A/N: This is a story that is basically an AU I've had on my mind for a while now, where Kairi is far from useless or defenseless and actually has her own role to play. Don't get me wrong. I love Kairi. She's my favorite character (and I'm incredibly happy that she was playable and had more focus in Re:Mind), and I hope that Nomura knows what he's doing with her in the next games.
This story is Kairi-centric, which means most changes will revolve around Kairi (and Namine and Xion when their stories begin – I have my own ideas about them). So, if you are a Kairi hater (or any kind of hater really), please leave as peacefully as you possibly can, and please don't leave flames in the comments. This is a negativity-free safe zone. But Constructive Criticism is welcome (just give it to me via PM).
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Disney in any way, shape, or form! I only own an OC who will appear much later in the story (about KH3-ish).
Note: If I don't add a scene (or don't write out the whole thing; same goes with the designs), it means that it's the same as in canon. Just FYI.
Also, the Sorikai fluff in general will be platonic, but they will be a trio throughout the entire story and not just duos'-focused (*cough, cough* Dream Drop Distance *cough, cough*). Romantic Sokai will be in full swing, though (because Sokai is my OTP). I'm sorry if you don't like the pairings, but this is my story.
Also, I just found out that Nomura confirmed the voice talking to Sora in his Station of Awakening in KH1 to be Mickey, of all people. It's interesting to think about. KH1 Sora's outfit was based on Mickey's, after all.
!~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~O~A~T~H~K~E~E~P~E~R~~A~U~~!
Kingdom Hearts: The Oathkeeper
Chapter 2: Kingdom Hearts, Part 1
~Destiny Islands~
Day 1 - Sora's Day
I've been having these weird thoughts lately. Like, is any of this for real...or not?
Sora's eyes shot wide open after he felt himself falling into the black abyss.
Just a dream, just like all the other times. Nothing to worry about.
He was not falling through darkness. He was lying on the beach of the play island, the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore below him hitting his ears.
He yawned, feeling safe enough to go back to sleep, but as soon as he lay down, his blue eyes met Kairi's violet ones.
"Whoa!" He shot up to a sitting position, as she leaned over him and watched him do so. Kairi giggled, as he exasperatedly replied with, "Gimme a break, Kairi."
"You're such a lazy bum, Sora," Kairi said, with a smile, as she straightened out. "I knew I'd find you snoozing down here."
"No! This huge, black...thing swallowed me up!" Sora cried out, hoping she would understand his weird dreams. "I couldn't breath, I couldn't... Ow!" He winced when she lightly flicked him on the side of his head.
"Are you still dreaming?" Kairi asked.
"It wasn't a dream, Kai," Sora gently shot back. "Or was it? It felt so real, and yet...I'm still here. What was that place?" he asked himself. "It was so bizzare."
"Yeah, sure," Kairi shrugged, as she moved beyond him and stood next to the waves, "whatever you say."
"Hey, Kairi," Sora spoke up. "What was your hometown like? Y'know, where you grew up?"
She shot him a sad smile, "I told you guys already. I don't remember," before facing back to the ocean, her namesake.
"Nothing at all?" Sora asked, slightly concerned.
"Nope, nothing," Kairi replied, not turning to face him.
Nine years ago, Kairi had crashed landed on the beach of their play island, her past and why she was a meteor a complete mystery. To this day, Kairi's background was still a mystery. Either Kairi was the telling the truth and she really didn't remember, or she did and she just didn't want to say anything.
"You ever want to go back?" Sora asked. "Y'know, find out where you came from?"
"To be honest," Kairi explained, "I'm happy here, but yes. There are times where I do want to find out where I came from, why I came here...why my memory is so fuzzy...that's why I said yes to the raft. I wouldn't mind going to see my home."
"I'd like to see it too," Sora added, looking up into the sky, his namesake. "Along with any other worlds out there! I want to see 'em all!"
Kairi turned back to face him, a happy smile back on her face, "So, what're we waiting for?"
"You guys forgetting someone?" came the voice of the third person of their trio. The two looked behind them to see Riku standing there, carrying a tree branch in his arms. "I guess I'm the only one working on the raft."
"You guessed right," Kairi teased. Riku tossed the branch over to Sora as he walked towards Kairi.
"And you're just as lazy as Sora is," Riku told her.
"So you noticed," Kairi said. "Don't worry. We'll finish the raft together, but let's take a break first." She paused for a moment, as Riku sat down next to Sora, "I'll race you!"
