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.
!~~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 4: Kingdom Hearts, Part 3
~Traverse Town~
Donald and Goofy left the Secret Waterway to give Sora and Kairi some privacy. Sora watched them leave before turning to Kairi, who was staring at the mural of the moon.
"A light at the end of the tunnel..." she muttered.
"Oh, your grandma's story, right?" Sora remembered the memory she showed him. According to her, it was the only memory she had of her home—and it was faded. He felt honored that she trusted him enough to show him something so sacred to her, but he also felt a little sad.
Kairi turned to him, surprised that he remembered, but then she gently smiled, "That's right. We were together."
Sora smiled back, "You know what's funny? I looked everywhere for you, but you were with me all along. Finally, we're together, Kairi." He walked closer to her. "Now, it's time to get Riku back."
Kairi's smile disappeared into a sad frown, "You think it'll ever be the same again between us? Riku's lost his..."
"When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember?" Sora reminded her, remembering how horrible being a Heartless was. "I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice. You brought me back."
"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora," Kairi confessed. "I couldn't."
"That's it! Our hearts are connected." Sora put a hand to his chest. "And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it's more than just a fairy tale."
"Right," Kairi smiled, before her eyes regained their usual fiery confidence. "Now, let's go save Riku!"
"You can't," Sora immediately replied.
"And why not?" Kairi asked, her hands on her hips, an eyebrow raised as she frowned at him.
"Because it's way too dangerous," Sora answered.
"Come on, Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can't go alone," Kairi argued.
Sora was calm, "Kairi, even if we're apart, we're not alone anymore. Right?"
"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer, Sora," Kairi said. "Why can't I help?"
"I know, Kairi," Sora let slip a small smile at her. "While I know you can fight, you don't have experience fighting the Heartless like I do, and the ones in Hollow Bastion are stronger than the others."
"But I do have experience, Sora," Kairi countered. "I was by your side throughout your entire journey, so I experienced everything you did. I know I don't have a weapon, but I can just ask Merlin to help me practice the magic I learned through you. Besides, I have to go with you. Riku's only in this predicament because he wanted to save me in this first place."
"Sounds like a good plan," Sora began, and Kairi could sense a 'but' coming—and she was right, "but I'm still concerned. Riku would never forgive himself for the things he did if you got hurt on his behalf."
"And I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to either of you," Kairi replied. "Besides, the other six Princess are waiting for me. They need me. I can't leave them behind either. Together, all seven of us can hold back the darkness long enough for you to seal the Keyhole."
Sora smiled, "Okay, fine. You win. But, just promise me you won't do anything dumb."
"I won't. I promise," Kairi vowed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora was traveling the worlds one last time with Donald and Goofy, mainly to tie up loose ends, while Kairi spent that whole next week training her magic with Merlin and Fairy Godmother—who had given her the ability to use an attack called 'Starcracker'—which was an barrier attack that she could use to throw off enemies that attacked her.
She was doing well with the limited resources she had at her disposal, but she wanted an actual weapon, like a sword so she didn't have to rely on just magic or Starcracker.
Apparently, someone heard her wish, because that night she had a strange dream.
She heard her heart pumping as she fell deep into a black abyss. The empty nothingness became water, and bubbles formed in the wake of her descent. She managed to open her eyes and correct her position right before she landed on a dark platform. She looked around and stepped forward, but she covered her eyes as a flash of blinding light appeared from under her. A large flock of birds rose from the platform, flying in all directions and scattering feathers everywhere. Kairi watched them leave while the last feathers fell, before looking down, surprised to see an image of herself against a lavender-colored circular background, holding her thalassa shell charm close to her heart.
She wasn't the only one on the platform, though. There were Sora and Riku's images next to her, the profile of a blue-haired woman, and the back of an elderly woman's head—who Kairi assumed was her grandmother. Kairi wondered why Sora and Riku's faces were the only full ones, before she remembered that the other two were most likely from her faded past.
'So much to do, so little time,' came a disembodied voice from all around her. 'But don't be afraid. Step forward. Can you do it?'
Kairi nodded and took a few slow steps forward. A light shone down from above as a large stone pedestal rose from the lavender platform in a shower of light and magic. A red shield blinked into existence, floating above it.
'Power sleeps within you...' the voice continued, as another pedestal rose, a blue staff forming and floating above it.
Kairi turned to it.
'If you give it form...' the voice said, as a third pedestal appeared in front of the girl, a metal sword appearing above that one, 'it will give you strength.'
Kairi took in all three.
'Choose well.'
Kairi went over to the shield and held it in his hands.
'The power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Is this the power you seek?'
Yes, Kairi immediately thought. She wanted to power to protect those important to her—Riku and Sora. She opened her mouth to reply, but she didn't have to, as the shield vanished from her hand.
'Your path is set,' the voice continued. 'Now, what will you give up in exchange?' This question made Kairi turn to the other two weapons.
She approached the staff and held it in her hands.
