Preface

Kairi's PoV

After Sora had disappeared, Kairi had thrown herself into her training… but even that was understating it. Through massive hard work, she had become one of the best Keyblade Masters to ever exist… one who had no problem dispensing justice on those who deserved it, and even enjoyed doing so as she looked for Sora.

And the need to "dispense justice" was exactly what she and Riku had to do right now—in Kairi's eyes, at least—as the two of them were chasing down a rogue vampire who just wanted to watch the world burn.

But as the vampire just wanted to fight, and so did she, Kairi supposed they weren't so different—and that was something that was starting to scare her more than anything else. The thrill of her own hunt was the only thing that at all made her feel alive after Sora had died.

The two friends were currently running on a scaffolding past a sign that said "Welcome Faith"—that the aforementioned vampire had put up just to mock their vampire slayer friend, Faith.

And it was when Kairi was at the end of said sign, that Riku grabbed her arm and yanked her back so that she fell back into the banner and ripped it some. "Kairi… what are we doing? What's the plan here?" Riku practically hissed at her, and she didn't appreciate at all.

Sometimes- sometimes Kairi thought that she and Riku were getting close to being how they had been before all of this had started—the best of friends they were—but on other days, she felt as though there was no hope for them to even be companions now that Sora was gone.

The Kairi of old wouldn't have known what Riku was getting at with his accusation here... or she would have been more concerned with Riku than herself. But the Kairi who had a backbone now rolled her eyes at his question and had to resist the urge to hit him.

"…Kairi? Don't you know that this vampire's actually innocent? He's possessed by a demon, and what the demon's doing isn't his fault. If we can get the vampire back in control again—which was the plan-we won't have to kill both parties for a crime that only one committed. But the way you're raring to go, I feel like you're angling towards 'kill first, ask questions later'."

Up ahead where Angel—no, the demon: Angelus—was, Kairi could hear Faith screaming as if she were in the worst pain she'd ever experienced. And as Kairi remembered all too well what it had been like to have her arm ripped out of its socket and then to feel a killing blow, she could only empathize. This was why they should have been killing Angelus and allowing the gods of Mount Olympus to sort out what was right and what wasn't.

"Except that we don't even know if the two can be separated, Riku!" Kairi protested, as she began running towards Faith and yelled at Riku from over her shoulder. "And if not, this creature needs to die. Fast. Especially since he's helping to block out the sun, that will destroy all the people in this world of we don't do anything about it."

Kairi had met a lot of horrible people in her life—she had known Xehanort, hadn't she?—but there was something about this "Angelus" figure that was even worse to her, since he'd committed even more atrocities than Xehanort had and had enjoyed every moment of it.

Kairi did feel for this Angel person underneath it all, she did, but she didn't know what else they could do when time was of the essence. The man's son, Connor, had even come up to Kairi and told her that he thought his dad was a lost cause. And surely if his son—who wouldn't have ever wanted him gone—was saying this, it was the truth. Right?

That's what Kairi thought, anyway. And that was why that now—when she'd finally rounded the corner to find Wesley, an injured Faith, who Angelus had drunk from… and Angelus himself—she threw Destiny's Embrace at the vampire's heart and hoped for the best.

But Angelus passed out somehow, right as Kairi threw her blade—and as he fell downward, he missed Kairi's Keyblade sailing over his head this way.

Like this—unconscious, that was—Angelus looked as charming and innocent as a newborn puppy—was this the Angel that slept within him?—and when Wesley looked at Kairi's weapon on the ground, the expression in her eyes, and then had an utter look of betrayal on his face, Kairi knew what she'd become… and that maybe Riku had been right.

Author's Note: So, I actually wanted to do more with the Angel the Series stuff—maybe I will later?—since while Faith is all innocent here and didn't want Angel to die… well, she and Kairi actually have a lot in common as Faith's own psychotic break is kind of what I'm basing Kairi's on here.

Also, Connor totally lied to Kairi because he just wanted his dad to die (Connor hates Angel. At least here).

The next chapters will be longer and have flashbacks that better explain how we got to this point.

And eventually it will tie into my idea for KHIV, I swear, just with dark Kairi being a major part of it because this girl's allowed to actually feel things.