"What?" Sora asked.
"Are you kidding me?" Riku asked.
"On your mark," Kairi said, knowing that would get the guys going. "Get set. Go!"
And just like she knew they would, the two boys immediately shot up from their sitting positions and ran towards the location of their raft.
Kairi giggled as she ran behind them.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
For their break, they decided to meet up with their three friends from school - Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka - and they all grabbed makeshift weapons in order to play-fight each other.
Sora fought Selphie first, and found himself listening to her story as he tried his best to dodge her jumprope, "Hey, do you know about the legend of the paopu fruit? It grows on this very island!"
"No," he replied. He didn't really pay attention to that kind of stuff.
He winced as Selphie got a good hit in, "The legend says that if you and one other person share one, then your destinies will be forever intertwined. Pretty romantic, huh?"
"I guess..." Sora said, before getting the winning strike in.
He chose to fight Tidus next. His bo-staff was easy to dodge. Sora had done so before, so he knew Tidus' tactics. This time, Sora chose to initiate the conversation, "Hey, Tidus, what other worlds do you know are out there?"
Sora ducked Tidus' staff, as the other replied, "Well, I hear there's a world with a pirate who kidnaps children. I think it'd be cool to be a pirate. Or a prince, so I can rescue a beautiful princess! I hear there are worlds with actual magic! The possibilities are endless!"
"Yeah, I supposed they are," Sora replied.
"Why do you ask?" Tidus asked.
"Just curious," Sora said, before striking the winning blow.
He decided to take on Wakka next. He always found dodging his Blitz Balls a good workout. During the fight, Sora decided to ask Wakka the same question he asked Tidus, "What do you know about other worlds beyond our own?"
"Well, I hear about words being laced with actual magic," Wakka said.
"Tidus said the same thing," Sora said, dodging another ball.
"I hear there's also worlds where animals talk," Wakka continued, "and a world where people were cursed to live as household objects. Why the question?"
"Just curious," Sora gave him the same answer as he gave Tidus, before hitting Wakka with the final strike.
Kairi came up to him next, after Wakka walked back to Tidus and Selphie, a wooden sword in her hand. "Wanna go, Sora?"
Sora liked fighting Kairi a lot, as the two were very evenly matched, so who won was a question asked every day, and sometimes, neither won. So he said, "Of course!"
She was the second toughest fight on their play island - with Riku being the first. Kairi was hard to dodge and block. Her speed and relentlessness all but made up for her rather weak attack power. Sora often had trouble blocking her spin attack - her signature move.
Basically, his fights with Kairi always kept him on his toes.
After a fierce spar, the two separated, both breathing deeply, trying to catch their breaths. Sora had a stitch in his side from constantly dodging so quick, while Kairi's legs felt like jelly.
"Shall we call it a draw today?" Kairi asked.
"Yeah," Sora replied. "Nice job, Kairi. You've really improved."
"Thanks," she shot him a smile. "So have you."
After resting for a while, to catch his breath again and relieving his aching side, he decided to challenge Riku, like always.
"You sure you wanna challenge me?" Riku asked. "You know you're going to lose, right?"
"This time will be different," Sora vowed. "Winner gets to take the rest of the day off."
"Okay," Riku accepted. "And loser has to work on the raft until it's time to go home."
"You've got a deal!"
However, Kairi could only watch as Sora lost to Riku. Again. Just like all the other times.
Sora hung his head, as Riku chuckled before heading to the beach, "Good luck, Sora!"
Kairi stayed behind and gently pat Sora's shoulder, hoping to cheer him up, "Don't worry. You'll beat him one day."
"Yeah, I guess..."
Kairi didn't like seeing Sora so down, so she said, "I'll help you with the raft today. Okay?"
He shot her a small, grateful smile. "Okay."
"First, you'll need to gather the rest of the supplies," Kairi said. "Can't build a raft without supplies, right?"
"Yeah," Sora straightened out, stretching his aching muscles. He was a graceful loser, as he always vowed to be. "What do I need to get?"
Kairi listed, "Two logs, one cloth, and one rope. Once you find everything, bring it back to me. And if you need help, just ask. I'll be at the raft."
"Okay."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora's hunt for supplies led him to the Secret Place, a cave at the center of the play island. He smiled as he remembered all the fun times he, Kairi, and Riku had in here, mainly by drawing on the walls.