'The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. You give up this power?'
Yes, Kairi replied. Sure magic was useful, but she felt better with attacking and defending.
The staff disappeared.
'You've chosen the power of the Guardian. You've given up the power of the Mystic. is this the form you choose.'
Yes.
The three pedestals suddenly sank into the floor, knocking her back onto the platform. A door appeared on the edge and she walked toward it. It opened as she got closer. Light flooded out from it, and she walked through.
On the other side of the door looked to be a castle courtyard, where three animalistic people—like Donald and Goofy—quietly waiting.
'Hold on. Before you open the door, first tell me more about yourself.'
She walked over to the humanoid female cow, who asked her, "What are you afraid of?"
Being weak, was Kairi's first thought. She feared not being strong enough.
The cow seemed to be able to read her mind, much like the voice, and asked, "Is that really so scary?"
But she accepted Kairi's answer.
Kairi turned next to the female duck, who asked, "What do you wish for?"
To keep my friends safe, Kairi replied. That's all she ever wanted.
"Is that really worth wishing for?" the duck asked, but like the cow, she too accepted the answer.
Kairi finally turned to the female mouse—who looked like a queen. "What's most important to you?" the mouse asked.
My closest friends, was kairi's answer.
"Are they really such a big deal?" the mouse asked, but she also accepted Kairi's answer.
'You're afraid of being weak. You want friendship. You want to protect your friends. Your heart holds the brightest light all. There will come a time when you need to fight for all that matters. Keep your light burning strong.'
Okay, Kairi accepted this.
'Remember, you are the strongest of all light. Keep your light shining bright.'
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi opened her eyes, only to came face to face with the morning. That was a strange dream, but it felt so real.
She paused. Sora mentioned a dream of his feeling real, despite it just being a dream. Did he have the same type of dream she did?
Because soon after his dream, the islands fell and he gained the Keyblade.
She pondered this while getting dressed, and she snapped out of her reverie when she heard a knock on her door.
"Kairi? It's me. I'm back!" It was Sora. He must've returned to get her, his last few missions to other worlds completed. Now it was time to go after Ansem and seal the Keyhole.
"It's open," she replied, watching as the mirror she was staring into revealed Sora opening the door behind her and stepping into the room.
"You ready to go?" Donald asked.
Kairi paused as she turned to face them, "Hold on. I want to check something first."
She held her hand out, her heart calling out to any weapon that might be there, any product from the dream she had.
After a few seconds, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were surprised when a white-colored Keyblade appeared in her hand in a white light, in a flurry of light sparkles and feathers.
It was beautiful Keyblade. The shaft displayed two hearts, and its handle bore two angel wings. The teeth were fashioned in the shape of the kanji for 'light', and its keychain token was the lucky charm she had made.
"Th-That's a Keyblade," Sora muttered.
"Oathkeeper," Kairi replied. "Its name is Oathkeeper."
And she loved it. She never appreciated a strange dream so much before. Whoever that voice was, she thanked them endlessly.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion~
The four traveled back to Hollow Bastion by a new route and disembarked at the Rising Falls, where they found the Beast waiting for them.
"Where's Belle?" Sora asked him.
"Still in the castle," the Beast replied.
"Against her will?" Goofy feared this.
"No, I think she stayed for a reason," the Beast answered. "The other Princesses are inside as well."
"I wonder why?" Donald muttered.
"I bet Kairi's here for the same thing," Sora said, before turning to Kairi. "C'mon. Let's go inside."
Kairi, meanwhile, was feeling her heart become slightly strained against the darkness already, her light in sync with the light of the other six Princess. She turned to face Sora when he adressed her, and she could see a hint of worry in his eyes, so she nodded with the same confidence and determination she usually had.
"You may need my strength," the Beast said. "I'll go with you."
The group made their way up to the castle. They entered the library and the Beast walked slowly up the stairs. Belle was waiting there. She turned away from a bookcase to face him and his eyes lit up.
"Belle!" The Beast walked over to her. She met him halfway and the four heroes watched them embrace.
"You've come to seal the Keyhole, right?" Belle asked Sora, who nodded. "Please, be careful. The darkness is raging deep inside. We've been holding it back, but we can't hold out much longer. But now that Kairi's here, we may have a better chance."
"We'll take care of this," Sora reassured her.
"Before I forget," Belle said, "this is for you." She handed him a rose-shaped Keychain—a new Keychain. "Use it to face the darkness, as the Beast has."
As Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast left the room, Kairi chose to remain behind.
Belle had turned back to face the bookcase. "So many books, but not one on how how to banish the darkness. Maybe it's hopeless..."
"It's not hopeless," Kairi gently countered. "The answer lies deep within your heart. Don't be afraid to listen to it."
Belle turned to the redhead and smiled. "Right."
"We just have to hang on until Sora seals the Keyhole," Kairi reminded her fellow Princess.
Belle nodded again, as Kairi felt a sense of familiarity within these walls. This was where she grew up, right?
