with darkness, it was him. It was the man who caused everything. It was because of him that Sora had vanished. He was the reason she was here on this journey. Kairi grunted as she looked into the yellow-orange eyes of the man before her and no longer felt any sort of guilt. He didn't just hurt her, or Sora, he hurt many.
"Xehanort…" Kairi breathed out softly.
"I should expect nothing less from the granddaughter of a former colleague of mine." Xehanort chuckled. "And the daughter of two prestigious Keyblade Masters. It's such a shame they couldn't keep their promise to protect you."
Kairi gasped as she curled her hand into a fist. "What are you saying?"
"You have much to learn about your past." He said while holding his hand up.
The blue sky of the Final World suddenly grew dark as the entire world around them began to change. Before Kairi knew it, she was standing in the middle of what looked like a world made up of massive towns with plenty of white structures, streets, and cable cars to travel between the various towns. At the center of each town seemed to be a massive clock tower, but didn't appear to look like a traditional clock. Although she couldn't say she ever visited this place, it looked and felt familiar. Even the name of the world came to her without much thought.
"This is… Scala Ad Caelum?" Kairi muttered softly.
"This world was once a place where the ancient Keyblade Masters once resided. It was a world that was full of light. Five unions, one by once, turning on the other as they seeked the light that would grant them the ability to summon Kingdom Hearts, thus creating a great Keyblade War, one that is doomed to repeat itself every hundred and fifty years. It's a never-ending cycle."
Kairi growled as her feet rubbed against the ground. "Just like the one you recreated, right?"
"Yes, it is true. However, the Book of Prophecies states that on that fateful day that light would expire, and darkness would overcome this world, and Sora meddling with destiny and fate cost him greatly." Xehanort explained.
"Sora did it to save others, not for himself!" She said in a defensive tone.
Kairi summoned her Keyblade before charging toward the elderly Keyblade Master. Although she had grown stronger over time, Xehanort was a master with decades of experience and strength from the darkness. He may have been a dark lingering memory, but as Kairi dove deep into her heart, the memories became more real. In turn, so did Xehanort. As she swung her Keyblade at him, he easily vanished out of sight, evading her attack.
"Where'd you go? Come out you coward!" Kairi yelled.
Chirithy tapped her on the shoulder. "Kairi! Look!"
Xehanort had reappeared behind Kairi and summoned an orb of dark energy that was fired at her back. The painful impact of the shot knocked her down onto the ground. A snicker formed on his face as he locked his eyes on the wounded princess as she yelped in pain from his attack.
"Sora, and to the same extent, you can meddle all you want, but neither of you can run from your destiny. Just like your dear grandmother couldn't run from hers." Xehanort said as he flexed his gloved fingers back and forth.
"My grandma wouldn't run away from anything unless she felt it was the right thing to do!" Kairi argued as she got back up from the ground, still holding onto her Keyblade tightly.
Xehanort chuckled. "And what makes you believe that."
"Because…" Kairi breathed deeply, resting her hand along her heart. "I've felt her spirit within me. I may not have known it at the time, but her spirit has been with me all these years! She helped me gain the courage I need to stand up for the people I love and for what I believe in! It was because of her that I never forgot or lost sight of who I was! It was her wisdom that has reminded me to never lose sight of what's truly important! My grandmother was strong for me for many years, and now, I'll be strong for her! Whatever trials and tribulations I'm up against, I'll conquer them!"
"The past is a painful place to dwell upon." He cautioned her. "If you are to have a bright future, you must confront and conquer your past."
"I intend to, starting with you! You're the one who was always messing with my fate! If it weren't for everything you've done, Sora and my friends would be safe! " Kairi yelled. "Even if you're not really here and this is only a memory or illusion, I won't let you walk away!"
Xehanort could only laugh as he summoned No Name, ready for whatever fight she put up against him. Without hesitation, Kairi shuffled back and forth as she slid toward Xehanort with an attempt to get him in the lower region. Despite his age, Xehanort's reflexes were unmatched. With one hand, he could block any attack that came his way and use the other to deflect.
In a time where Kairi was relying on all her strength to carry her through, she used the fact that Xehanort blocked her attack to her advantage. She leaned back and shoved his Keyblade with her feet to send herself flying backwards into a flip. Xehanort gasped, before clenching his teeth at the successful evasion maneuver. He wasn't about to let a Princess of Heart get off so easy. After Kairi successfully landed on her feet, Xehanort held out his hand toward her, causing the ground beneath her to launch her into the air.
Thanks to her aerial training, Kairi regained her composure and shot her Keyblade toward Xehanort, engulfing herself in light and teleporting herself to meet with her weapon and get a hit on him. Although she could get a hit on him, Xehanort was able to block the rest of her combo. He had to admit that she had become quite the Keyblade wielder in the short time she had trained, but it would never be enough in his mind, especially knowing exactly what her main weakness was.