His eyes fell on one drawing in particular: a drawing he and Kairi had done of each other when a couple weeks after he and Riku had met her. Seeing it always made him smile.
He remembered that day perfectly. Riku had to stay at home, so it was just him and Kairi.
In the present time, Sora remembered Selphie's words from earlier, about the paopu fruit legend, "The legend says that if you and one other person share one, then your destinies will be forever intertwined. Pretty romantic, huh?"
Sora immediately felt a blush creep up on his face. At the time, he was focused on the fight, so he didn't really have the chance to think about the implications of this, but now that he was alone, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
He'd like to share a paopu fruit with Kairi...
He took a rock and sat down in front of the drawing, using the rock to draw him giving a paopu fruit to the drawing-Kairi.
But his relaxation was ruined when he heard an odd sound from somewhere in the cave.
He jumped to his feet as his entire body tensed up. Who else was here? He thought he was the only one here.
"R-Riku? Kairi? Is that either of you?" he called out uneasily.
"I've come to see the door to this world," a deep and mysterious voice replied.
Sora completely froze. Someone else was here. He looked around, but only saw dark shadows at the edges of the cave. He wanted to run, but he was too scared to move.
"W-What?" Sora nervously asked.
"This world has been connected," the voice replied.
Sora shifted slightly and managed to take one step back, "Wh-What do you mean?"
"Tied to the darkness... Soon to be completely eclipsed," the voice said.
This person made him nervous. But...he was also curious. He found a small part of himself wanting to know more. He squinted to try and see if he could see where this person was, and sure enough, he did. Standing in front of him was someone wearinga brown robe.
"Wh-Where did you come from? H-How did you get in here?" Sora asked, nervousness still in his voice.
"You do not yet know what lies beyond the door," the voice ominously replied.
"What do you mean?" Sora questioned. "What door?" He paused, "Wait, are you from another world?"
"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little."
Sora didn't like that every response this person gave was so cryptic. He wasn't getting the answers he wanted, like who this person was or what they were doing in the cave. "You're wrong! I understand a lot! But I can still learn more! I'll learn about everything out there."
There was a pause before the voice spoke again. "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."
A sudden chill flew through the cave and Sora's attention was drawn to the strange door that was in the cave that he had almost forgotten about. Just now, he was starting to wonder what the purpose of the door was. He turned back to the robed person, only to see that they were no longer there.
"Huh? Where did he go?" Sora questioned aloud.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
It was sunset now, and the three were the only ones left on the island. They were sitting on the trunk of the paopu fruit tree, overlooking the ocean that separated them from the main island.
Or rather, Sora and Kairi were sitting, while Riku was just leaning against it.
"So, Kairi's home is out there somewhere, right?" Sora asked.
"Could be," Riku replied. "We'll never know by staying here."
"True," Kairi added.
"But how far could a raft take us?" Sora asked.
"Who knows?" Riku said. "If we have to, we'll think of something else."
"So, suppose you get to another world," Kairi pondered, asking Riku. "What would you do there?"
"Well, I haven't really thought about it," Riku answered. "It's just...I've always wondered why we're here on this island. If there are any other worlds out there, why did we end up on this one? It just feels impossible that our world is the only one out there. And suppose there *are* other worlds, then ours is just a little piece of something much greater. So, we could have just as easily ended up somewhere else, right?" Riku turned to his two friends.
"I dunno," Sora replied, lying down on the trunk, his hands behind his head.
"Exactly," Riku said. "That's why we need to go out there and find out. Just sitting here won't change a thing. It's the same old stuff. Same old, boring routine. So, let's go."
"You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?" Sora knew that Kairi's question wasn't phrased as one. Sora knew that Kairi already knew the answer.
"Thanks to you," Riku turned to her.
"Me?" Kairi asked, as a surprised Sora glanced up at Riku before turning his head and gaze away back to the sunset, choosing to ignore the following conversation.
"Yes," Riku replied. "If you hadn't come here, I probably would've never thought of any of this. So, Kairi? Thanks."
"You're welcome," Kairi said with a smile. After a pause, she giggled and said, "I can't wait to set sail. It's gonna be great."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After a few minutes, the three were walking back to the boats, knowing that their parents would soon be calling them in for dinner.
Kairi was ahead of the boys, so Riku took this chance to talk to Sora.
"Sora!" Riku called out.