Meanwhile, the other four continued onto the Castle Chapel, where the rest of the Princesses of Heart were gathered. Sora turned to Aurora and Cinderella first.
"We've been waiting for you, Keyblade master," Cinderella greeted.
"Where's Ansem?" Sora asked.
"Gone."
Aurora cut in, "When the Keyhole appeared, darkness poured out of it. It swallowed
Ansem, and he disappeared."
"Though Ansem is gone, the flood of darkness hasn't stopped," Cinderella said. "We're working together to hold it back. With all seven here now, it should be easier. Funny how all seven are needed for both light and dark to succeed..."
Aurora shook her head as she added, "I cannot forget the look on his face. As the darkness engulfed him, he was smiling."
Sora turned to the remaining three Princesses—Jasmine, Alice, and Snow White.
"Sora, please hurry!" Jasmine urged. "Darkness is pouring from the Keyhole."
"It's all we can do just to hold back the darkness," Alice said.
"I don't even know how long we can manage even that," Snow White added. "Though, with Kairi here too, it should be easier."
"All right, I'm on my way," Sora assured them.
"We're counting on you, Keyblade master," Snow White said. "In the meantime, we'll do what we can, too."
After Sora walked away with Donald, Goofy, and the Beast, Aurora turned to the other Princesses, and said, "Ansem has ignored us since the Keyhole appeared. What do you suppose that's about?"
"I don't think Ansem will ever return. Not for us, at least," Cinderella said. "His darkness appears to have affinity to go after Kairi."
"That's right," Alice remembered. "Kairi used to live here."
"I can feel Kairi's emotions," Jasmine said, placing a hand over her heart. "She's happy, sad, and confused, all at once. She knows this place is her home, but she can't remember any of it."
"We may share the same role," Snow White said, "but we're all different. I wonder how I would feel if I were in her shoes?"
Back at the library, Belle could sense the same emotions as the other five could. She watched Kairi as the girl wandered around the large building, looking at each and every detail, reading every book title, her sad violet eyes missing nothing.
"You miss someone, don't you?" Belle asked.
Kairi paused, processing the question, before slowly nodding. "My grandma. I don't remember anything about her other than the feeling that she's lost and I need to find her."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After defeating the Behemoth and sealing the Keyhole, Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran back to the Chapel to meet up with the Princesses again.
"Thank you, Sora," Alice said. "The darkness has begun to weaken."
"But I can feel a powerful darkness growing somewhere far away," Jasmine added.
"It's the heart of the darkness," Aurora said. "It must be where Ansem went."
"Then we'll take the Gummi Ship and deal with both Ansem and the Heartless," Sora replied.
"A worthy answer, Keyblade master," Cinderella smiled at him. "We offer this power to aid your battle." She somehow upgraded his Fira spell.
"Sora," Snow White told him, "once you defeat Ansem, the worlds will be brought back."
Aurora nodded, "Yes. Once the darkness is gone, all should return to its original state. Before the worlds began to fall."
"Will we be back on the island?" Sora asked.
"You, most certainly," Cinderella admitted, "but Kairi...not sure. Remember, this world is her home. She might end up here instead of there."
Sora paused. There was a chance that Kairi wouldn't return to the islands with them? But he understood. "R-Right, but I can't go home. Not until I find Riku and the King."
"I still can't believe we played a part in opening the Keyhole," Cinderella confessed. "To think we had such a power...Simply unimaginable! My world is gone, so I suppose I must stay here for the time being."
Alice spoke next, "The darkness still lingers, so we'll stay as well. Otherwise, this world will be destroyed, too. We'll do all we can. You helped me during that silly trial. Now it's my turn to help you."
"Maleficent used to live in our world," Aurora told him. "She used her great powers to control the darkness...But eventually it came to control her. I'm so glad the others are here with me."
"The darkness took my home," Snow White admitted. "I don't know where to go now. I hope my loved ones are safe somewhere. I'll do whatever I can to keep this world from being taken, too. I just want everything back as it was before."
Jasmine leaned in to Sora and spoke in a low voice, "Please don't tell Aladdin about all this. He will worry to death if you do! I will tell him about it, once I return to Agrabah. I hope everything is all right back home."
"Everything should be alright," Sora reassured her. "When we left, it was back to normal."
Jasmine smiled at him, "Right. Thank you."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora, Donald, and Goofy found Belle and Kairi in the library, right where they left them. Belle and the Beast were close together, clearly happy they had been reunited. Belle had thanked them for sealing the Keyhole before telling them where Kairi was.
Sora found her where Belle had said—in a room that was very familiar to him. It was the room with the table and the staircase—the room Kairi's memory took place in. Kairi herself was staring straight ahead at the chair—the chair that was occupied by her grandma but was currently unoccupied.
Sensing an intimate moment, Donald and Goofy waiting by the doorframe as Sora walked closer to her.
"Kairi?" he asked.