Xehanort's eyes scrolled over to Vor's heart that had been off to the side looking after Kairi. Knowing that the heart was all she could care about right now, he breathed out as called forth The Lich. It was the same pureblood Heartless that Kairi had already dealt with once before when it had stolen Tiana's heart. Now, it was even more personal. Kairi's eyes shot wide as she saw The Lich imprison Vor's heart and carry it off further into the town. While she was distracted with the Heartless, Xehanort vanished once more.
"No!" Kairi cried out.
"Just as you cannot change your destiny, you cannot change your fate." Xehanort's voice echoed.
"Yeah? Well just watch me!"
Chirithy tapped on her shoulder. "Kairi...we've got something else to worry about too…"
Kairi looked back and was taken back by the person who was walking past her. It was herself! Yet, was it also her past self? She looked exactly like she did at the moment. When did this happen? Unbeknownst to Kairi, this was the moment after Xehanort had shattered her heart and when Sora used the Power of Waking to save her. As a matter of fact, Sora's past self was right around the corner and was already chasing after her and her heart.
"Is that...me? But how?" Kairi asked.
"You have no way of knowing this, but when Xehanort shattered your heart, it was scattered into pieces here in Scala Ad Caelum." Chirithy explained.
"Look!" She peered around the corner of a building. "There's Sora!"
"Kairi!" Sora called for her name before chasing after the illusion.
Chirithy sighed and nodded. "In order to save you, Sora had to piece your heart back together."
"But why would he have to come here? Why am I here?"
"Because you were Xehanort's last resort. He was determined to keep it that way." He explained. "Let's just say, he didn't expect Sora to be able to travel to Scala Ad Caelum, but we have to hurry and get your grandma's heart back!" Chirithy urged her. "Remember, we only have as much time in this memory as your past self had existing! Once Sora pieced your heart together, it remained with him until he was able to restore you fully, so we have to hurry before he leaves!"
Kairi growled as she summoned her Keyblade. "Right! Let's go, Chirithy!"
The Lich was moving as fast, if not quicker than it had the last time Kairi had faced one. It was as if it had a reason to be more relentless with her because the heart in possession was one that had such a strong connection with her. Regardless of whether that was the case or not, it was going to take more than a pathetic Heartless to stop her now, not after she had already come this far in her journey. Kairi charged up the steps in the breezy quarter, striking down any additional Neoshadow Heartless that attempted to get in her way.
In addition to a barrage of Heartless that did their best to stop her, Kairi avoided the Firaga spells that were fired at her as The Lich zipped all around the quarter. She was knocked back after it charged toward her and suddenly knocked her back with its staff. Despite being knocked back, Kairi recovered and countered by casting Pearlga spells at it. She was careful to not hit Vor's heart accidentally and even with it being in The Lich's grasp, she didn't want to take a chance of doing any harm to the already aged heart.
"I already defeated you once, and I'll do it again!" Kairi yelled as she landed on the ground.
"Be careful, Kairi. This time you're on your own." Chirithy cautioned her.
Yes, Kairi was on her own this time, but she also wasn't. She locked eyes for The Lich, who seemed to have her heart next on its mind, and understandably so. Using the Power of Waking only made her heart more vulnerable and considering her heart was fractured and relying solely on her light to keep her going, it was also weakened from the use of the Power of Waking. It didn't matter at the end for Kairi though. She was determined enough that if she wanted something bad enough, she wouldn't stop until she got it.
The Lich was a smart Heartless though. It took Vor's heart into the missing heart-shaped section of its body and suddenly began to change. The grim-reaper look alike had cast its physical shape aside and in its place appeared to be a young girl about her height. Kairi's breath shook as she saw the unfamiliar face. Considering The Lich was using her grandmother's heart, she knew it was her grandmother at a younger age and from when she was a Keyblade wielder herself. Although Vor was engulfed in darkness was more of a shadow than anything, she still retained her youthful face, her short hair that curled at the ends, and the cloak that blew with Scala Ad Caelum's winds.
Kairi tried to call for her grandmother, only for the young girl's face to remain deadpanned. Instead, 'Vor' summoned Destiny's Embrace, got into a defensive position and waited for Kairi to make the first move. The last thing she expected was to be fighting her own grandmother, but knew it was all the work of The Lich. This was the same kind of trickery Xehanort used to try and manipulate Sora and Riku into falling to the darkness. Kairi wouldn't make that same mistake. She gritted her teeth while clutching onto her Keyblade.
"You've already taken everything else from me…" Kairi muttered softly. "You're not taking this!"
'Vor' huffed, the muffled and almost nonexistent voice from The Lich echoed. She launched herself forward and immediately tried to strike Kairi down, only for the latter to dodge roll out of the way. She cast Firaga spells, hoping to get the shadow weakened. Kairi sighed, knowing she couldn't hurt her too much because she would still have to free Vor's heart from its clutches. Although 'Vor' took the hit, it would take more than a few spells to do any good. She launched herself up into the air and cast Thundaga, which scraped Kairi, but not enough to do much damage.