Sora turned around just in time to catch the paopu fruit Riku had thrown to him. "W-Wha...?"
"You wanted one, didn't you?" Riku asked.
"A Paopu fruit?" Sora asked, looking at the said object in his hands.
Riku began to walk towards him and past him, "If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what happens to them. C'mon, I know you want to try it."
"What are you talking-?" Sora asked as Riku started chuckling at him. Sora chose to throw the paopu fruit off to the side before running behind Riku, both of them wanting to catch up with Kairi.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
"So, how was your day, Sora?" His mom asked that night at dinner.
"Great!" Sora replied. "Except Riku beat me. Again."
"In a play-fight, I hope," his dad said. "That's alright. You'll beat him one day."
Sora nodded, picking at his broccoli.
His mom gently cut in, "Remember to enjoy your summer vacation while you can. School starts up again the week after next."
Sora hung his head, "I know."
He wished it was summer forever. That way he wouldn't have to worry about school, their raft trip could be longer, and he'd get to spend all the time in the world with his dearest friends Sora and Riku.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Day 2 - Kairi's Day
Kairi awoke the next morning in a cold sweat. That only part of her nightmare just now that she remembered was a sight she's never seen.
Riku snarling at her.
It had sparked a fear in her that she didn't know she had. It was hard to describe.
She looked out of the window at the sunrise, worry filling her heart.
What was going on with Riku? Why was he so different now?
The smell of breakfast hit her nose, and she decided that to focus on something else today.
Being with Sora and Riku.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
A fully fressed Kairi came down the stairs of the big house she lived in. Her mother was the mayor, after all. Her mother wasn't married, having chosen to focus on her job as mayor more than her social life, but once she heard about little Kairi having arrived on Destiny Islands with no family, no friends, and no recollection about her past, she had chosen to take Kairi in.
The house wasn't big enough to be considered a mansion, but it was still larger than the other houses here. It also felt big, though, because it was often empty. It was just her, her mother, and a housekeeper whose job was to clean the house since the mayor herself was too busy to.
But her mom was fantastic. She always made time for Kairi, even if it was just for a couple of minutes. Kairi felt safe with her and she liked the housekeeper very much.
But Kairi felt lonely in this big house. The first few months after her arrival, the girl was bombarded with questions from adults and mean worlds from kids that the mayor considered homeschooling Kairi instead, but had chosen not to, because Kairi needed to be social for her own mental health.
Enter Sora and Riku.
The two boys who made her feel less alone and more accepted. The two boys that Kairi would always trust no matter what happened to them.
Kairi entered the kitchen just in time to see her mother closing her briefcase, about to head out the door. "Hey, sweetie, I didn't expect you to wake up so early. I need to head to work now, but I made sure to make you breakfast."
"Thanks, Mom," Kairi said as her mother gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Have a good day."
"You too," her mom said before closing the door.
The house was silent now. Kairi was the only person here, as her mother had just left and the housekeeper wouldn't be here until three hours from now.
So, she sat down at the table and ate her breakfast in silence, letting herself drown in her thoughts.
Her reverie was broken when the phone started ringing. Kairi quickly got up to answer it, not sure how it had been ringing.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Hello, Kairi," it was Sora's mom. "I'm afraid Sora can't come out to play until sometime after lunch. He's got some chores to do."
"That's okay," Kairi reassured her. "Tell him I said hi."
"I will. Goodbye, Kairi."
"Goodbye." The moment Kairi hung up, the phone rang again. She picked it up again. "Hello?"
"Hello, Kairi," this time it was Riku's dad. "Riku can't come to the play island with you today. He's going school shopping with his mother and me today. But if we finish up early, I'll let him go."
"That's okay," Kairi said, the smile on her face not seeming quite real. "I can go to the island by myself. Tell him I said hello."
"I will," Riku's dad said, before hanging up.
That's a shame. Both Sora and Riku would be off the island today. Kairi was sad, but she decided that she could work on the raft by herself.
It wasn't going to get done by itself, after all.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi wandered through the town, greeting everyone she met on the way. She and everyone knew that she didn't belong here, but that didn't stop them from welcoming her like she was one of their own the entire time.
She wasn't born here, but she still called this place home.
"Good morning, dear!" Miss Sandy called out to her. She was the lovely, elderly lady who ran the local flower shop.
Miss Sandy reminded her of someone, but Kairi wouldn't remember that person's face. But it was a person that she missed dearly.
