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 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: Remember that 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.
Special Fun Fact: Nomura said that the reason Ariel's not a Princess of Heart (and Alice is) is because the part of the movie where she grows legs had to already happen and she couldn't be a party member that way, and Nomura didn't want that.
!~~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 3: Kingdom Hearts, Part 2
~Traverse Town~
Sora felt himself stir. What was that guy's problem? Did he really want the Keyblade that much that he'd start a fight over it? Sora was lucky he won, though just barely. He passed out right afterwards.
"Come on, lazy bum," that was Kairi's voice. "Time to wake up."
Sora shook his head and opened his eyes. He looked up to see Kairi peering down at him on the bed.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I guess..." he muttered.
"Those creatures that attacked you are after the Keyblade," Kairi explained. "But it's your heart they really want, because you wield the Keyblade."
Sora was genuinely filled with relief when he said, "I'm so glad that you're okay, Kairi."
But Kairi was confused. "Kairi? Who are talking about?" That's when her voice and entire appearance changed to a black-haired girl dressed in a green shirt, yellow scarf, and tan shorts. "I'm the great ninja Yuffie!"
"Huh?" Sora was supremely confused. When did Kairi leave? Or was she never there at all?
Yuffie giggled before turning to the direction of the door as it opened. "I think you might've overdone it, Squall. He's hallucinating."
The man that he fought before, the fight that caused him to pass out, entered the room in that moment. "That's Leon," he said.
Leon leaned against the wall, leading Sora's eyes over to the Keyblade placed against the wall next to Leon.
"The Keyblade..." Sora said.
"Yeah, we had to get it away from you to shake off those creatures," Yuffie explained. "It turns out that's how they were tracking you."
"Sorry," Sora bashfully muttered an apology.
Leon crossed his arms, "It was the only way to conceal your heart from them. But it won't work for long." Sora sat up in the bed, staring down at the floor. "Still hard to believe that you of all people are the chosen one." Leon picked up the Keyblade and swung it in the air. It flashed out of his hand and immediately went back to Sora's. "Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers."
Sora glared—which probably looked more like a pout—and asked, "Why don't you start making sense? What's going on here?"
"If the Keyblade chose you, that means you have to know," Leon began. "There are many other worlds out there besides this one and your own."
"Really?!" Then Riku was right. Their islands were indeed a small part of something much bigger.
"Yep," Yuffie smiled. "But they're supposed to be a secret."
"Why?" Sora asked.
"They've been secret because they've never been connected," Leon explained. "Until now, that is."
'This world has been connected.'
"Yeah," Yuffie's smile was gone, as her thoughts drifted to a decade earlier. "Everything changed when the Heartless appeared."
"The Heartless?" Sora repeated, needing confirmation.
"The creatures that attacked you," Yuffie said.
"Those without hearts," Leon added.
"They're attracted to the darkness in people's hearts," Yuffie explained.
"And there is darkness within every heart, including yours," Leon told Sora. "Except for seven. They're called the Princesses of Heart."
"Princesses of Heart?" Sora repeated with confusion.
"They're maidens with hearts of pure light," Yuffie explained. "They're hearts are unable to hold any darkness. They protect the worlds from darkness."
"And guard Kingdom Hearts," Leon added. "They were created when the original X-Blade shattered during the ancient Keyblade war. Their existence is very important. If the worlds have begun to fall thanks to the Heartless, it must mean that the Princesses are in danger."
Which meant that it was Sora's job to protect them. It was unspoken, but Sora knew what their explanation implied.
After a moment of silence, Yuffie turned to Sora, "Hey, have you heard of someone named Ansem?"
"Ansem?" Sora shook his head. "No."
"He was studying the Heartless," Leon explained. "He recorded all of his findings in a very detailed report. Unfortunately, we can't read it, as its pages are scattered everywhere to many other worlds."
Sora was quiet. He'd have to look out for those pages. "So...this is the key?" He held up the Keyblade.
Yuffie nodded, "Yep!"
"The Heartless have great fear of the Keyblade," Leon said as he walked over to the door. "That's why they'll keep coming after you no matter what."
"Well, I didn't ask for this!" Sora argued.
"Sorry," Yuffie shrugged. "But the Keyblade chooses its master. And it chose you."
"So tough luck," Leon added.
"How did all this happen?" Sora asked, mainly to himself. "I was in my room not twelve hours ago!" He really wanted to cry, but refused to in front of strangers. "And then Heartless destroy my home! I don't even know where Riku and Kairi are!"
Leon sounded apologetic, "Sorry, kid. Can't help you there."
Sora kept his head down. He knew that if he met their eyes right now, he'd start bawling.
Fortunately, Yuffie saw how sad he was, "Cheer up! Those who arrive in Traverse Town are in the same boat as you. We're all on the same side." She then tried to change the subject. "I've heard that the Keyblade can open all sorts of locks. Give it a try the next time you find a treasure chest or door lock."
"Sooner or later, the Heartless will find you," Leon cut in. "You'd best prepare yourself."
"Prepare myself?"
"To fight for your life," Leon explained. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready!" Sora exclaimed.
"Alright," Leon replied. "Let's go join Aerith. She should be there now with the other visitors."
But Yuffie pointed to the other end of the room, and yelled out, "Leon!" just as a Soldier Heartless appeared there. Leon ran forward.
"Yuffie, go!"
Yuffie ran into the adjacent room, in which was a brunette haired girl in a pink dress—who Sora assumed was this Aerith person.
"Yuffie? What's going on?" she asked, as Yuffie ran past her.
Leon took out his Gunblade, and turned to Sora, "Sora, let's go!"
Leon slammed the Heartless through the window of the room, making it fly over the balcony and land in the alleyway below. Leon ran after it, Sora closely following.
When they reached the alleyway, more Heartless had appeared around them. Leon turned to Sora, "Don't bother with the small fry. Find the leader! Let's go!"
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
This day was just getting weirder and weirder. Oh well, at least the dog and the duck had helped him with that giant Heartless.
Donald and Goofy had finally found the 'key' King Mickey had mentioned in his letter. They were sorry to the girls for leaving so suddenly, but they trusted Daisy and Clarabelle to help Queen Minnie hold down the fort back home.
"So, you were looking for me?" Sora asked.
Leon stepped forward, "Go with them, Sora. Especially if you want to find your friends."
"Yeah, I guess," Sora replied, halfheartedly, saddened by the indirect mention of Riku and Kairi. These two strangers had a way for him to travel to various worlds, so Leon had a point. If Riku and Kairi didn't arrive in Traverse Town, maybe they landed somewhere else. These two were his best chance to find them.