Kairi used a shield to block the Blizzaga spells that 'Vor' cast at her before the more experienced Keyblade wielder teleported out of the way and behind her. She yelped as she looked back and barely caught wind of 'Vor' striking her. Having a flash second, Kairi blocked the attack and shoved her back with all her strength. 'Vor' launched up before casting dark energy to rain on top of Kairi. She blocked them with a light barrier before shattering it as a way to counter 'Vor' and send her falling.
Having the advantage, Kairi tossed her Keyblade to 'Vor' and teleported over to get closer much faster. The opponent still hadn't bounced back yet and it left 'Vor' wide open for Kairi to strike her a few times in succession, a successful combo. Although it was a strong attempt, 'Vor' wasn't done yet. She shook it off before healing herself and firing dark energy spells.
As Kairi dodged and took cover behind one of the buildings, she took a moment to consider other options. If her grandmother was a powerful Keyblade wielder, then this meant as long as The Lich had possession of Vor's heart, it was going to be much tougher for Kairi to take it down. There was one possible idea she came up with. It just might be her last resort, but it was the only way to free her grandmother's heart.
With 'Vor' starting to levitate in the air to cast another rain of dark energy, Kairi launched herself up and toward the shadow. She held a hand out and cast Stopga to freeze 'Vor' in place. Now that she couldn't move, Kairi aimed her Keyblade at 'Vor's' chest and shot a beam of light toward it. Just as she suspected, Vor's heart was released and freed from The Lich, causing it to revert back to its normal state and allowing the heart to retreat temporarily back into Kairi's for safety.
Despite The Lich losing its grip on Vor's heart, it still had Kairi as a target. Now that she had both hearts, it was even more desperate. The Lich began zipping around the square, leaving clones of it around to try and throw Kairi off, but having faced this thing before, she knew exactly how to handle it. She ignored the clones and followed the real thing, shuffling back and forth and dodging the Firaga spells that were thrown at her. When it charged at her, Kairi backflipped before charging head first.
The Lich was caught off guard this time and Kairi could not only get a number of hard-hitting physical attacks on it, but finish off the combo with a great Thundaga spell. She could tell The Lich was growing weak and decided it was time to finish this thing off with a bang. Kairi launched herself into the air and aimed all of her energy at The Lich. She had cast her shotlock and brought orbs of light energy raining on top of the Heartless. Having dove down with her light magic, Kairi went right for the neck and stabbed it directly.
Between the damage it took from taking Vor's form, and the final impaling from Kairi, The Lich was finally no more. It shook violently in despair before it collapsed onto the ground, fading away into the darkness. It was a powerful foe, but Kairi had proven herself more than worthy to take the Heartless down and protect her grandmother's heart just as she had always protected her over the years in spirit.
"I've got you, Grandma." Kairi said softly while smiling.
Kairi's moment of relief was suddenly interrupted by Xehanort appearing a distance away behind her. Although The Lich was defeated. She remembered that it was just a pawn of Xehanort's. She didn't even dismiss her Keyblade, knowing that there was no escaping this nightmare that her dark memories conjured up. If Xehanort was going to stand there and spout about confronting her past and facing it, then that was exactly what she was going to do.
"You've become quite the Keyblade wielder." Xehanort chuckled with false enthusiasm. "For a retired master, Yen Sid prepared you remarkably well."
"Flattery won't get you off so easy!" Kairi huffed. "Sora and I defeated you once before and this time won't be any different!"
"I'm afraid Sora cannot aid you this time." Xehanort said as he summoned his Keyblade. "I'm not so sure he will ever again."
"I've had enough of this!"
Sick of Xehanort's taunting, Kairi charged forward and attempted to strike him with her Keyblade. He successfully evaded her a few times before using his own Keyblade to block her attack, both blades clashing a number of times. Holding their weapons tightly, each of them pushed against each other, trying to out the other person.
Kairi flipped back to get out of the close face-off with Xehanort and started casting Pearlga spells at him. He was able to evade them for the most part until one of them finally got him square in the gut. Using this to her advantage, Kairi launched forward for another attempt to attack him physically. Unfortunately, despite taking the attack, Xehanort was able to teleport out of the way and behind her. Kairi, leaning instantly from the last time and from when Xemnas had caught her off guard, immediately leapt out of the way and tried to counter. Xehanort grabbed her Keyblade instead and lifted her off the ground.
"Your strength alone will only get you so far." Xehanort shook his head.
"You're right." Kairi inhaled, catching her breath. "It's a good thing I'm never alone then!"