"This place was important to me," Kairi said, her voice thick and emotional. Sora managed to get a look at her profile, and her violet eyes, sure enough, were filled with unshed tears. "And I hate that I can't remember a thing about it." Her hands were tightly clenched together, trembling as she struggled to hold onto her sanity—she was about to head into a fight for goodness' sake. "This was my home and I have no memory of it."
Sora slung a comforting arm around her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find out why someday. In the meantime, we have friends to rescue and a bad guy to defeat."
Kairi used her wrist to dry her tears and sniffed. "Yeah. Let's go find Riku and the King."
As they walked out of the library, Donald turned to her with a smile, "You'll always have a home with us, Kairi."
"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "You're never alone."
Kairi's response was a tearfully smile, and a "Thank you."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~End of the World~
They were here. They had arrived at the Gate to the Dark. It was a cave near fragments of dense snowy rocks floating in a pool of an unknown substance. A swirl of energy lit their destination.
"Gawrsh, is that all that's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" Goofy asked.
"All these worlds will be restored if we beat Ansem, right?" Kairi asked.
"You betcha," Donald replied.
"Right," Sora said. "But, if we do beat him and all these worlds become restored and disconnected, what's gonna happen to this place? And to us?"
"Well, uh..." Donald didn't exactly have an answer.
"This is a Heartless world," Goofy noted, "so maybe it'll just disappear."
The other three looked back at him. "Huh?!"
"But no worries," Goofy tried to be hopeful. "Even if this place goes poof, our hearts ain't goin' nowhere. I'm sure we'll find our pals again. Yup, I just know that we will."
Donald nodded in agreement, as Sora and Kairi both nodded.
"Yeah, you're right," Sora said. "Let's go."
They proceeded to move forward over the bizarre terrain.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The doors opened as the group stepped forward. From beyond the doorway, light streamed in and engulfed the room. Sora's eyes opened to see a bright sandy beach where the clouds billowed in the sky. The waves lapped at the shoreline and he stood there in disbelief.
"Is this..." he breathed, "Is this our island?"
They heard a voice dripping with darkness speak as they approached the Secret Place.
"This world has been connected," Ansem's voice spoke, as the small island off the beach disappeared.
"What was that?" Goofy asked.
"Tied to the darkness..." Ansem continued. "Soon to be completely eclipsed." The wooden area past the long bridge vanished into thing air. "there is so very much to learn." The ocean frothed as it turned a dark violet color. "You understand so little." Kairi's heart trembled with fear as the island around began to rumble and quake. "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."
The island flashed and the sky ripped open, shattering the peaceful illusion. Beyond the gashing tears was a dark, mad world. The beach crumbled and lifted out of the water, revealing its rocky undergrowth as what once was a dock split in two. Ansem stood at the edge of the water, still in possession of Riku's body. The four ran down to the beach where he stood motionless, staring out at the sea.
"Take a look at this tiny place," Ansem continued. "To the heart seeking freedom, this is a prison surrounded by water. And so this boy," referring to Riku, "sought out to escape from his prison." He raised his arms, looking upward, the wind gusting through his air and clothes. "He sought a way to cross over into other worlds. And he opened his heart to darkness."
Ansem turned and Riku's body melted away, revealing the true form of the man, the Heartless symbol emblazoned on his chest.
Sora reached out to him, "Riku!"
"Don't bother," Ansem replied. "Your voice can no longer reach him where he is. His heart belongs again to darkness. All worlds begin in darkness, and all so end. The heart is no different." His voice was amplifying in volume and audacity as he continued, "Darkness sprouts within it, it grows, consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, every heart returns to the darkness whence it came."
They heard his voice behind them and whirled around as he spoke, having teleported. Sora jumped back.
"You see, darkness is the heart's true essense."
Kairi opened her mouth to speak, but Sora held his arm in front of her, "That's not true! The heart may be weak. And sometimes it may even give in. But I've learned that deep down, there's a light that never goes out!"
Ansem rose in the air, crossing his arms. He stared down at them through his piercing golden eyes. "So, you have come this far and still you understand nothing."
"You're the one who understands nothing!" Kairi finally spoke. "All this darkness has only blinded your heart to the truth."
"Silence, Princess!" Ansem shouted at her. "Every light must fade, every heart return to darkness!"
Behind him, darkness burst from his body, forming into a large black Heartless with long antennae. Its teeth were bared, seemingly covered in thick constraints, while its torso formed an empty heart. Ansem laugh and the Heartless thew scythes of energy at them.
Sora dodged them all, dragging Kairi off to the side with him as Ansem floated above them. Sora moved in, Keyblade in hand, and struck the man.
"Come, Guardian!" Ansem ordered.
The Heartless swooped in front of him, taking the blows from Sora's Keyblade.
In that moment—it was brief, but Kairi saw it clear as day—the Heartless changed forms. For a moment, it was no longer a Heartless, but a brunette-haired man tied up in chains of darkness—a man that Kairi felt a light air of familiarity for.
Did she know him?