Donald wagged a finger, "But you can't come along looking like that. Understand? No frowning. No sad face. Okay?"
"Yeah, ya gotta look funny, like us!" Goofy interjected. Donald pushed him away, irked.
"This boat runs on happy faces," Donald added.
"Happy?" Sora asked, and Donald and Goofy smiled.
Sora didn't really feel happy, but if he had to...
He bent down and revealed a huge cheesy grin. Getting no response from them, he stopped, feeling awkwardly and embarrassed. But then, the two burst out laughing.
"That's one funny face!" Goofy explained.
Sora stood up, saying, "Okay, why not? I'll go with you guys."
Donald held out his hand, "Donald Duck."
"Name's Goofy," as he did the same.
"I'm Sora," he joined his hand with theirs.
"All for one, one for all!"
And that's how Sora gained two allies and the ability to travel between worlds.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion~
Riku's felt his fingers twitch and he opened his eyes, seeing a large waterfall and crystalline rock platforms floating in the air. The sound of the falls filled his ears, and he slowly got to his feet.
"Where...am I?" he asked himself.
He looked around at the area, barely noting how the waterfalls flowed upwards rather than downwards, due to them filling his vision on nearly every side, as well as seeing no one else around.
"Sora! Kairi!" he called. Where was he? Where were his friends?
Getting no response, he turned his stare to the ground, before glancing up and seeing a piece of paper floating towards him.
He easily caught it and began reading it as, unbeknownst to him, his arrival was noticed by a tall figure in a black cloak.
He read the first line and immediately read more. It was from Kairi.
'Dear Riku,
If you're reading this, that means that either we made it to another world or something bad has happened to me. Hopefully, it's the first one, and not the second. Nevertheless, I'm glad I got this down on paper. It's something I need to say, but I'm not sure if I can tell you this in person.
I'm worried about you. There's a lot of darkness surrounding you, in your heart. It scares me. But I know you can beat it. I have faith that you will always come back to Sora and me. I know we'll always be friends.
I'm glad that we're friends—you, me, and Sora. I wouldn't trust anyone else to visit all of the worlds with me. Thank you for everything.
Yours truly, Kairi'
Riku clutched the letter close to his chest before folding it up and putting it in his pocket.
Meanwhile, the figure got closer and closer to him.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Wonderland~
Sora, Donald, and Goofy had arrived in a world called Wonderland. They had just gone through a door after drinking a blue bottle that shrunk them down.
Several soldiers stood guard as a trial was in progress inside a large hedge maze. Several roses
lined the hedges, some red and some white. A procession of cards parted to allow the trio to enter as a small blond girl in a blue pinafore dress stood at a defendant's table. She looked up to the bench and was addressed by a large scary woman wearing a crown. A white rabbit ran up a podium and caught his breath before sounding a note with a trumpet.
"Court is now in session!" the White Rabbit announced.
"I'm on trial?" Alice asked. "But why?"
"Her Majesty, the Queen of Hearts, presiding!" the White Rabbit announced.
The Queen sat at the bench frowning in a red and black gown, holding a heart-shaped fan.
"This girl is the culprit," the Queen said. "There's no doubt about it. And the reason is...because, I say so, that's why!"
"That is so unfair!" Alice protested.
The Queen tapped her fan on the table in front of her like a gavel.
"Well, have you anything to say in your defense?" the Queen asked.
"Of course!" Alice replied. "I've done absolutely nothing wrong!" Alice folded her arms, and the White Rabbit gasped. "You may be queen, but I'm afraid that doesn't give you the right to be so...so mean!"
The Queen scowled, before yelling, "Silence! You dare defy me?" She slammed her fists on the bench.
"Hey, guys, we should help her out," Sora said.
"Yeah, but the—" Donald began.
"We're outsiders," Goofy added. "So, wouldn't that be muddling?"
"'Meddling'!" Donald corrected.
"Oh, yeah," Goofy replied before turning to Sora. "A-hyuck! And that's against the rules."
"I think you should help her," came Kairi's voice. Sora turned around, seeing Kairi behind him.
"Kairi," he breathed.
"She's innocent," Kairi continued. Her face usually had a smile on it, but not this time. She was serious. "Don't listen to Donald. Help her."
"The court finds the defendant..." the Queen raised her fan, and Sora turned his attention to her, missing how Kairi just disappeared, "Guilty as charged!" Alice was astonished. "For the crimes of assault and attempted theft of my heart..." Sora gasped—that sounded like the Heartless, "off with her head!"
The Queen pointed to Alice and the Card Soldiers gathered around her.
"No! No! Oh, please!" Alice shook her head, clearly scared.
"Hold it right there!" Sora cut in, Donald and Goofy right behind him—despite Donald mad at Sora for disturbing the world order.
"Who are you? How dare you interfere with my court?" the Queen angrily demanded.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Olympus Coliseum~
Sora, Donald, and Goofy entered the Coliseum Gates. Walking into the dim lobby, the cracks in the stone visible underfoot, a satyr was putting up a sign on the wall near an entrance. A 'closed' sign was tied in the dark doorway and a large pedestal was placed against a wall near a lit torch. Sora walked up to the busy-looking satyr.
"Um..." Sora muttered.
The satyr didn't look behind him, "Good timing. Give me a hand, will ya? Move that pedestal over there for me." He pointed to the pedestal that was still facing the sign on the wall. "I gotta spruce this place up for the games."
Sora, Donald and Goofy walked over to the pedestal and attempted to move it, but it didn't budge.
"It weighs a ton!" Sora told the satyr.
"What? Too heavy? Since when have you been such a little—" The satyr turned around to face Sora, expecting to see someone much taller, but looked down, and cut himself off. "Oh, sorry. Wrong guy. What're you doing here?"
He hopped down to their level and gaited towards Donald, who backed away.
Sora, however, felt a surprising familiarity upon seeing the satyr's face. Why did he know the satyr's name? He's never been to any world except Destiny Islands.
"This here's the world-famous Coliseum—heroes only! And I got my hands full preparing for the games. So run along, pip-squeaks," Phil put his hands on his hips as Sora pouted. "Look, it's like this." Phil paced around. "Heroes are coming from all over to fight ferocious monsters
right here in the Coliseum."
Donald crossed his arms, "You've got heroes standing right in front of you."
Goofy placed his hands on Sora's shoulders, "Yup, This one's a real hero chosen by the Keyblade!" His comment made Sora bashfully smile.
Donald pointed to himself, "And we're heroes, too."
Phil was shocked, "Hero? That runt?"
He then began to laugh loudly.
"What's so funny?" Sora asked. "I've fought a bunch of monsters!"