To catch Xehanort off guard, Kairi released her grip from her Keyblade before re-summoning it and firing Firaga spells at him. Xehanort was hit this time, but not hurt enough to allow Kairi to completely overpower him. He blocked any oncoming physical attacks from her and even knocked her back at one point. With her versatility, Kairi was able to hop right back up from the ground and launch herself toward Xehanort. She attempted the same pattern of physical attacks and was actually able to knock him off balance this time. Quickly taking advantage of the quick second she had before he countered, Kairi engulfed herself in light zipped back and forth with seven stars, getting a few good hits on him.
Kairi was proving to be a powerful opponent, more so than Xehanort had thought. Even if he was just an illusion, he still retained just as much the memory and strength he had when he was alive. He was even still in just as much denial that this 'amateur' Keyblade wielder just might be stronger than he was. Kairi may have been physically strong, but Xehanort knew how to get to her.
"A Princess of Heart that can wield a Keyblade." Xehanort chuckled. "If only you knew."
Kairi huffed as she pulled back on her Keyblade. "What? What do you know?"
"If you are to find out, you must dive beyond the darkest depths of your heart, a place not suited for a pure light such as yourself. I cannot guarantee you will even make it back to your friends should you go through with it." He cautioned her.
"No!" She yelled. "I'll find answers my own way! And it won't include you!"
Xehanort growled as he charged for Kairi, who was able to block him with her light barrier before shattering it to repel him. He grunted in frustration as he could feel himself growing weaker. He would be the last person to admit to losing, especially to a Keyblade wielder who lacked the experience and teaching that he obtained in his youth. Now, he was getting desperate and all he could do was unleash all of his strength he had.
Kairi gasped as Xehanort teleported above her and held up his Keyblade, summoning energy rays from below the ground and attempting to do harm to her. She was able to dodge most of them successfully before getting hit by one, which led to getting hit by another, and another. After taking some decent damage from the energy rays, Kairi cast Curaga on herself and was instantly ready to jump back into the fight. She was able to teleport close to Xehanort and hit him a number of times before he was able to evade another attack.
Above Kairi, Xehanort summoned glowing keyholes in the sky and from each keyhole, a shadow replica, each bearing the armor of Xehanort, launched their way into the fight and toward her. They were mere shadows that could be taken out with one hit, but the fact that there were thirteen of them concerned her. Kairi blocked any of them that she could, while also using Thundaga to take out the ones that tried to surround her. Being able to repel some of them, Kairi made quick work out of each of the remaining ones.
Leaving Xehanort running out of options, he raised his Keyblade and summoned meteors above that began to rain toward Kairi. She gasped upon recognizing this power that he had once attempted to use on her and Sora the last time they faced off against him. She could feel the ground tremoring below her, but did what she could to slide and dodge out of the way of the crashing meteors. Whichever ones she couldn't avoid, Kairi blocked to the best of her ability. While she couldn't block them completely without taking any damage, it was still minimal compared to how it could've been had she not even tried.
Xehanort's body became engulfed in darkness as he held a hostile glare with Kairi, who returned said hostility, but with her body becoming engulfed in light. This was the end, she could feel. Xehanort wasn't going down with a fight and if she was going to take him down and cast her out of her memory and life, she would have to unleash all the power she had. Kairi watched as he levitated above her to have the advantage before aiming his Keyblade at her and shooting dark energy at her.
Kairi didn't have much time, but in that split moment, she gathered all of the strength she had gotten from her grandmother and her friends and fired a wave of light at Xehanort. The two energy waves collided with each other and upon first glance, they were pretty even in strength and even continued to build up into a massive orb of energy that would take anyone out upon impact. Kairi growled as she could feel herself losing her grip on her light, but dug deep into her heart. She needed just a little more help. Suddenly, the light of her grandmother's heart erupted inside of her, giving her the extra boost she needed.
Thanks to Vor's help with her own strength, Kairi's power finally outweighed Xehanort's. He completely lost all control of his dark energy, and the orb of light that had been formed was fired at Xehanort and exploded upon impact. The knockback from the explosion caused Kairi to tumble backwards. She watched as Xehanort fell to his knees, holding his chest and breathing hoarsely, desperate to hang onto whatever he had left.
Kairi got up and brushed herself off before walking to Xehanort and standing above him. For once, she was finally the one looking down on him. She was stronger. The ongoing battle of who was at fault for Sora's disappearance was finally over. Kairi no longer felt any ounce of hatred for the man cowering before her, but rather, pity. This man had given into the darkness and allowed it to control him. He hurt many, including her, and now, he had lost the battle. She had won.
"You…" Xehanort growled. "You...understand...so little." Xehanort breathed out.
Kairi shook her head. "You're wrong. I may have a lot to learn about a lot of things, but standing before you today, I understand much more than I did when I stood before you a year ago."
"A meaningless effort…" He chuckled weakly.
"That's what you think." She snapped.