Donald cast Thundaga and Graviga at Ansem, and Kairi attempted Holy Raid—where she imbued her Keyblade with light and threw it before being teleported to it—but the man just laughed at them as he dodged every attack.
Ansem floated down to them and the Guardian swiped at them with a large hand.
The fight continued until Ansem flew toward the large tree on the island, and it started to rumble. The branches shook violently as the tree was rent asunder, splitting into a corrupt area of vine and sinew. Ansem waited inside with the Guardian.
The four heroes ran up to the area, but Sora and Kairi were separated from Donald and Goofy by a barrier.
The island shook and the great black shape of a Darkside rose from the floor, its wings stretching out behind it.
It raised its giant hand to squash Sora, but the hit never came, as Sora quickly found himself within Kairi's pink-white colored beehive-shaped barrier. He looked back at her, a look of mild surprise on his face. Her violet eyes stared back at him with determination.
"Let's do this, Sora!" Kairi told him.
He nodded, and she released her barrier, allowing him to get a solid strike in on the Darkside they were facing, whisps of Kairi's remaining light from her barrier trailing behind him.
Once given the chance, Kairi used her most powerful spell, "Light!" Using Holy allowed her to summon a circle of light pillars that spun outwards, dealing light damage to the Darkside, while also restoring hers and Sora's health.
Together, they defeated the giant Heartless, which Ansem apparently didn't like, as this prompted him to emerge from the shadows. "Submit!" he ordered.
The Guardian clawed at Sora, turning energy and latching onto Sora. Sora approached Ansem, who burst into a giant orb of energy, electricity crackling around it.
"Sora!" Kairi called out.
"Come. Open your heart..." Ansem said, before the orb slammed into Sora, who fell back.
Sora tried to strike Ansem, but the Guardian froze him in place. Sora maintained his distance until the Guardian returned to Ansem's side. Ansem shouted and the Guardian swung its arms, sending waves of energy at Sora and Kairi, who rolled away from them. Ansem glowed with a bright aura and the room went dark.
"My strength returns," Ansem said.
The Guardian sunks into the ground and a pool of darkness appeared underneath Sora and Kairi. Sora looked down as the Guardian flew up at him, but Sora was once again surrounded by one of Kairi's barriers before the Heartless could knock him over. After regaining control of his body, Kairi released the barrier, allowing Sora to jump up and fly forward as the Guardian continued its assault.
As soon as it returned to Ansem's side, Sora whirled around and ran straight at the man, striking him with the Keyblade. Ansem tried to hide behind his Guardian, but Kairi predicted this, and used Holy Raid to get behind the man, and used Starcracker to attack him from behind.
Ansem said nothing, and the world went black.
"Wha...?" Sora was confused, as the barrier holding Donald and Goofy back was released.
Staring through darkness, the four heroes floated in midair.
"Behold the endless abyss!" came Ansem's voice again. The four looked over and saw a torn rock through the blackness, where an immenside white door stood closed. "Within it lies the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts! Look as hard as you are able. You'll not find even the smallest glimmer of light. From those dark depths are all hearts born. Even yours."
They looked down to see the colossal mass that was the World of Chaos, covered in muscle, bones, and sinew. At the top, Ansem hovered, connected by veins to the World of Chaos, as the Guardian grins behind him, his giant claws hanging at his sides. Both of them had grown larger, and Ansem appeared less human.
"Stow it, Ansem!" Kairi found herself shouting, her heart beating in sync with Kingdom Hearts. "You won't get your hands on it, mark my words! If you want Kingdom Hearts so badly, you'll have to go through me first!"
"Face it, Guardian of Kingdom Hearts, it's over for you!" Ansem shot back at her. "Darkness conquers all worlds!"
With this sight having struck fear into their hearts, Sora, Donald, and Goofy began to fall towards the World of Chaos, a portal appearing above the cafe-like middle of the battleship. Donald and Goofy creamed as they plunged inside of it, while Sora fell into the black abyss.
"Sora!" he heard Kairi call to him as darkness overtook.
*"Giving up already?"* He heard Riku's voice in his head. "Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that."
This calmed his mind. Thanks to this, he was believing in himself again, believing that
he could defeat Ansem, believing...
Suddenly, he shot back out of the darkness, flying up towards Ansem, who was facing off against only Kairi (that little factoid made him panic a bit), and took out the Keyblade, an unwavering look of determination upon his face. Ansem stared at him with haunting golden eyes, pupil-less in form, as he held a double-edged pole sword in his hand. Sora flew forward, striking Ansem with his Keyblade after Kairi blocked and fought back with Starcracker.
"Turn to darkness!" Ansem swung the pole sword around in wild circles, striking Sora in the side. "All shall be extinguished."
Orbs appearred around Sora, and before he has a chance to duck, he was hit by a cluster of lasers. Sora flew downward away from them, but also away from Ansem.
"Light!" Kairi's Holy spell, once again, restored his health, which he was grateful for.