"Hey," Phil replied, "if you can't even move this..." Phil attempted to push the pedestal forward, but made no progress, "you can't call yourself..." he tried pushing with his back against it, his hooves slipping on the floor, "a hero!"
Sora sternly crossed his arms, as Phil wore himself out and sat on the ground, trying go catch his breath.
"Okay, so it takes more than brawn," Phil admitted, before standing back up. "Let's see what you can do, kid. This trial is tough. You got what it takes? You ready?"
Sora heard Kairi giggle, and there she was again, standing right in front of him, despite the fact that no one else could see her but him. She said, "The games sound fun. Don't you think, Sora?" They did sound fun, and it would give him a chance to prove himself. "I'll be cheering you on, always."
Sora turned back to Phil, "I'm ready!"
"Okay, kid," Phil replied. "Let's see what you've got."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Deep Jungle~
Sora went with Tarzan, Donald, and Goofy as they entered the deepest parts of the Waterfall Cavern and found a glowing nest of butterflies in the trunk of an ancient tree. Jane and Terk joined them and Tarzan said the word once more—the word that meant home.
"This is your home? But that means..." Tarzan stopped Sora and placed a hand to his ear.
"Huh?" Goofy asked, before they all silenced themselves to hear the roaring sound of water.
"The waterfalls..." Jane realized. "They're echoing all the way here."
Tarzan repeated the word and added, "Friends there. See friends."
"Oh, now I've got it," Jane said. "It means 'heart'. Friends in our hearts..."
"Heart..." Tarzan muttered.
Sora felt disappointed. For a moment, he really thought Tarzan had actually found Riku and Kairi, "Oh, so that's what it meant."
"Friends, same heart," Tarzan explained. "Clayton lose heart. No heart, no see friends. No heart, no friends."
Sora heard Kairi giggle again. He looked beside him, and there she was standing right beside him, her violet eyes meeting his blue ones. "You ought to know all about 'friends in our hearts', Sora. It's your greatest strength."
Sora softly smiled before turning to Donald, "Sorry about what I said."
"I'm sorry too," Donald replied.
"Yeah," Goofy added. "All for one, huh?"
He then gathered them into a group hug, smiling.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Traverse Town~
Soldier Heartless had appeared, and Sora had raced to the Third District to deal with them, Donald and Goofy hot on his heels. He raised his Keyblade, but he didn't have to do anything, because someone had taken them all out before he could.
Sora looked up to see someone he had been looking for.
"There you are, Sora," came a familiar voice. "What's going on?"
"Riku!" Sora smiled, before walking up to his oldest friend and stretching his mouth out, making sure Riku was real.
"Hey, hey, cut it out!" Riku sounded and acted the same as he did before the fall of the Islands, aside from the fact that he had a sword shaped like a bat wing. That was good enough for Sora.
"I'm not dreaming this time, right?" Sora asked, releasing Riku's mouth. He was already hallucinating Kairi everywhere he went.
"I hope not," Riku replied. "Took forever to find you."
"Did you find Kairi yet?" Sora asked, as he and Riku started walking through the square.
"No," was Riku's disappointing answer. "I thought she was with you." Sora looked down, sadly. Quess he'd have to stick with the hallucinations for now. "Don't worry, Sora. I'm sure she made it off the island too. She's tough." Riku looked up at the sky. "We're finally free. Who knows? She might even be looking for us now."
Sora noticed a Shadow Heartless emerging from the ground, its attennae wriggling wildly, with Riku's back turned to it.
"We'll all be together again soon," Riku continued. "Don't worry. Just leave everything to me. I know this—"
He cut himself off when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see Sora, who had just destroyed the Shadow Heartless. Sora stood up and tossed the Keyblade over his shoulder.
"Leave it to who?" Sora asked, full of pride, teasing Riku because for once, the two boys were on equal grounds.
Riku walked closer, "Sora, what did you—?"
"I've been looking for you and Kairi, too," Sora explained, before pointing to Donald and Goofy on the side, "with their help."
Riku looked at them a little apprehensive. "Who are they?" Sora went and made new friends already? What about him and Kairi?
"Ahem," Donald cleared his throat. "My name is—"
Sora cut the duck off, "We've visited so many places and worlds, looking for you."
"Really? Well, what do you know? I never would have guessed," Riku gently teased.
Goofy put his hands on Sora's shoulders, "Oh, and guess what? Sora's the Keyblade master."
"Who would've thought it?" Donald said.
Sora stomped his foot, "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
"So, this is called a Keyblade?" Riku asked as he held up Sora's Keyblade.
"Huh?" Sora looked down at his own hand in confusion. "Hey, give it back!"
He rushed forward to grab it, but Riku moved back, making Sora stumble and
fall over. Riku held the Keyblade above his head, getting a good look at it.
After a while, Riku said, "Catch!"
"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed, catching the Keyblade as Riku tossed it. "Okay, so you're coming with us, right? We've got this awesome rocket. Wait 'til you see it!"
"No, he can't come!" Donald rudely cut in.
"What?" Sora stomped his foot again.
"Forget it!"
"Oh, come on! He's my friend!"
"I don't care!"
The arguing, with Riku and Goofy awakwardly placed in the middle, was interrupted by Leon, rushing onto the scene, exclaiming, "Sora! Heartless are attacking people!"
Sora raced away, Keyblade in hand, without a word to Riku, Donald, and Goofy, the latter two following him.
Riku raced to a nearby rooftop to watch the trio fight, noting how seemless their teamwork was, noting how effortless them getting along was, noting how expertly Sora was swinging that Keyblade.
As Riku watched the trio celebrate their victory, Maleficent appeared next to Riku out of nowhere. "Do you feel better?" she calmly asked him. "You've reunited with your friend."
"I think he forgot about me," Riku muttered.
"You see?" Maleficent replied. "It's just as I told you. While you toiled away trying to find your dear friend, he quite simply replaced you with some new companions. Evidently, now he values them far more than he does you." She looked down at Riku as he stared down at Sora with narrow, unblinking eyes. "You're better off without that wretched boy." She bent down to his level, giving him a smile. "Now, think no more of him and come with me. I'll help you find what you're searching for..."
The moment Riku left with Maleficent, Sora remembered, "Hold on! Where's Riku? I was talking to him!"
"I think he's gone," Goofy said.
Sora looked around the area, seeing nobody. Sora sadly sighed, "I found him, and then I lost him again. Oh, well. At least, he's okay." He put his hands behind his head, hopeful. "And who knows? Maybe we'll run into Kairi soon, too."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Agrabah~
Sora was in the middle of fighting Heartless in the streets of Agrabah when he saw Kairi again. She was standing a ways off, next to an alleyway. She was just standing there.