Kairi always wondered if that person and the elderly lady in the purple dress and white apron in her dreams were the same person.
"Hello, Miss Sandy!" Kairi waved before heading over to the lady's shop (which was connected to her house). "You need help with anything?"
"Not much today. I just have some boxes that I need carried down here from upstairs in my room," Miss Sandy replied. "If you would, Kairi?"
"Of course!" Kairi exclaimed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
It was only six boxes, and Kairi had carried them with ease. It was an easy task, and Kairi kind of wished there were more. She loved spending time with Miss Sandy.
But she had to work on the raft. So, she had to go.
After setting the sixth and last box down next to Miss Sandy, she said, "There you go. I have to go now."
"I know, dear," Miss Sandy replied. "Thank you for your help. Be careful on your journey, dear. Stay close to the light."
Kairi nodded before turning to leave, the warning somehow leaving her shaken.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi was on the play island now, carrying the thalassa shell she just found on the shore in her hand.
Her stroll had led her to the secret cave, where she remembered the story behind each drawing on the walls.
She knelt beside the drawing she and Sora did of each other, slightly surpised at the addition Sora did. When did he draw himself giving her a paopu fruit?
She knew about the legend. It was one of the things Selphie wouldn't stop talking about. Selphie loved romance, after all, and insisted that the paopu fruit legend was meant to be romantic, but Kairi felt that it also held some platonic intentions as well.
Kairi looked down at the thalassa shell in her hand. She read somewhere that these shells were good luck for sailors on long journeys. What if she made a star-shaped charm with these shells? To ensure that she, Sora, and Riku were always together and always had a way to find each other no matter what happened?
She smiled before grabbing the rock and drawing the same thing as Sora recently did. In a romantic sense, she *did* want to share a paopu fruit with Sora.
Her face felt heated as she remembered Riku and Sora first showing her the cave. She was five at the time.
"Sora, are you sure about this? It's our secret hideout," Riku was asking Sora.
"Calm down, Riku," Sora replied, whispering, not wanting Kairi to hear. Well, she could hear them anyway. She was right behind them, Sora having a solid hold on her hand and leading the way. "She's our friend now. It's only right. No secrets, remember?"
Riku sighed. "Right. No secrets." They were right outside the cave, at their destination, so Riku turned to her, "Kairi, this is the Secret Place, mine and Sora's special hideout. No one else knows this cave exists except for us...and now you."
"Keep it a secret, okay?" Sora added.
Kairi nodded, before following them inside. The walls had some drawings on it, but there was room for more.
However, the first thing she noticed was the door smack dab in the middle of the farthest wall.
"W-What is that?" Kairi asked.
"Oh, we don't know," Riku replied.
"And we probably never will," Sora added. "It's locked."
"I don't like it," Kairi said, getting a bad feeling about that door.
Kairi, in real time, turned back to that same door once she was done with her addition to the drawing.
"I've been waiting for you, Princess," came a voice that chilled her to the bone. It wasn't anyone she knew, but she knew she had heard the voice before.
But she shook her head, choosing to ignore it. "Even now, I still don't like that door," she muttered before leaving to find more thalassa shells.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
"Watcha making there, Kairi?" Selphie's sudden voice caused Kairi to jump in slight fear.
"Selphie!" The redhead calmed down. "I didn't know you were here."
"I just got here. It's past lunch time," Selphie replied, before sitting next to Kairi, who was sitting on the trunk of the paopu fruit tree. "So, what are you making?"
"A lucky charm," Kairi replied, unaware that she had been focusing on this lucky charm for so long. "Made of thalassa shells, which are very hard to find. I'm almost done. Just one last charm for the middle."
"That's so cool," Selphie said. "It's shaped like a star. Just like a paopu fruit!"
Kairi rolled her eyes, but she admitted. "I got inspiration from it."
"Are you going to give it to Sora?" Selphie asked, teasingly, knowing it would get a reaction.
Sure enough, Kairi's face turned red again. "Oh, hush up!"
"Make me," Selphie smiled as she shot back. "Let's spar!"
Kairi put away the lucky charm and pulled out her wooden sword as Selphie pulled out her jump rope.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The spar had ended in a solid win for Kairi. Selphie stood no chance against Kairi's signature spin attack.
Kairi sat on the paopu tree trunk again, having finish the lucky charm. She had given it the face of Sora, with a crown charm in the middle. She wished to make a lucky charm for Riku too, but she only found five shells. Maybe some day, she would make one for Riku too...