"One who knows nothing...can understand nothing…"
Xehanort coughed, gasping for air as he finally faded away, allowing the dark memory to finally be cast aside. Kairi suddenly felt a strong burden lifted off her shoulder. She no longer felt haunted by the presence of Xehanort or felt remorse for Sora's disappearance. She may have been the one he sacrificed himself for, but finally understood that it was all his decision. Xehanort was the one who hurt her and her friends. Xehanort was the one who set everything in motion. Xehanort was the source of her guilt, and she was finally free.
"Memories sure like to mess with us, don't they?" Kairi sighed.
Chirithy nodded. "This is one of the dangers of using the Power of Waking. Whether you're a Princess of Heart or not, everyone's darkest memories lie deep in their heart."
"I remember Mickey saying something like that." She nodded. "To protect my grandmother's heart, my light hid it in the darkest depths of my heart and that's why Ansem, Ienzo, and Even couldn't find it when they first observed. And then my heart was...fractured. It still is."
"You're lucky you've had time to rest between uses. Keep in mind how much of your power it takes." He cautioned her.
"Yeah, because if I use it too many times…" Kairi softly said as she rested a hand over her heart. "I'll.."
Chirithy shook his head and rested a paw over her heart. "You won't. I won't let it happen. I may not have a Keyblade or any powerful magic, but I am a Chirithy, and it's in my duty and heart to watch out for my Keyblade wielder. Even if you're not technically my wielder…" His voice shook. "You're still my friend! And friends like you don't always come around! So I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, okay?"
"Chirithy…" She laughed softly as she hugged him tightly. "Thank you."
"We can have an emotional heart to heart later over some ice cream." He said with a nod. "In the meantime, we have a grandma to greet first!"
Kairi gasped and nodded, remembering that Chirithy was absolutely correct. It was in this time that Vor's heart came out of her own and Scala Ad Caelum faded away. They were now back in The Final World once again, a place much more peaceful.
"Grandma?" Kairi asked as she watched her heart ascend above.
With Vor's heart still safe and her body now assembled with Kairi's help, now it was a matter of putting it all together. Destiny's Embrace summoned itself in Kairi's hand without the need to ask for it, as if the heart of the Keyblade knew exactly what to do next. After all, it was Vor's Keyblade at one point or another. Kairi watched as a massive keyhole of light formed in front of her, courtesy of help from Vor's heart. With the keyhole solidified, Kairi fired a beam of light into the middle, causing it to become engulfed in light, almost as if she were unlocking it. As the middle of the keyhole glowed, Vor's heart retreated into that light. What would come of that? It was a matter of waiting now.
Kairi's heart started racing as she allowed the light to work its magic and miracles. Before her, emerging from the light, she could see the full figure of her grandmother. The light slowly faded away to reveal all of her physical features, still as they were over ten years ago when she first lost herself. Her skin was still the pale color that matched Kairi's, her grey hair was still combed back into a bun, and she was still wearing her favorite purple dress with that silly apron that she would wear for no reason.
It was her. Kairi gasped, her body shaking. This was no longer a dream, or a flashback, or a vision. It was her grandmother. Her grandmother was really there. After over a decade of never seeing the only one of her in Radiant Garden, Kairi was finally really looking at her. She was still as beautiful and peaceful as ever. She was real, or so Kairi thought she was. She had to know right away if this was a dream or reality.
"Grandma!" Kairi cried out, unable to stand still.
Vor, hearing the words of her granddaughter, cracked open her ocean blue eyes. Her vision was initially incredibly blurry, both from this being her first time opening them in over a decade, but also from age. Although it took her a second to process what was happening, Vor immediately found herself grounded as she looked ahead to find the person that the ever so sweet young lady's voice belonged to.
"Is...is that my Kairi?" Vor muttered softly. As her granddaughter's figure drew closer and her red hair was more defined, she could see it was the one person she cherished more than anyone else. "Oh! My Kairi!" She cried and held her arms open.
"Grandma!"
Kairi leapt into Vor's arms, careful not to knock her over or hurt her on account that she wasn't as sturdy as her friends were. At that moment, nothing else mattered, not to Kairi or Vor. In that bright blue sky that the two always imagined in the days they would tell stories together was a grandmother who was finally reunited with her granddaughter-who was arguably more like a daughter to her-after being separated for over ten years. Kairi sighed, feeling the warmth and comfort of her grandmother. Everything suddenly seemed okay. She suddenly felt like she was home.
As Vor held Kairi, she couldn't keep her thoughts straight. Not only was she finally with her granddaughter again, but she looked so different and the same at the same time. Her hair was still the beautiful red that glowed in the sunlight and blew with the wind. Her eyes matched those of her father's and sparkled with the light. She had definitely grown though and was maturing into a young woman. They were now the same height! Even with Kairi being grown up, Vor couldn't have imagined a more perfect reunion for them. The two of them broke the embrace and Vor cradled Kairi's face with her hands, getting a good look at her.