Just moments before, he, Donald, and Goofy were asking themselves what they were here on this world, what the Keyblade wanted them to do here. That's when the Heartless showed up.
Kairi was looking at him, watching him expectantly. She was waiting for him. She wanted him to follow her, but only after all the Heartless were gone from the area.
So, Sora fought harder, wondering what she wanted to show him. Once all the Heartless were gone, Sora didn't wait around for Donald and Goofy. He instead raced after Kairi.
"Wait, Sora, hold on!" He heard Goofy call out.
"Where are you going?" Donald asked, before Sora heard heavy footsteps behind him, indicating that they were following him.
Donald's inquiry, however, was just more evidence that Donald and Goofy couldn't see Kairi, that they really were just hallucinations.
But then why did she always seem to know what was going on in real time?
Kairi turned a corner, and Sora rounded the same one, only to find Kairi gone, but he gasped, seeing someone else staring at the trio from behind a pile of crates.
"Who's there?" it was a girl. "Hello?"
"I'm Sora," Sora replied, gently and cautiously. Why was she hiding? "They're Donald and Goofy. And you are?"
The girl stood up. She wasn't a commoner, as her clothes and jewelry were more expensive, indicating her as being in a higher position of some kind. "I'm Jasmine," she introduced herself. "My father is the sultan of Agrabah."
"So that makes you a princess," Donald replied.
Jasmine nodded, "But he has been deposed by Jafar, who now controls the city."
"Jafar?" Goofy asked.
"You haven't heard of him?" Jasmine asked, before explaining, "He's the royal vizier. He's gained evil powers and seized Agrabah. He's desperately looking for something—something he calls the 'Keyhole'. Jafar caught me trying to escape, but he helped me."
"Who helped you?" Sora asked.
"We were hiding nearby," Jasmine explained, "but he left a while ago to take care of
something...Oh, I hope Aladdin's all right."
"Aladdin?" came an unfamiliar voice. "Where might I find this street rat?"
They looked up to see Jafar on a high ledge.
Jafar said, "Jasmine, allow me to find you more suitable company, my dear princess. These little rats won't do, you see."
"Protect her," came Kairi's voice again, warning him.
"Jasmine, run!" Sora said, stepping front of her.
Twice now, Kairi had told him to protect someone. First Alice, and now Jasmine. He was beginning to suspect that Kairi has real and that she knew something he didn't.
He still didn't have an explanation on why Goofy and Donald couldn't see her, but she wasn't a hallucination anymore.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion~
Maleficent and Hades stood around a table. Hades sighed as Maleficent faced away from them.
"That smarmy vizier could've had 'em," Hades said, "if someone had stuck around to give him a hand." He looked over at Riku, who glanced back at him with narrowed eyes.
"Hey, I did my part. I brought the princess, didn't I?" Riku shot back.
"Jafar was beyond help, consumed by his own hatred," Maleficent cut in. "One should beware of letting it burn too fiercely."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Lighten up," Hades replied. "I'm as cool as they come, okay? By the way, kid, have we got something special for you."
"Huh?" Riku asked, looking toward Maleficent.
"We had a deal, yes?" the witch asked. "You help us, and we grant you your wish..."
In that moment, an image of Kairi appeared on the table. She was lying down, looking as if she was asleep.
"Kairi!" Riku cried, rushing forward to the table.
"We found her floating between the worlds," Maleficent said. "Go to her. Your vessel is waiting."
A man walked in wearing pirate's robes and a large feathered cap. He held up a hook for a hand, smirking, and said, "Just remember, this is no pleasure cruise. It won't be a pleasant voyage."
Riku turned back to Maleficent. "Why are you doing all this for me? What's the catch?"
Maleficent faced him, "Catch? What's the catch?" She bent down to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "Silly, boy. You're like a son to me. I only want you to be happy."
He knocked her hand away. "I seriously doubt that."
"Believe what you wish," she replied. "But lest we forget, I kept my end of the bargain."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Monstro~
Sora, Donald and Goofy had gone after Pinocchio, finding him hiding in an inner chamber.
"What are you doing?" Sora asked Pinocchio. "Come on, let's go back."
"You know, Geppetto's awfully worried about you," Goofy added.
But the wooden boy just didn't want to listen to them. "Pinocchio, stop fooling around! This is no time for games!" Sora sternly told him.
They started to turn away, but a familiar voice stopped them, "But, Sora, I thought you liked games." Sora whirled around to see Riku. "Or are you too cool to play them now that you have the Keyblade?"
"Riku! Wh-What are you doing here?" Sora asked, choosing not to mention that the Keyblade took a couple of seconds more to appear than when he first started his journey. He didn't know why, but it didn't start until Riku got a hold of it.
"Just playing with Pinocchio," Riku replied.
"You know what I mean!" Sora called back. "What about Kairi? Did you find her?
Riku shrugged, "Maybe. Catch us and maybe I'll tell you what I know."
"Come on!" Sora tried to stop him.
But Riku grabbed Pinocchio's hand and led him further into Monstro.
"Something's wrong," came Kairi's voice again. Sora turned to his right, and sure enough, there she was. Her face was solemn, her eyes filled with sorrow and pain, "Riku's not himself. Something must be wrong with him."
Sora clenched his fists, before chasing after Riku.
He immediately knew Kairi was right when Riku proposed joining forces with the darkness in order to help Kairi, an action that involved kidnapping Pinocchio and extracting his own heart.
Deep in his heart, even if it would help Kairi, like Riku suggested, Sora knew that it would be bad if he fell to darkness.
His heart ached. What happened to Kairi? What was happening to Riku?
Why had his entire world, his entire life, collapsed all of a sudden?
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Atlantica~
"As the key bearer, you must already know," King Triton told him. "One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds."
"Of course I know that, but..." Sora tried to say, but Triton cut him off.
"You have violated this principle. The key bearer shatters peace and brings ruin."
"Aw, Sora's not like that," Goofy said.
"I thank you for saving my daughter," Triton said, "but there is no room in my ocean for you or your key."
Triton left the grotto, leaving Sora staring down at the Keyblade.
"Guess it's time to leave," Sora muttered.
"But we still haven't found the Keyhole," Donald reminded him.
"I think you should check up on Ariel," came Kairi's voice once again. Sora looked up to see her, sitting on one of the shelves. She had a lavender colored tail much like Ariel's and her familiar shirt and necklace. "If anything, she deserves a goodbye, right?"
Okay, it was no longer coincidence. Once again, Kairi knew what was going on, seemingly knowing something he did not, and this time, she had the same disguise as he, Donald, and Goofy did.