"Come forth," Ansem swung his hand, summoning Bit Sniper Heartless that flew after Sora, their bat-like wings flapping in the air.
They tried to sideswipe him, but were met with the Keyblade and disappeared. Dodging more lasers, he cast a barrier of air around him, flying back to Ansem to finish this once and for all.
To Sora's surprise, the man dispelled his sword and crossed his arms over his body. A large Heartless insignia appeared over him, blocking him from all attacks. The portal over the cage reappeared and Sora flew into it, finding himself in pitch black room, where he was confronted by a horde of Shadow Heartless, the only light coming from the Heartless emblem on the floor and their eerie glowing eyes.
As he destroyed the Shadows, a long thread appearred in the middle of the room, glowing with dark energy. Sora struck at the Room Core, which exploded, sending Sora back to the World of Chaos, where Kairi still was.
The Guardian stared down at him after avoiding Kairi's Holy Raid, though Ansem didn't make a move. On the front of the living battleship, the fleshy artillery began to shoot homing beams of energy at him and another portal appeared above them in front of the Guardian.
The artillery wiggled at the expellant force as Sora flew nearer to the portal. Sora was nearly overwhelmed by the artillery and as he closed in on the portal, the Guardian slammed his great claws forward, creating a roaring gust of wind, sending Sora toppling away. He was again assaulted by laser-emitting orbs, but he quickly dodged in midair and flew back to the artillery. After destroying
the armaments, he soared into the portal of darkness, finding himself in another dark room filled with Darkball Heartless.
"Sora!" Goofy called out, revealing that was in the room as well.
And together, the two took down the Darkballs and the following Room Core.
They flew back into the World of Chaos, where the hugely hugely-fanged Face at the front of the battleship opened its gaping maw, staring at them through horrid yellow eyes. Donald and Sora joining Kairi in striking at the Face, which clenched its teeth, sending bolts of lightning at them.
It reared its head back as they attacked and opened its mouth, sending an explosion of energy around them while its eyes glowed. Taking the final blow, it roared and its head fell limp, the mouth opening. Another portal of darkness appeared inside its jaw as more artillery appeared on the front
armaments of the battleship. Sora flew into the portal, leaving Kairi with Goofy, reaching
another dark room filled with Invisible Heartless.
"Sora!" There was Donald.
The Invisibles spun around, sending orbs of darkness around the room. Donald ran toward their voices as the two fought off the horde. Sora destroyed the final Room Core and the duo escaped the room through the portal.
They flew back out of the mouth of the Face, which brimmed with smoke and exploded, leaving a dark blue wound on the front of the World of Chaos. The barrier to the cage in the battleship's
center collapsed and the four flew inside the cage, where they found the Main Core surrounded by artillery.
"This is it!" Sora said, leading the attack on the Main Core as the artillery struck back.
"Give me strength!" Sora muttered, before glowing with a golden aura, raising his Keyblade into the air as three orbs descended to meet it. He touched them with the Keyblade and they gathered, forming a three ringed orb.
Sora jumped upside down, thrusting the Keyblade into the flesh of the cage. He spun around, holding the grip of the blade as a bright symbol appeared around him. Beams erupted from the circles in the symbol and the orb above, and the world was enveloped in light.
The Main Core crackled with energy as the light faded. Energy caught its grip and it exploded. The Heartless Emblem above Ansem's body shattered and Ansem slid forward, his white hair trailing behind him. Straightening up, he crossed his hands and his pole sword reappeared as he glared at Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy.
"Let me at him!" Donald yelled.
"Come on!" Goofy cried.
"Trust our bond," Kairi calmly advised, as the four of them combined attacks in their final assault against Ansem.
As they struck on him with all their might, Ansem raised his arms, his mind on one thing. "Come...darkness!" A huge orb of darkness formed in his hands and he shot it foward into the abyss. Pointing his sword at it, he cried, "Now...you weak-hearted fools...witness real power!"
An immense swirling black hole formed in the orb's wake. Electricity hissed inside it and the void began shooting meteors of glowing energy at the four of them.
"Now show me what your precious light can do," Ansem taunted.
The four found themselves drifting towards it uncontrollably, and pushed themselves to fly away from it. Ansem grew tired of this and raised his arms, causing the void to explode.
"Still confused?" Ansem asked, still taunting. "Then perhaps this will enlighten you!"
Ansem's sword vanished and he crossed his arms again, sending several small translucent orbs into the air. They merged with the Guardian in various places, glowing darkly. Laser-emitting orbs returned as Sora and Kairi felt their magic draining from them.
"Welcome the darkness into your heart," Ansem advised them.
The battle continued until the World of Chaos began to burst from the inside.
"Is this the answer?" Ansem faintly asked as the Guardian roared as it imploded. "I can't be..."
The veins connecting Ansem to the battleship shook violently and he hung forward, dropping his sword. Ansem convulsed as the World of Chaos is enveloped by a glowing light. Forming a gigantic orb, it exploded, its energy scattering through the abyss. It was Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy's turn stare down at Ansem, who floated before them, twitching.