"Oh, my dear..." Vor breathed out. "Look at you! You're all grown up!"
"And you haven't aged a day!" Kairi laughed.
Vor chuckled, blushing at her granddaughter's compliment. She gasped as she saw Chirithy poke his head out from Kairi's hood. "And it appears you've brought a friend with you!"
"I would have been out sooner, but I wanted to give you two a moment alone." Chirithy explained as he climbed onto Kairi's shoulder.
"My aren't you adorable?" She chuckled as she stroked his cheek.
"Awww shucks!" He giggled while blushing.
"This is Chirithy. He's been looking out for me this whole time." Kairi pet him on the head as she introduced him. "And Chirithy, this is Vor, my grandma."
Chirithy held out a paw and bowed his head. "Pleased to meet you!"
"The pleasure is all mine." Vor said with a smile.
Kairi gasped as she and Vor looked off to the side and could see a corridor of light forming. She sighed and smiled, knowing this was her heart's way of saying she was successful in using the Power of Waking to restore her grandmother. Now, it was time for them to return to where they belong.
"Light." Vor sighed.
"It's a door to the light." Kairi nodded.
Vor chuckled and nodded before realizing they were floating up in the sky. "Oh my good-we're flying. You did always want to fly when you were a girl."
"I did and we are!" She said while nodding eagerly. "Come on." She locked her hand with Vor's. "It's time for us to go home, together."
"Together."
In that shining moment, Vor smiled at Kairi with sparkling eyes. She was already proud of the person her granddaughter was growing into, but she couldn't have been more proud of how far she had come. She never once expected Kairi to go through such a dangerous task of using the Power of Waking to save her, but nonetheless was grateful for her courage. If anything, Vor knew it was what made Kairi all the more special to her. She held onto Kairi's hand as the two of them flew through the bright sky and into the corridor that would send them back home to Radiant Garden.
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/
While everything went down with Kairi and her grandmother, Riku, Naminé, Xion, and the rest of their friends were anxiously waiting in the town square of Radiant Garden. Waiting for Kairi to come back wasn't making anyone any less anxious. The suggestion of doing something productive was there, but nobody could concentrate on anything else. They had already lost Sora to the Power of Waking and there was that fear that Kairi may be unsuccessful and they'd lose her too, but there was always that guilt of having any doubt in her. It was a complicated mess of emotions for her fellow guardians of light.
"Kairi's been gone for a while now." Xion broke the silence as she dangled her legs off the fountain.
Ven sat up and stretched his arms out. "I'm sure she's okay."
"Sorry, I just can't help but worry. It seems like there's always some dark force that tries to take one of our friends away."
"I understand." Aqua said with a nod. "But the best thing we can do now is believe in her. Like Sora, that's where her strength comes from."
Riku nodded before silently excusing himself from the group. He walked closer to the palace gates, feeling like he should go back to the gardens to wait for Kairi, but even he knew that waiting there wouldn't be good for him either. Aqua noticed that Riku had been the quietest among everyone that day. She couldn't blame him. When she, Terra, and Ven all went to the Realm of Darkness so soon after returning home, she always had that twinge of fear in her gut that she was going to lose them again.
"You okay?" Aqua asked as she rested a hand on Riku's shoulder.
"Oh, yeah. I'm just...keeping watch." Riku said quietly.
"She'll be okay." She assured him. "I can feel it."
"I know. That's why I'm keeping watch." He chuckled. "When she makes it back with her grandmother, I'll be the first one to promise I'll never say she can't do something ever again."
Aqua laughed. "She always had it in her. I knew it the moment I laid eyes on her over ten years ago, when I cast that magic spell on her."
"Huh, I don't know if I felt it that far back. I'm not sure if that makes me a jerk or not." He folded his arms and shook his head.
"Don't discount yourself. You were little at that time." She encouraged Riku.
"But what about recently? The night she ran away?" Riku asked.
"Well, you were in a difficult situation too. You were scared. Losing Sora wasn't your first time being separated from your best friend, but it was the first time being separated and not having a single clue of where he was." Aqua assured him.
Riku sighed, turning away. "Even now, there's still a little part in me that's…"
"And that's normal. I'd be worried if you didn't feel the least bit scared for your friends."
"I guess there's a healthy balance between believing in your friends and worrying about them." He smiled softly. "Guess it's no different than you worrying about Terra and Ven."
Aqua laughed and nodded. "I have to, especially that one over there." She pointed out Ven, who nearly lost his balance and fell into the fountain. "He has a tendency to either run off or get captured."
"Sounds like another friend I know." Riku laughed as he gazed back up into the sky. "But...she's come a long way. Nobody can ever take away what she has worked for."
"You two worried?" Mickey asked as he came to join his fellow Keyblade Masters.
Riku chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing more than what a typical concerned parent would be. You would know what that feels like." He joked.