But she was right.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Ariel was alone in the Undersea Garden, crying to herself, when the two devious eels arrived.
Flotsam: "My, my, the poor child suffers such deep sorrow," Flotsam said, as he and Jetsame swam around her in circles.
"What a pity. If only there were something we could do..." Jetsam added.
"Wait. Maybe she can be of some help."
"Yes. Maybe she can be of some help to you."
"Who're you talking about?" Ariel asked.
They started swimming upwards in a spiral.
"Oh, she would surely help you."
"She'd make all your dreams come true."
"Ursula can help..." they both said.
In a flourish of ink, Ursula appeared.
"You called, my dear?" Ursula asked, smiling down at Ariel.
Ariel, dauntingly, asked, "You're Ursula? I was just wondering if—"
"It's all right," the sea witch replied. "Helping others is what I live for. Let me guess. You wish to see other worlds. That shouldn't be too hard. After all, your new friends came from another world."
"What?" Ariel asked, as the witch swam closer to her.
"But they had special help—that mysterious key," Ursula continued. Ariel looked toward the sea floor. "Now, now. Cheer up, sweetie. You have something special, too." The eels swam around them as Ursula leaned in closely. "Now listen carefully. I think the Keyhole they seek is somewhere in the palace."
With that, Ariel swam into the palace throne room.
"Now, my dear, if you can take me there without your daddy knowing..." Ariel turned as Ursula entered behind her. "I can help you get to these other worlds you long for."
Ursula saw the trident floating behind the throne, and smiled. After snatching the trident, she laughed evilly.
"The trident is mine at last! And I couldn't have done it without your help, my dear," she told Ariel.
Ariel was at the throne beside her father, who looked terribly weak. "Ursula, no! I didn't want this!" she cried out.
"Why not?" Ursula asked. "Aren't you tired of following your dear daddy's orders?" Flotsam and Jetsam swam around them. "Oh, yes. We had a deal, didn't we? Time for a little journey—to the dark world of the Heartless!"
"We cannot find the Keyhole," Flotsam said.
"The Keyhole is not here," Jetsam added.
"What?" Ursula asked, before looking behind her, seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy swim their way to the action. "Why, we have company. I'm afraid you're a little late, handsome!"
Ursula chuckled, raising the trident and vanishing in a burst of ink just as the trio arrived. Ariel looked to King Triton, calling out, "Daddy!"
"The trident..." Triton feebly whispered. "We must get it back."
"Leave that to us," Sora told him, before turning to Donald and Goofy. "Come on, let's go!"
They began to swim out, but Ariel stopped them. "Wait, I'm going with you! My father is hurt and it's all my fault. I have to stop Ursula!"
Sora nodded, thinking to how Ariel and Triton would probably be dead now if it hadn't been for Kairi suggesting they go back to say goodbye to Ariel.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Halloween Town~
"We were just following orders!" Shock said. "Oogie Boogie told us to steal the heart. It's all Barrel's fault! It was his idea to tell Oogie Boogie about the heart."
"Yeah, that's right!" Lock agreed.
"B-But you guys said—" Barrel was cut off by Shock.
"You should be ashamed!"
"Oogie Boogie made us do it. We had no choice," Lock added.
"Oogie Boogie told us not to give away his hiding place," Barrel said. "Oh, and we're not supposed to talk about the lever, either."
Sora rolled his eyes, before activating the mentioned lever on a control panel and gears in the wall began to spin. He turned to Barrel and asked what Oogie Boogie was planning to do with the heart.
"What's he going to do with the heart? Beats me. I'd stay away from Oogie Boogie if I were you," was the answer he got.
He and Jack asked Shock where the heart was. "Hey, I was just following Oogie Boogie's orders! We don't have the heart! Oogie Boogie has it!"
Donald and Goofy asked Lock to take them to where Oogie Boogie's lair was. "There's no way I'm gonna take you to him! If I did that, Oogie Boogie would eat us too."
Well, that just put them at a stand still.
Sora looked up from his thinking when he heard Kairi giggle. She was standing in front of him, in a black version of her regular clothes, but with a broken heart motif and violet butterfly wings.
He was about to ask her if she knew anything about where to go next, but he didn't have to, but she started walking towards a green door in the wall, and Sora immediately understood why they didn't notice this door before. It was so well hidden that it was camoflaged against the wall.
Sora noticed Kairi walking through the door and he immediately rushed over and opened it.
"How did you find the secret door to Oogie Boogie's lair?" Shock asked.
Bingo.
"Nice job, Sora!" Jack said. "Time to get the heart back!"
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Neverland~
"Uh, Kairi couldn't wake up," Goofy reminded them, "so maybe she's really lost her—" He put his hands over his chest.
"Shh!" Donald silenced him, and Goofy made a gulping sound.
What happened on that pirate ship clearly negatively affected Sora. Donald knew that, Goofy knew that, and so did Peter and Wendy.
"Sora," Peter began. The brunette boy looked sullen, down, and said.
"I still can't believe it," Sora muttered, before looking into the night sky, smiling. Not the reply any of them were expecting from him. "I really flew. Wait 'til I tell Kairi. I wonder if she'll believe me. Probably not."
"You can bring her to Never Land sometime," Peter told him. "Then she can try it herself."
"If you believe, you can do anything, right?" Sora asked. "I'll find Kairi. I know I will. There's so much I want to tell her—about flying, the pirates, and everything else that's happened."
While heading to their Gummi Ship, Sora felt it right to tell Donald and Goofy the truth, what he's kept from them.
"Guys, I think I'm going crazy," Sora said.
"Why do you think that?" Goofy asked.
"Because I keep seeing Kairi everywhere," Sora explained, noting how good it felt to get all of this off his chest. "Every world we go to, there she is. She convinced me to help Alice despite Donald's warning, she encouraged me to take part in the games, she told me to take Tarzan's advice, she led me to where Jasmine was, she warned me about Riku changing while we were chasing him down, she suggested I check on Ariel before leaving, and she's the one who led me to the hidden door to Oogie's lair."
"Maybe you just miss her so much that you're just imagining what she'd do and say if she were there with us," Donald theorized.
"True," Goofy agreed. "You do have a crush on her after all."
Just like Donald and Goofy knew would happen, Sora's face immediately turned red. They chuckled as he stuttered, "I-Is it really that obvious?"
"Yes," they replied at the same time.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Lanes Between~
As they waited for Cid to modify their ship, Sora stared at the ground, a sad look on his face.
How did his life come to this? Kairi was missing her heart and Riku had apparently turned to darkness. Not to mention, their Islands had fallen, and now Sora had fair reason to suspect that Riku was the one who had opened the door he was talking about.
But why?