The door to Kingdom Hearts awaited behind him.
"It is futile," Ansem said. "The Keyblade alone cannot seal the door to darkness."
The man whirled around, reaching out towards the door, gazing madly as a man possessed would.
"Kingdom Hearts! Fill me with the power of darkness..." Ansem's hand trembled as he struggled to recite the words. The great door opened, tongues of darkness emanating from beyond its cold white
stone. Ansem floated higher in the air, his robes billowing out behind him.
"Supreme darkness..."
Kairi just shook her head, "I already told, Ansem, that darkness had blinded your heart to the truth. And I already told you. There's no way I'm letting you gain access to Kingdom Hearts."
"Kairi's right," Sora cut in, "and you're wrong, Ansem. Kairi and I both know, without a doubt, that Kingdom Hearts...is light!"
Kairi's heart let out a loud beat, and suddenly, without warning, a blinding light burst from beyond the door, causing Ansem to cover his eyes. It penetrated his being, sending is mind reeling.
"Light..." Ansem struggled to exist, frozen in place. "But...Why..."
Light erupted from his body, sending crystals bursting from his chest. His arms were thrown apart as the great light consumed everything.
They did it. It was finally over.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora, Kairi, Donald, and Goofy fly over to the door and land on the white sand. The three guys didn't notice Kairi lagging behind as they raced over to the door.
"Come on!" Sora called, as he planted his hands on one of the double doors and began to push, as Goofy and Donald did the same with the other.
Goofy peered through the doors and gasped.
"Stop staring and keep pushing!" Donald ordered, before looking through the doors as well, and his eyes widened. "Huh?!"
They saw, in the dark realm beyond, Heartless converging by the thousandss, pulsing with darkness and heading towards the doors.
"The Heartless?!" The two cried.
"Hurry!" Donald ordered.
Sora continued to push, but the enormous door hardly budged. "I can't..." he grunted.
A hand suddenly appeared from beyond the door. "Don't give up, Sora!"
Sora looked up in amazement to see Riku. "Riku!"
"Come on, Sora!" Riku encouraged him. "Together, we can do it!"
"Come though, Riku!" Sora felt himself tearing up.
"I can't," Riku calmly shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Someone needs to stay behind to close it from the inside. You need to lock it from the outside, and we all know that Kairi has her own job to do."
Sora followed Riku's gaze to where Kairi was standing, her arms crossed behind her back.
Riku continued, "You understand, Sora? It has to be me."
Behind Riku, stronger and stronger Heartless began to appear in the dark realm. Pretty soon, Darksides began to appear.
"It's hopeless!" Donald cried, as he and Donald continued to push the doors shut.
All of a sudden, the Darksides were destroyed by an unknown figure. Jumping into view with light shining behind him in the distance, his silhouette was unmistakable.
"Your Majesty!" Donald and Goofy both cried out with happiness.
King Mickey took out a Keyblade—very similar to Sora's Keyblade, but with a golden blade and silver handle—and raised it into the air.
"Now, Sora!" Mickey said. "Let's close this door for good!"
"Close it, quick!" Donald urged.
"But..." Sora paused.
"Don't worry," Mickey assured him. "There will always be a door to the light."
"Sora, you can trust King Mickey," Goofy said.
"It's alright, Sora," came Kairi's calming voice. He turned back to look at her. "Everything will be okay." She offered him a sad, comforting smile.
"Okay!" he said, before continuing to push the door closed as Riku pulled from the other side.
As the door slowly began to close, Riku whirled around towards Mickey, "Now! They're coming!"
Mickey turned to look at them, and was sincere in his apparent last words, "Donald, Goofy, thank you."
Sora, Donald, and Goofy pushed with all of their might and the doors finally started to close.
Just before they did, Riku and Sora connected eyes one last time. "Take care of her."
Sora tearfully nodded, the penitent face of Riku being his final sight before the door shut.
Sora leapt back and held the Keyblade into the air, light forming at its tip as it gathered energy.
Mickey swung his Keyblade around, releasing magical dust, and raised it into the air. The door began to glow brightly and soon disappeared, revealing a long winding pathway behind it.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy stood still, gazing into the void left in the door's wake.
Sora's thoughts drifted to Riku and their life on the Destiny Islands. He remembered when they talked for hours on the dock, when they gazed out at the sea from the paopu tree, when they used to play fight or race along the beach, laughing at each other. Life was a much simpler time then, before the Heartless had to ruin it. When it was just Sora, Riku, and...
"Kairi!" Sora breathed, before running towards her as fast as he could.
Donald started to follow, but Goofy stopped him, shaking his head. This was clearly going to be an intimate moment. So, all they could do was star off in Sora's direction as he ran toward the only thing on his mind.
"Kairi!" Sora called as he ran up to her, and Kairi took a few steps back, her shoes digging into the dirt below her feet.
"Stay back," she warned.