Sora and Riku...
Kairi took out her journal and pencil, intent on getting her thoughts to each of them down on paper.
She hopes Sora would never change, because his light was strong. She was worried about Riku being surrounded by so much darkness, but she had faith that he would beat it.
Yes, her past was missing, and yes, that bothered her, but she wouldn't trust anyone else to visit all the worlds with her.
They were her family.
"Hey, Kairi!" Kairi turned in the direction of the voice. Sora and Riku had just tied their boats to the dock and were currently waving at her, to get her attention - or Sora was, at least.
"Hi, guys!" Kairi waved back, before putting her pencil and journal away.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Day 3 - Riku's Day
The raft had been completed. Riku wanted to name it Highwind, but Sora wanted to name it Wayfinder. They challenged each other to a race - the winner would name the raft *and* be Captain.
Sora won, and now, based on the words of Judge Kairi, Sora was Captain and the raft was called 'Wayfinder'.
He should've been happy that Sora had won. Sora had rarely ever won against Riku, after all, and the two were best friends. Riku should've been happy for him.
But there was this nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that he should have won, that he was the one who deserved to be Captain, not Sora.
And a part of him beleived it.
But Riku did have to admit that Sora winning might have been his own fault. He had jokingly said that "winner also gets to share a paopu with Kairi", even though Riku's feelings for her were completely platonic, like brother and sister. He was aware of Sora's crush on Kairi, but it was hard not to be. Anyone could see it a mile away. Riku supposed that his little joke motivated Sora enough to to snatch the win at the last second. So, he accepted his loss gracefully.
At least, he would be if not for the nagging voice in his head telling him otherwise, telling him that Sora and Kairi were planning on leaving him behind.
"So, you're the Captain now, right, Sora?" he heard Kairi giggle. "Don't worry, Captain Sora. I'll gather the rest of the supplies."
He heard Sora chuckle as Kairi's footsteps sounded further and further away, assumingly off to get the supplies Sora had just listed they still needed for tomorrow.
Riku couldn't wait to set sail. He wanted to see what was out there.
Because this island was just way too small.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
It was a couple of hours later, and Sora had just lost another play-fight to Riku, again. They were well matched this time, and for a moment, it seemed like Sora was going to win, but Riku didn't say that. The voice in his head told him not to.
"Hey, Kairi!" Tidus suddenly called out. "How about a match?"
He was teasing her, as if he was confident that he was going to win in one hit, obviously planning to go easy on her. Riku had never actually fought with Kairi himself, but he *had* seen Sora and Kairi fight, and he had a feeling that Tidus would regret underestimating her.
"Okay!" Kairi cheerfully agreed.
Tidus charged first, but like Riku expected, his attack barely harmed Kairi at all, fully allowing her throw her entire body in her, basically, one-hit K.O.
Now laying down on the ground, Tidus was flabbergasted, "B-But-...wait, what?!"
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a girl, Tidus," Kairi replied, offering him a hand to help him up. "Have you seen my fights with Sora?"
"I have," Selphie agreed, aiming her next criticism at Tidus. "Maybe next time you won't go picking fights with obviously tougher opponents."
Tidus took Kairi's hand, choosing the redhead's gentle smile over Selphie's nagging tone.
"I want a match with you, Kairi," came Riku's voice. His sudden demand brought obvious confusion to the mix of emotions being felt right now.
"Huh?" Tidus complained. "How come you want to fight her? Every time I ask you, you always decline!"
Because he was aware of how weak Tidus actually was compared to him and Sora. He was curious as to how Kairi actually fought, what her skill set was. He had never sparred with her before, and this could be his only chance. They were taking the raft tomorrow, after all.
"Okay," Kairi easily agreed and both got into fighting positions.
Sora could only watch as Riku attacked first, in a way that caused Kairi to lose her ground. But Kairi retaliated with full force, knocking Riku back and getting a solid hit in, and Sora could see a hint of fear in her eyes.
"C'mon, Kairi," Riku taunted. "I thought you were better than that."
"Oh, hush!" she shot back. "Like you could do any better than me!"
Surprised at her sudden confidence, Riku snarled as he furiously charged at her again. Now the fear in her eyes was painfully obvious as she immediately recoiled in fear.