"Sora!" Donald called out to him, reminding the boy that Donald and Goofy were still there.
"Now, just remember what Donald said to ya: no frowning, no sad faces," Goofy reminded him.
"Can you blame me? Kairi and Riku both need saving!" Sora asked. "Anyways, how can you two be so cheerful? There's still no sign of your king. Aren't you worried?"
"Aw, phooey," Donald muttered.
"The king told us to go out and find the key bearer, and we found you," Goofy told him. "So as long as we stick together, it'll all work out okay. Ya just gotta believe in yourself, that's all."
"Just believe..." Sora muttered, before he closed his eyes.
Against the darkness that ensued, he heard Kairi once again say, "I believe in you."
Just then, Sora found himself flying toward a great shining light, which enveloped everything. Slowly, a room began to fade in around him, filled with bookshelves and stained glass windows. He floated in the air, watching.
"Where am I?" Sora asked himself. Deep in his heart, he found this place familiar, much like one of the slides Jane showed him in Deep Jungle.
He saw an old woman sitting on a chair under a long staircase. A familiar young girl with red hair ran up to the woman, who smiled down at her.
"Kairi..." Sora muttered. He knew that little girl anywhere.
This is the only memory I have, he felt Kairi tell him, feeling as if she was crying, or wanted to. It's faded, but it's the only piece of my past I can hold onto.
The old woman began, "Long ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light. Then people began to fight over it. They wanted to keep it for themselves. And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of light survived...in the hearts of children. With these fragments of light, children rebuilt the lost world. It's the world we live in now. But the true light sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why the worlds are still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open. And the true light will return. So, listen, child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away. Do you understand, Kairi?"
Sora blinked and the woman disappeared.
"Kairi!?" he called.
He scaned the room, seeing no one for a second. Blinking again, he was back to floating in the air, seeing the young Kairi, who looks around. He bent forward, trying to reach her, but she disappearred and he was thrown back to reality.
"Huh?" Sora asked, shocked with what he just saw.
"What's the matter?" Goofy asked him.
"Um, nothing," Sora replied, feeling a piece of folded paper in his pocket. "Kairi...did you call me?"
When Donald and Goofy turned away from, though not leaving the area, Sora took the paper out of his pocket and opened it up to read it.
'Dear Sora,
If you're reading this, that means that either we made it to another world or something bad has happened to me. I hope it's the first one, for the sake of us both, and not the second. Nevertheless, I'm glad I got this down on paper. It's something I need to say, but I'm not sure if I can tell you this in person. It's too personal.
Never change who you are, Sora. Please. Don't ever lose your optimism, your cheerful personality, your ability to make friends with everyone you meet. Please, don't ever lose your light. It's powerful and it's strong enough so that anyone searching for a light in the darkness can easily follow it back home.
I'm glad we're friends—you, me, and Riku. I wouldn't trust anyone else to visit all of the worlds with me. Thank you for everything.
Yours truly, Kairi'
Sora smiled, noting how at ease his heart felt now. Kairi had said, more than once, that his light, his heart was strong, but it was Kairi who made it strong.
As long as she lived, he felt like he could conquer anything. As long as Kairi always stood at his side, he knew that they would be able to save Riku from the road to darkness.
"Thanks, Kairi. I will save you, no matter what," he vowed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion~
Sora, Donald, and Goofy traveled along the crystalline platforms toward the origin of the sound they heard. Above them, on a platform with a stone arch, they saw Riku confronting a figure in a violet cloak. From the hairy claws and tail protruding from the bottom of the cloak, it was undeniably animal.
"No vessel," Riku was saying, "no help from Heartless...So tell me, how'd you get here?"
The beast stood on its hind legs like a human would, and it gazed upon Riku with the same resolution as human eyes would, but the rest of its body, from its horns to its fangs to its claws, screamed otherwise. When it spoke, its voice was low and rough.
"I simply believed," the Beast replied. "Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!"
"Take her, if you can!" Riku challenged.
The Beast roared and leapt up at Riku. It swiped at him with its sharp claws, but Riku flipped backward, dodging the attack completely. As soon as Riku landed, he charged forward at the Beast. Sora arrived in time to see the Beast fall to the ground with a stinging growl.
"Stop!" he called.
Riku looked over at the three of them standing in front of the Beast. He smirked confidently. "So, you finally made it," he said. "About time. I've been waiting for you. We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you."
"Riku..." Sora muttered, his heart pounding a mile a minute, telling him that something bad was about to happen. It was a feeling he couldn't pinpoint, but also couldn't deny.
"But it all ends here," Riku continued. "There can't be two Keyblade masters."
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked in obvious confusion.
"Let the Keyblade choose..." Riku held a hand to his chest, "...its true master."
He extended his hand out toward the Keyblade, which began to shake violently in Sora's grasp. Sora grabbed the blade with two hands as it started to pull itself toward Riku. The Keyblade flashed out of Sora's hands...
"Huh?"
"What?!"
...And reappeared in Riku's. He stared up at it, smiling darkly.
"Maleficent was right," Riku told Sora. "You don't have what it takes to save Kairi." Riku turned his gaze to the sky. "It's up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door..." He held the blade high, "...and change the world."
"But that's impossible," Sora sputtered. "How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!"
Riku looked at his Keyblade again, "You were just the delivery boy." He dispelled the Keyblade and pulled out a wooden sword. "Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this."
He tossed the sword to Sora, which landed on the stone platform with a clunk. Sora fell to his hands and knees in defeat as Riku left, Donald and Goofy watching him do so.
"Goofy, let's go," Donald reminded him. "We have to remember our mission."
"Oh! Well, I know the king told us to follow the key and all...but..." Goofy gazed back at Sora, giving a sad grumble.
"Sora. Sorry," Donald said, before the two continued after Riku.
Sora didn't move, feeling the cold stone beneath his fingers and the spray of the water on his clothes. He wanted to cry.
"You're doing the exact opposite of helping, Riku," he heard Kairi grumble, "you butt." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kairi kneel next to him. "Get back up, Sora. It's not over yet. Riku thinks that he can save me as long as he has the Keyblade, but he's wrong. Only you can. Riku's not himself. He's lost, and he needs help getting back into the light. Right now, that's something only you can do."
Sora was nearly deaf to the low growl and thumping footsteps behing him. He looked up, seeing the Beast walk past him. He watched as it fell to the ground with a painful moan. Sora got up and ran to his side.
Sora tried to stop him from getting up, "Hey, don't move. You're hurt."
The Beast looked over at Sora, who noticed his intensely human eyes. "Why...Why did you...you come here? I came to fight for Belle." He looked up at the castle in front of them and stood up again. He started slowly walking ahead. "And though I am on my own, I will fight. I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here."