Mickey chuckled and shook his head. "I'd be lying if I said you were wrong."
"We're all alike in the sense that our greatest strength comes from our friends. That's why we need to just believe in Kairi right now." Aqua reminded them.
"Kairi has proven me wrong many times and this time won't be any different." The king said with his hands on his hips.
"You sound like you're taking it well." Aqua laughed.
"Well, as a king and Keyblade Master, I am prone to having certain doubts, but nothing relieves me more than being proven wrong during those times."
When it seemed like everyone had broken off to their smaller individual groups to mingle and converse, there was a faint burst in the sky. Naminé, having spent most of her time drawing in her sketchbook, looked up at the sound of the burst. She looked closely and could suddenly see what looked like two bright comets falling toward the world. Naminé furrowed her eyebrows and tried to question the logic of having falling stars or comets during the middle of the day, but gasped upon realizing there were exactly two and there was only one reason why they were falling directly toward where the palace's gardens were.
"Hey! Everyone look up there!" Naminé pointed out the falling lights.
"Wha! Is that?" Donald hopped up.
Riku gasped as his eyes followed the falling lights down. "Kairi...you really did it."
"Come on, we gotta go meet her!" Xion said as she ran ahead.
Just before the two falling lights could land in the gardens, they stopped mid-air and gave Kairi and Vor a chance to catch themselves and have a smooth landing. Together they were slowly lowered down and landed on their feet in the middle of a patch of flowers where Kairi initially left.
Vor gasped as her eyes began to wander around. She instantly recognized everything. She knew the flowers. She remembered where the closest fountain was. She even remembered that there was one fountain where the arm of the statue accidentally broke off from a couple teenagers sneaking in and causing trouble. Flashbacks of the days when Vor lived here with Kairi began to run through her mind. It was those days that she always lived for. Although it was over ten years later, this moment felt like they had never been separated.
"Oh my...this is…" Vor breathed out. "It's just as I remember it!"
Kairi giggled and nodded. "It's even better now! After Radiant Garden fell to darkness, some friends of ours restored it to what it once was and even more!"
"It's beautiful...it's home…"
Home, Kairi thought. Vor was right. It was home. It was their home. Just like Vor, Kairi felt in that moment like nothing terrible happened. She was just a young girl in the gardens with her grandmother. Kairi smiled as she could see the childlike wonder in her grandmother's face. In her elder years, Vor didn't need much, just her home and her granddaughter. The peaceful bliss Kairi felt was suddenly cut off as she felt a palpitation in her chest. It wasn't painful, but enough to garner her attention. She held her chest for a moment before looking down at her hand that slowly but surely blinked as if her light was fading in and out.
It was at that moment that Kairi was reminded of her heart's condition. Her light could only do so much before it started to weaken. The thought that she was going to have to use the Power of Waking to save Sora was haunting. What if her light couldn't handle something like this again?
"Kairi? Are you okay my dear?" Vor asked.
"Yeah, just fine!" Kairi said with a confident smile.
Kairi didn't have the heart to tell Vor what she was thinking. This was a happy moment for both of them, and the last thing she needed was for both of them to be emotionally distressed over the future. It was time to focus on the present. Ahead of them were Kairi's friends being led into the gardens by Riku. If there was anything that could get her mind off anything distressing, it was her friends.
"My friends!" Kairi cried out and ran toward them.
Vor could only laugh as she was dragged along. "Would you look at them! They're such a colorful group!"
After dragging her grandmother along with her, Kairi finally let go and took a moment to hug everyone. Naminé and Xion were the first to wrap her up with Riku tightening up the space between them. He couldn't help but laugh at how much softer he had become and how he didn't try to hold as much of a tough exterior like had had in the past. There was almost no point to it. If he cared that much about his friends, he should show it more.
"You're okay, Kairi!" Naminé hugged her.
Xion nodded as she tightened the group hug. "We were worried about you!"
"Yeah." Riku said in agreement. "Not that we didn't believe in you or anything, but-"
"I understand." Kairi laughed as they broke the hug and she looked up at Riku. "It's just the nature of your big heart."
"Big heart? I wouldn't call it big or anything, but-" He chuckled as he scratched the back of his head.
"Aw, come on, Riku! You're always trying to get out of compliments!" Ven teased him.
Aqua nodded as she ruffled Riku's hair. "Ven's not wrong. Terra's the same way!" She laughed.
"Oh yeah!" Kairi took Vor's hand and brought her forward. "Everyone, this is Vor, my grandmother. Welcome home, Grandma!" Kairi welcomed her.
"Oh my! Well-" She giggled. "This is quite a homecoming!"
"Welcome back, Miss!" Goofy greeted her.
"Grandma," Kairi took Vor's hand and led her around. "I want you to meet everyone. First, this is Ven and Aqua."