"Riku, stop it!" Sora cried out, his heart beating rapidly. He had to step in. Did he miss something? Did he black out for a second? What happened? Why did Riku suddenly look like he wanted to kill Kairi on the spot?
Riku suddenly stopped, obviously in shock. The scene was filled with an intense silence, before Riku quietly, regretfully said, "I promise not to give you an opening next time."
A stunned Sora watched Riku walk away without another word before turning to a trembling Kairi.
"Nice job, Kairi," Sora tried to calm her down and cheer her up. "You fought well."
"Thanks, Sora," but her smile was obviously strained.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Riku hadn't shown his face since the fight earlier. It was sunset now, and Sora and Kairi had taken to sitting at the dock to watch the sunset, neither of them wanting to sit on the paopu tree nor wanting to leave the island without him. It didn't feel right.
The air was quiet, and Sora was getting worried.
"Kairi, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice sounding wobbly (that was the best way to describe it), and Sora understood why. "I'm worried about Riku. He's changed so much. Why...does his heart feel like that? I know he's been acting like a jerk a lot lately, but something is wrong. Why does his heart feel so...angry?"
Sora looked over at her to see sadness and anxiety in her face. He's never been able to sense emotions as well as Kairi could. Now that he thought about it, Riku definitely had changed. Sora wasn't really worried about Riku like Kairi was until now.
"Why were you so scared?" Sora was a little afraid to ask this question, almost afraid of what her reaction would be.
"Because, in that moment, he reminded me of someone from my past," Kairi replied. "It's still hazy, but I just can't shake this feeling that I've seen those eyes before."
Because, in Kairi's perspective, Riku's eyes had briefly flickered to gold before turning back to Riku's normal aquamarine color.
"Do you...want to leave without Riku?" Sora asked, not intending on doing that himself, but if Kairi didn't feel safe with Riku, then...
"No, we shouldn't," Kairi immediately answered. "It wouldn't feel right. He's still our friend and he's been looking forward to this trip for a long time now."
"True, he was the one that suggested it," Sora remembered who the raft idea belonged to in the first place. "What do you think could be bothering him?"
"I don't know," Kairi quietly replied after a short silence. And during that silence, she apparently decided to change the subject, "Y'know, I was afraid at first, but now I'm ready, because no matter where we go or what we see, I know we'll always be able to come back here. We will...right?"
The hesitance in her voice made Sora gently smile, "Yeah, of course. This place will always be home."
"That's good," Kairi said. After another short silence, she told him, almost pleading, "Sora, don't ever change."
"Huh?"
Fortunately, Sora's confusion didn't last long.
"Guys?" he and Kairi turned around to see Riku standing in the shadows. "Listen, about earlier...sorry..."
"It's okay, Riku," Sora replied, hoping that the smile on his face would reassure his oldest friend.
"I forgive you, Riku," Kairi softly said. "Y'know, if you're going through something, we'll try our best to understand."
In Riku's perspective, the sun was directly behind Kairi, with Sora being bathed by the sun's setting light.
"Thanks," was his hesitant response. He couldn't look either of them in the eyes.
"The three of us will always be one," Kairi vowed.
Always was a long time, but Riku didn't mind. These two were his most important people.
'Strength to protect what matters most. You know, like my friends.'
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
"They don't need you," it was the nagging voice in his head again. "They can protect themselves just fine."
An image flickered on, like a lightbulb, showing him the moment when Kairi knocked him back during their play-fight.
Riku felt guilty about that. Kairi, in that moment, was not playing. She was acting on pure instinct. That was not his intention.
"Remember? She's scared of you now."
Riku's eyes bolted open, and he was back in his bed in his house on the main island. It was nighttime, and it looked like a storm was brewing, both outside and in his own heart.
"Not that dream again..." he muttered into his hands.
He had trouble falling back to sleep that night.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Day 4 - The Fateful Day
The three went to the play island that day, but only until lunch time. They had to make sure everything was perfect and ready, but they also wanted to spend some time with their families before they left tomorrow morning.
That night, Kairi sat on her bed, looking through a photo album that contained pictures of her, Sora, and Riku. Thirteen hours left until they took the raft to other worlds.
She smiled, fond memories filling her mind.
But she felt her heart skip a beat when she felt something coming from the play-island. She looked out the window to see a storm brewing on the horizon.
The door was open.
Kairi couldn't breathe as she raced out of her house to the island.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi docked her boat and immediately raced to the Secret Place.