Sora turned around, staring at Kairi, who smiled and nodded. He gaze wandered back down to the ground, seeing the wooden sword Riku had thrown at him. He picked it up and walked back to the Beast's side.
"Me too," Sora replied. "I'm not gonna give up now. I came here to find someone very important to me, and I'm leaving without her either."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The Beast gave out a great roar and charged after the Heartless, the door closing in on him, separating him from Sora. The sound echoed in Sora's ears.
"Quit while you can," came Riku's voice.
Sora turned, seeing Riku with Donald and Goofy standing in front of him.
"No. Not without Kairi," Sora shot back, his face lowered into a determined glare. Donald and Goofy noted how serious Sora was.
"The darkness will destroy you," Riku said. Tendrils of darkness erupted around Riku and his clothes took on a darker quality. He clenched his fists, feeling the dark powers inside his heart, and glared at who he used to call a friend.
"You're wrong, Riku. The darkness may destroy my body, but it can't touch my heart," Sora held a hand over his chest. "My heart will stay with my friends. It'll never die!"
'I'm glad that we're friends. I wouldn't trust anyone else to visit all of the worlds with me,' Kairi's words echoed in both of their hearts.
"Really..." Riku muttered. "Well, we'll just see about that!"
He thrusted his hand forward, releasing a Dark Firaga aimed straight at Sora's heart. The energy coursed through his hand, causing the air to ripple, his hair whipping across his face.
Sora was paralyzed as it drew near him and he closed his eyes, right before hearing a crash.
"Sora ain't gonna go anywhere!" came Goofy's voice.
Sora opened his eyes, seeing Goofy standing in front of him with his shield out. The energy, upon contact with the shield, fizzled into the air around him.
"You'd betray your king?" Riku asked.
"Not on your life!" Goofy shot back. "But I'm not gonna betray Sora, either, 'cause he's become one of my best buddies after all we've been through together!" He turned to look at Sora, giving him a thumbs up. Goofy then turned and waved at Donald. "See ya later, Donald. Could ya tell the king I'm really sorry?"
"Hold on, Goofy! We'll tell him together," Donald ran over to the two of them and looked up at Sora. "All for one and one for all, right?" The duck's gaze saddened into a guilt-filled smile. "I'm sorry for abandoning you, Sora."
"I guess you're stuck with us, Sora," Goofy said. "I'm sorry too."
Sora felt like crying tears of joy. "Don't worry about it," he managed to get out. "Thanks a lot."
"How will you fight without a weapon?" Riku's question made Sora look back at him.
"I know now I don't need the Keyblade," Sora replied. "I've got a better weapon. My heart."
Riku scoffed, "Your heart? What good will that weak little thing do for you?"
"All though my heart may be weak, it's not alone," Sora shot back. "It's grown with each new experience, and it's found a home with all the friends I've made. I've become a part of their heart just as they've become a part of mine. And if they think of me now and then...if they don't forget me...then our hearts will be one." He took out the wooden sword, "I don't need a weapon. My friends are my power!"
In response to this, the Keyblade flashed in Riku's hand, much to his surprise. It disappeared and he stared at his hand, gasping in total astonishment. The Keyblade reappeared in Sora's hands, seeing Sora's heart, his light, in comparison with Riku's, and it had chosen Sora as its permanent master.
Sora stared Riku down, who took out his winged sword—Soul Eater.
Riku rushed forward, attacking Sora in a flourish of hits. Sora dodged sideways and spun around, sliding back toward Riku and striking with his Keyblade.
A fight between them ensued, the wooden sword Sora had been holding moments before lying on the ground, helpless as it could only watch the events that played out next.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Riku's body disappeared, leaving behind the dark Keyblade, the Keyblade of heart.
"Riku!" Sora called out. But Riku was gone.
Riku was gone, and Kairi was still asleep.
The barrier, at this point, was gone, and Donald and Goofy stood in front of the entrance to the Dark Depths.
"Sora! Sora, look!" Donald called.
"The...The Keyhole!" Goofy added.
Sora walked over to it and aimed his Keyblade, but it didn't respond like it normally did.
"It won't work!" Goofy said. "The Keyhole's not finished yet!"
Sora put his Keyblade away. "What can we do?"
"Maybe we've gotta go wake Kairi up," Goofy suggested.
"I think you're right," Sora mutttered. The trio turned in her direction and Sora placed his hand on his chest. "If we can free her heart...But...But how?" he asked.
Kairi's heart was in his. That revelation wasn't something he was expecting, but looking back on it, it made a lot of sense. It explained why he found Hollow Bastion so familiar—it was Kairi's home. It explained why images of Kairi kept popping up in every world he went to, and it explained how Kairi always knew when Sora was feeling down and depressed after every encounter he had with Riku.
Kairi was a Princess of Heart, meaning she was one of the seven maidens in danger, and it really touched him to know that Kairi saw Sora as her safe place—her sanctuary.
Sora's thought train stopped when his eyes settled on the Keyblade of heart.
"A Keyblade that unlocks people's hearts...I wonder," he quietly said, thinking to himself.
"Sora?" Goofy asked, he and Donald watching as Sora walked over to the dark Keyblade and picked it up. Immediately, the two knew what he intended to do. "Sora, hold on!"
"No, wait!" Donald cried out.
Sora turned to them and smiled at them, saying, "Take care of her for me, okay?" before holding the blade in both hands, stabbing himself in the chest.
Donald and Goofy watched as Sora's chest glowed brightly and the Keyblade floated out of him. He closed his eyes and started to fall backwards. The dark Keyblade split into six hearts that floated back into the Princesses. Another heart surged from Sora's chest and floated back to Kairi.
Kairi opened her eyes immediately upon her heart returning to her body.
Sora saw the entranceto the Dark Depths shimmer, the barrier broken, and turned back to the awakening, a content smile on his face.
Kairi sat up just in time to see Sora glowing brightly and slowly falling. Donald ran toward him.
"Sora...Sora!"
Kairi knew what was happening, and immediatly jumped to her feet. "Sora!" She ran to him, but as soon as she touched him, he burst into numerous fragments of light, which floated into the air and disappeared.
Kairi was left in shock, her entire body trembling. He had slipped through her fingers so easily.
But...he was just here...
Donald was shouting at the fragments as they rose up to the ceiling, "Sora! Come back, Sora!"
Kairi, Donald, and Goofy stood motionless, waiting for any sort of sign that Sora would come back to them, grieving.
"Sora, are you really—" she asked, mostly to herself. "No. He can't be! I won't let him go!"
A corridor of darkness appeared and out stepped a tall man with white hair and golden eyes.