Vor gasped as she laid her eyes on Aqua. "Oh! I remember you!"
"I do too." Aqua smiled and nodded. "Kairi was just a little girl when we last met."
"Oh, how I wish I had gotten your name back in the day, but I'm happy to see you and my granddaughter are such good friends!"
"And then this is King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Riku." Kairi moved onto the next group of friends.
Vor chuckled and shook her head. "My, my, you've had quite the journey, haven't you?" She asked Riku.
"Uh…" Riku stammered, his face blushing from embarrassment. "You could say that."
"Riku is a bit of a troublemaker, right?" Vor asked Kairi with a wink.
"Only a little?" Donald asked in a teasing manner, causing everyone in the group to erupt into laughter.
"Well, no matter." Vor chuckled. "My granddaughter did have a special place in her heart for you and I know she'll continue to do so."
Riku looked over at Kairi, who simply smiled and nodded, assuring him that nothing would ever change between them. "Yeah, I'll hold her to that."
Kairi looked to Xion and Naminé next. "And Grandma, these are the friends that have been with me from the beginning of my journey. This is Xion and-"
"Naminé!" Vor cut her off.
Naminé gasped. "You...know who I am?"
"I sure do! It's not everyday you meet someone who has the same face as you." She chuckled.
"The same face…?" Kairi asked in confusion.
Vor smiled and nodded. "Oh yes. I looked exactly like Naminé did when I was a young girl once I entered my teen years! Although, my hair was never this straight. She absolutely inherited that from you, Kairi."
"Wait! I thought Naminé looked like me because I was the one who lost my heart!"
Mickey nodded. "This is true, Kairi. But you're a Princess of Heart, and because you have pure light, you can't naturally produce a Nobody or a Heartless."
"Hmmm, do you think it was because her grandma was in Kairi's heart?" Goofy asked.
"That would make sense." Riku said with a nod. "It's the same reason why Roxas looks like Ven instead of Sora. Roxas looks like him because Ven's heart was deep inside of Sora's. If Kairi's heart didn't have anybody else inside of her, then Naminé would've looked exactly like Kairi. So that means Naminé took the form of Kairi's grandmother when she was created."
"Wow...the things you learn these days." Naminé gasped, looking at Vor in the eyes.
Xion formed a smirk and got close to Riku. "Does this mean we can say you have a thing for old ladies?"
"Ah! Whaaaaaat?" Riku asked in horror, his face flushed red.
Everyone burst into laughter at Xion's jab and Naminé was especially blushing from embarrassment. She didn't even know what to make of that comment, but decided to just laugh along with it anyway. Kairi could only step back and smile as she watched her grandmother be welcomed back home by such a wonderful group of friends. Even with how joyous this occasion was, Kairi could feel another palpitation in her chest, followed by a couple more. It was enough to make her feel slightly lightheaded and she grabbed one of the many sculptures in the gardens for support.
"Kairi? Are you okay?" Ven asked softly upon noticing her state. "You look a little feint."
Kairi wiped her brow and nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright." She said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I just need to rest."
"Good idea. You've had a long day." Aqua nodded in agreement. "I'm sure your grandma could use the rest too."
"Oh, I've rested for over ten years! I've got heaps of senior energy you've never seen before!" Vor laughed. "But, my granddaughter is a growing girl still. I'm sure some rest will do you good, my dear."
"Maybe while you're resting, we can take her around town?" Riku suggested to Kairi. "Make her feel like home again."
Mickey nodded and held his hand out toward the town. "I'm sure the locals will be ecstatic to see you back again!"
"That would be just lovely." Vor accepted the offer. "But first, I must take this little one back to the palace and see to it that she's comfortable in her bed."
Kairi laughed softly. Even at the age of 16, her grandmother was still looking out for her and utilizing her maternal nature to her fullest. While she was more than capable of just going back to the palace and climbing into bed, she knew Vor needed to be with her for a little bit before the two parted so she could rest. Kairi took Vor's hand and told Riku that her grandmother would meet them in the square after they finished at the palace, giving the two a little more alone time together as they took a walk back into the palace.
Vor suddenly began looking around, as if she had lost something. "Kairi...we never...we never finished Red Riding Hood." She choked out. "I never told you what happened to her."
"I do…" Kairi allowed a tear to fall down her face as she gazed into her grandmother's eyes. "She found her grandmother and they lived happily ever after."
With a sigh, Vor pulled Kairi into another hug. She didn't need to finish that story after all. Kairi had lived her own fairytale, as did Vor. The two had found each other once again and Vor had finally gotten her happy ending once again. However, Kairi still had one more mission to accomplish and one more person to save before she would get her happy ending.
A/N: Oh man, I was listening to Edge of Existence while writing the Lich and Xehanort fight scenes and that tune slaps! Also, I promise that was NOT the final boss for this fic, we still have more to go LOL But yay! Kairi's grandma has officially returned!