The door had been opened.
Who had opened it? Why was she feeling such a great surge of darkness?
She just missed Riku watching her head into the cave.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora ran up to Riku, the current storm and the little black shadow creatures being the last things on his mind right now. "Riku! There you are! Where's Kairi? I thought she was with you!"
"The door has opened..." was Riku's cryptic answer.
"What?"
"The door has opened, Sora!" Riku turned around to face him. "Now we can go to the outside world!"
"What are you talking about?" Sora shot back. "We've gotta find Kairi!"
"Kairi's coming with us!" Riku answered. "She's in the Secret Place! Once we step through, we might not be able to come back. We may never see our parents again. There's no turning back. But this may be our only chance. We can't let fear stop us! I'm not afraid of the darkness!"
Riku reached his hand out for Sora to take.
"Riku..." Sora muttered before looking down to see the darkness beginning to swallow his friend up. Sora rushed over to him, and pretty soon, the darkness began to swallow him up as well. But he still reached out for Riku's hand.
But to no avail. Darkness swallowed his vision, before a bright light shining.
The next thing he knew, Sora was standing where he had last seen Riku, something strange in his hands.
Riku was nowhere in sight.
The same voice that had guided him four days ago, before Kairi woke him up, told him what the strange thing in his hand was.
Keyblade...
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After defeating the small creatures that were following him, Sora rushed to the Secret Place.
After the long, winding tunnel, he finally got to the main section of the cave, where he saw Kairi, standing there, watching the door very closely.
"Kairi!" he called out.
She slowly turned to face him, like a zombie. "Sora..."
She reached her hand out when the door behind her suddenly burst open, allowing a brilliant wave of darkness to begin pushing him back. The darkness sent Kairi flying towards Sora, who opened his arms to catch her.
But she went right through him.
Before he could comprehend what that could possibly mean, the darkness forced him out of the cave altogether.
From that moment on, Sora knew that nothing would ever be the same again.
To Be Continued...
!~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~O~A~T~H~K~E~E~P~E~R~~A~U~~!
Author's Note About Various Changes: The fateful day happens on Day 4, a number which is unlucky in Japan, as it sounds like their word for 'death'. During the scene when Riku apologizes to Sora and Kairi, how the light is hitting them is symbolic of their inner light: Riku in the shadows reflects his inner darkness, Sora in the light reflects his strong inner light, and Kairi directly in front of the sun alludes to how she is the light itself.
Each of the three getting their own day allows us to form an emotional attachment to them, their families, and the world itself, as well as building the relationship between the trio as a whole, in the eyes of each person. The legends about the other worlds that Tidus and Wakka mention gives us some world-building. It being summer vacation immediately makes a parallel to Roxas at the beginning of KH2.
I never understood why Kairi wasn't a optional play-fight like Riku, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were to Sora, so that's why I added that (I mean, why add Selphie, a side character, but not Kairi, the main heroine?). Also, as you can tell by the cover image, her battle stance is reminiscent of Aqua's, and she even uses it in KH2, right after Riku gives her Destiny's Embrace. And the spin attack she uses is a precursor to her spin attack in the canon KH3.
On Riku's day, I tried my best to show his isolation and his close bonds with Kairi and Sora while also implying his fear of loneliness and jealousy. Hopefully, I did good. Kairi's letters to Sora and Riku will come into play later, as Sora and Riku will both find these letters in various worlds, which were scattered during the fall of Destiny Islands.
And the reason Kairi did the paopu fruit thing earlier than she did in canon is because I have plans about where she ends up after this version of KH1.
Note: While I am a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, I just recently got into the fandom, which means I still don't understand most of the lore. So if I get anything wrong, I'm sorry. I'm trying my best to stick to canon as closely as this AU will allow me to. Please, no flaming. Instead, just politely inform me in a PM or a review, so I can correct any mistake I make. If you have any ideas or questions, please let me know.
If you want to know what I imagine Kairi to look like, then go to my DeviantArt page, titled "SepticAbzies", and go to the piece titled "Kairi ~ Oathkeeper AU (Full Color)". I will update the cover image to match Kairi's appearance as I update each chapter, but keep in mind, Kairi's design in this AU matches how I imagine her growth to be. (And yes, I will update Namine and Xion's designs when their arcs begin.)
Next chapter continues with where we left off here on this chapter, mainly focusing on Sora's journey with Donald and Goofy.