Kairi felt a surge of anger rise up in her heart. This was the man...
"Xehanort..." she muttered.
Ansem didn't make any comment to the name Kairi called him. Instead, he slowly stepped closer to Kairi. "So, you have awakened at last, Princess. The Keyhole is now complete. But now, it's over. You will give me access to Kingdom Hearts!"
He continued walking slowly towards Kairi, but Donald and Goofy stepped in front of her, brandishing their weapons.
"Don't make another move!" Donald ordered. But Ansem made no move to stop.
Goofy turned to Donald, "Do you think we can stop him all by ourselves?"
"I don't know!" Donald replied.
But as Ansem approached, he stopped, struggling to move his own body. "Impossible..." he mumbled.
He grunted, a prisoner in his own body. An image of Riku appeared before him, facing the other three.
"No. You won't use me for this!" Riku told the owner of the voice in his head, the voice that told him lies, over and over again. He held out his arms, blocking Ansem from proceeding further, but also shielding them from him.
"Riku!" Kairi felt like crying, from joy or sadness, she didn't know. Probably both.
"You've got to run!" Riku told her. "The Heartless are coming!"
A horde of Shadow Heartless appeared and surrounded them. Kairi gulped. Riku was right. She had no weapon. She was defenseless. She wanted to stay, for Riku and Sora, but if she fell, the worlds would too, and it would've rendered Sora's sacrifice for her, as well as Riku's currently, completely useless.
She couldn't do that.
She was a Princess of Heart. She had a duty to protect the worlds from darkness.
So Kairi, gingerly touching her necklace, nodded and turned to ran away.
Donald screamed as the three of them escaped from the Grand Hall.
"What about the Keyhole?" she heard Goofy asked.
"Let's just get out of here!" she heard Donald reply.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
A lone Shadow watched them leave, its antennae wriggling in front of its glowing eyes. It jumped down from the upper platform in their direction. In the Entrance Hall, Donald and Goofy waited at the castle gates while Kairi stopped at the head of the stairs.
That was impossible. Was he really still alive?
"Kairi, hurry!" Goofy snapped her out of her reverie.
"But I can't leave them behind!" she called back.
"We can't stay here!" Donald reminded her. Kairi remembered Sora's last words to his two companions before sacrificing himself. He wanted Donald and Goofy to take care of Kairi in his place.
She ran down the stairs as the Shadow appearred in the hall.
"A Heartless is after us!" Goofy noticed.
"I'll take care of him!" Donald said, as the Heartless descended towards them. The duck summoned his staff and ran forward, hitting it on the head, Goofy's hand outstretched in front of Kairi, protecting her. "Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will ya?"
But it appeared unfazed and looked over at Kairi. There was something about this one Heartless, something different, and she could feel it. However strange, however impossible, she knew it to be true.
"Wait!" she called, grabbing Donald's staff mid-swing, successfully stopping Donald, who looked over at her surprisingly. "Sora? Is that you?" she asked.
Donald and Goofy both watched as the Heartless slowly nodded. They were about to cry when the group was suddenly surrounded by Shadows.
"Uh-oh!" Goofy exclaimed, before he and Donald rushed to fight them.
Kairi saw the wooden sword still lying on the floor and grabbed it, before standing in front of Heartless Sora.
"This time, I'll protect you," she vowed to Sora.
Kairi put her entire weight into her swings. Her hits connected, but she quickly saw that they weren't doing any damage.
Of course, she didn't have a Keyblade, like Sora's. She was still defenseless.
She helplessly watched as the Heartless surrounded her, slowly moving closer to their prey. They paused, their antennae and glowing eyes taking in every sense, before pouncing. Kairi whirled around, putting her arms around the lone Shadow Sora, her eyes clenched shut. "Sora!"
Goofy and Donald had managed to defeat the rest and turned to see the group of Shadows covering Kairi. Donald let off a worried squawk.
"Kairi!" Goofy called.
A light erupted from beneath the dark cloud, knocking the Heartless away, revealing Kairi in the arms of Sora—human Sora.
"Kairi, thank you," Sora whispered to her, as he held her close, sparkles of light floating around them.
Kairi opened her eyes in amazement. "Sora..."
"Sora!" Donald and Goofy both cried out.
The Heartless reappeared around them and everyone braced for a fight. No one was expecting the Beast to arrive, roaring loudly on top of the dragon fountain. He leapt down to their level and knocked away a Shadow.
"Go! Now!" the Beast told them.
"Come with us!" Sora said.
"I told you before, I'm not leaving without Belle," the Beast replied. "Now, go! The Heartless are coming!"
"Alright, let's get out of here," Sora said, before grabbing Kairi's hand, leading her, Donald, and Goofy out of the castle and back to Traverse Town.
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: Yuffie explaining to Sora what the Princesses of Heart are this early in the story is important to understanding my later changes (mainly to give Xemnas a legitimate reason to go after Kairi in II other than her being "the fire that fuels Sora's anger"). It's also my attempt to better connect the later installments to the first game (which understandably has fewer connections with the others).
Kairi is awake in Sora's heart (unlike Ventus, who's asleep), so I wanted to show more proof that she's actually tagging along on Sora's adventures with Donald and Goofy. The canon game doesn't really point that out, not obviously at least, but beware, it will be mentioned here more than once. However, I did make an effort to show some clues that Ven's in Sora's heart (like seeing Phil again; once again, an attempt to make connections to the later installments).
I rewrote Sora and Riku's reunion so that it made more sense according to how I wrote this story and Riku's character (who is insecure and gets jealous easily). These new circumstances give Riku a little more of a reason to feel abandoned and tossed aside for something more important (plus jealous that Sora is the one playing hero in his stead).
I'm not sure if I explained this, or if I'll explain it later, but Kairi taking on the forms of the various other worlds extends from her unconscious fear of being the odd one out (since she's the new girl on Destiny Islands and everyone knows this). This little factoid will resurface later (if you've read my blueprint on my DeviantArt page, you'll know when and why). Kairi showing Sora the only (faded) memory she has of her grandmother is a big show of trust on her part. The wooden sword Kairi uses to fight the Heartless near the end is Sora's, the one that got replaced with the Keyblade.
A video on Youtube made a good point to add a simple 'Xehanort' name drop in KH1 rewrites to better connect the installments. Xehanort is the overall main villain of the Dark Seekers Saga, but he's not mentioned until BBS. Besides, Kairi has True Sight, so she can see someone's true appearance. She saw Sora when he was a heartless and Riku when he had Ansem's face, so why would it be any different when she sees any piece of Xehanort?
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 the final battle with Ansem. The chapter after that will be Days/COM.