He paused, stopping a bit a ways away from her. He was still close, but not close enough for them to touch. "W-What? But, Kairi..."
"I'm going to use my light to guide the hearts of the lost words back to their proper places, but I need to return to my home world to do so."
"*Your* home world?" Sora repeated. "Then...you won't be back on the island, will you?"
Kairi met his eyes as she sadly shook her head. "Hollow Bastion. You still to find a way to rescue Riku and King Mickey, so we'll have to part ways for now."
Sora's blue eyes welled up tears again. First Riku and now Kairi.
"Sora, it'll be okay," she smiled at him, violet eyes meeting blue. She then grabbed his hand and placed something in it. "Take this."
Sora looked down at what she gave him. It was a star-shaped keychain made of seashells. "What is it?"
"It's my lucky charm, made from thalassa shells that were said to be good luck for sailors on journeys, shaped like a paopu fruit," Kairi explained. "That way, all three of us have a way to find each other again. All we have to do is search our hearts and let them connect. Don't lose it, okay? Be sure to bring it back to me."
"Don't worry," Sora managed to give her smile—even if it was sad and not genuinely happy, "I will."
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise," his voice was quiet.
"Don't ever forget. Wherever your go, I'm always with you," she told him.
"I'm always with you, too," he reassured her, as the two worlds shook, beginning to separate them. Kairi was surrounded with light as Sora shrieked and she caught his fall. They stared into each other's eyes. As the worlds drifting apart, they held hands, leaning forward to reach toward one another. "I'll come back to you. I promise!"
"Things may be different," she warned him, "but I know you will."
Their hands parted and they drifted away from each other. Sora reached out to her, not willing to let go yet.
Feeling content, Kairi folded her hands as the two continued to stare back, when a small point of light floated down into her hands. She looked up and the sky is filled with tiny points of light, the essence of worlds, and she smiled, letting her light guide the hearts back to their respective worlds.
The lights floated down around her and Sora as all the worlds began to reassemble around her.
Dark, black skies were replaced with the orange skies of Hollow Bastion. Sand, dirt, and gravel were replaced with gray, cobblestone paths. The Rising Falls fell to reveal the rest of what remained of Kairi's old home.
Kairi heard Sora call out to her, smiling, as the world barriers reformed, finally separating the two of them.
Kairi felt herself falling as the light surrounding Sora fell back. Having fallen onto her back, her mind numb, her heart severely strained by her actions, her last view—her last memory—was of the light bursting into shooting stars which flew into the sky, reclaiming their proper places.
Kairi's face forming a small smile as she gazed at the beauty around her was the last thing she remembered.
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: In the Secret Waterway, in this story, there's none of that 'you'd be in the way' BS, because I hated that in canon. Especially since she wasn't there for the entire fight against the Behemoth or Ansem and yet she shows up for the ending, showing that she tagged along anyway, rendering Sora leaving Kairi behind completely useless. So, here, why not show her actually doing something?
Kairi's stats are on based on Oathkeeper's (which are generally well-balanced) as well as her canon stats in KH3 (especially in Re:Mind), hence me also adding her Re:Mind abilities like 'Starcracker' (which, in this story, is a variant of Barrier Surge). Also, Kairi gaining Oathkeeper is the whole reason this AU is called the Oathkeeper AU, because she primarily wields Oathkeeper instead of Destiny's Embrace (which she will gain later, but not now). Holy Raid is my name for canon Kairi throwing her Keyblade and being summoned to it, which I think is pretty cool. Although, since she's first starting out, she's focused here on supporting and defensive attacks. However, when KH2 rolls around, she'll be more focused on primarily offensive attacks. Don't worry.
Who's the voice talking to Kairi? No idea. I'll let you guys decide. I'm thinking of Minnie, since Mickey spoke to Sora, but it could also be Aqua if you really wanted it to be. Kairi chooses the shield, which is important to her character, and for a while I was debating on what she should give up, before I remembered that Riku's fighting style is similar to Aqua's, Sora's like Ven's, so if Kairi's style was like Terra's, then everything would round out, so I chose for her to give up the staff. Also, the three people she talks to are Clarabelle, Daisy, and Minnie.
When returning to Hollow Bastion, game-wise, Kairi doesn't become a party member yet (because Beast), but her role in the first segment is still pretty important. Also, it's important to note, once again, that in this version, the Princesses of Heart are the guardians to Kingdom Hearts, hence Kairi's impromptu speech to Ansem there before the World of Chaos battle. It's also the reason that Kingdom Hearts responded to Kairi at the end. (And now you guys have an idea on why Xemnas would go after Kairi in this AU's version of KH2.)
And if you guys aren't sure what happened at the end, Kairi lost her memories. That what she meant when she warned Sora that 'things might be different'.
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 begins the Days/COM segment. Get ready for a heavy helping of RokuNami (the usual RokuShi will still be there, relax. I just have my own plans for Namine in this story, RokuNami teasing being one of them).