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. This story is Kairi-centric, which means most changes will revolve around Kairi, and since we've arrived at KH2, some will also revolve around Naminé (and somewhat Xion).
Also, please review! Tell me what you think!
And thank you, WilyGryphon, for taking the time to review on nearly every chapter. It means a lot to me. (Also I know that KH2: Final Mix is your favorite game, so I'll try my best not to mess up part of the story, for you.)
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.
This chapter will focus on Sora beginning his journey while Axel chases after Kairi, who just wants to find this 'Sora' and discover who he is.
!~~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 10: Kingdom Hearts 2, Part 2
~Twilight Town~
Sora was confused when he first woke up. What happened during the year he was asleep? Why was he asleep in the first place? The last thing he remembered was setting out on his journey with Donald and Goofy to find King Mickey and Riku.
He promised Kairi he'd bring Riku back, and then all three of them would go back to the islands together. How would he explain to her that he was asleep for a year? Especially since the reason for his little detour was unknown to him?
Donald and Goofy were no help. They were asleep too, in the same boat as him. Not even Jiminy. He was asleep as well, and his journal was wiped clean, with only the words 'Thank Naminé' offering any sort of explanation.
Who was Naminé? Why did he need to thank her?
Now in a place called Twilight Town, the trio continued on their way to Central Station when they were sudddenly surrounded by weird, squiggly creatures. They fought them, but were overwhelmed and became exhausted.
The creatures moved to strike again, and Sora held up his Keyblade, before a familiar small figure swooped down and destroyed the remaining creatures with their own Keyblade, one very similar to Sora's.
Sora was amazed, as Donald and Goofy pushed him down, out of the way.
"Your Majesty?" Donald asked.
"Shh!" Mickey whispered to them. "You gotta board the train and leave town! The train knows the way." He held out an orange-colored munny pouch. "Here."
Sora took it, and Mickey ran to Market Street, leaving the trio alone once again.
"Your Majesty..." Donald muttered.
"The King...Was that really him?" Sora asked.
"It coulda been..." Goofy said. "Yep, I know it was!"
Of course he was King Mickey. He may have been wearing a black cloak with the hood up, but the ears were what gave it away.
"Now we know he's okay!" Donald smiled.
Sora remembered something, "The King was locked in the Realm of Darkness, right?"
"Uh-huh," Goofy answered.
"But we just saw him..."
Donald nodded, "Yep."
Sora broke out into a smile, "And if the King is here, that means Riku's here!"
"He's gotta be!" Donald agreed.
"Well, I'm gonna go look for Riku," Sora decided. "And Kairi...she's back in Hollow Bastion, right?"
"Yep," Donald said.
"Right," Sora replied. "I'll find her and the three of us will go back to the islands together. What are you two gonna do?"
"Gawrsh, Sora. Do ya have to ask?" Goofy answered.
Sora laughed.
"Hey! What's so funny?!" Donald demanded.
"Your face!" Sora chuckled.
Donald and Goofy looked at each other before laughing along with Sora.
"What do ya say, guys?" Sora asked. "Let's stick together for one more journey." Donald and Goofy nodded. "To...where again?" Sora placed his hands behind his head.
"We hafta board the train!" Goofy reminded him.
"Oh yeah." Sora ignored Donald's sigh. "C'mon!"
They ran inside the station, but before they could get their tickets, they heard Hayner's voice call out to them, "Wait up!"
The three turned around to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette catch up to them.
"Hey, Sora..." Hayner said.
"What?"
"Nothing, but..." he trailed off.
Fortunately, Pence picked up where Hayner left off, "We came to see you off. It just seemed like something we oughta go."
"Oh...really? Thanks!" He didn't know why they would do so. He just met them today. But he liked them, so he just rolled with it.
A bell rang through the area.
"You should hurry and get your tickets," Olette said.
"Right." Sora took out the munny pouch King Mickey gave him, and Olette looked like she just realized something.
Donald noticed, "What is it?"
Olette took out an exact copy of the pouch from her own pocket. Goofy said, "They're the same."
"Yeah..." Olette muttered.
Sora looked to both pouches, before shrugging it off. It could've just been a coincidence. He turned to the teller, "Three tickets, please!"
After getting three tickets from the teller, he looked around at Twilight Town.
"I can't help feeling like we won't see this town again..." Sora muttered. Why was he feeling this way?
"Why not?" Donald asked.
"You're thinkin' too much," Goofy said.
"Yeah, you're right!" Sora replied, forcing himself to be optimistic. But somewhere deep down, he couldn't get rid of the feeling. "C'mon, let's go!"
Donald and Goofy nodded, and the three waved at Hayner, Pence, and Olette, "Bye."
Donald and Goofy entered the train, as Hayner spoke to Sora one last time, "Hey, Sora. You sure we haven't met before?"
Sora went over his memories. "Positive. Why do you ask?"
"I dunno," Hayner replied.
Sora smiled at him, and a tear fell down his cheek. This single tear surprised not only the other three but Sora as well, and he quickly moved to brushed it away.
"Huh?"
"You okay?" Olette asked.
"Y-Yeah," Sora replied, the sad feeling from before resurfacing. "Don't know where it came from."
Hayner chuckled, "Pull it together."
"Right..." Sora forced himself back to optimism. "See ya."
He waved before entering the train. He waved again as the door closed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~The Magic Train~
Sora took out the munny pouch and stared at it. He opened it, remembering the blue crystal ball that was in it, and he held it up to the light. "You know..." Sora said, as Donald sat down, "I'm sad."
"We'll be back," Donald assured him.
"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "We can visit Hayner and those guys again."
"I know..." Sora said, before getting another idea. "Hey, do you guys mind if Kairi tags along on our journey?"
"Huh?"
"Why?" Goofy asked.
"Something's telling me I should invite her along," Sora explained, "and I know she wouldn't want to be left out, and be stuck just waiting for us. Besides, she said that when I get back, things might be different."
'I'll come back to you. I promise!'
'Things may be different, but I know you will.'
"I don't know how different they'll be, but..." Sora trailed off. He was currently finding out just how much he didn't like thinking about things between him and Kairi being different.
"There's only one way to find out," Goofy said, and Sora nodded. He was right. The past was in the past, no point in changing it. All he could do now, was look towards the future.
"Of course she can come along," Donald replied, before sadly adding, "I didn't let Riku come along once, and I won't make that mistake again."
"Donald..." Sora muttered. He didn't know Donald felt that way. "Riku falling to darkness wasn't your fault..."
"I know," Donald answered, "but I still feel responsible. He was your friend, Sora. You were looking for him. Maybe if I had let him come with us, then he'd still be here..."
Sora shook his head, "Don't worry about that now. That's in the past. I'm positive Riku will forgive you."
Goofy and Donald both nodded, "Right," as the train rolled out into the open sky.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Twilight Town~
Axel and Riku (hooded) stood atop Sunset Hill, as Naminé sat on a nearby bench. Axel walked over to the wooden railing and leaned on it, watching the train leave.
"Guess that's that," the redhead said. As much as he was glad he and Naminé were reunited, he was upset at the circumstances. Roxas was gone, and the trio was incomplete.
"Let's go," Riku said.
"Go where?" Axel asked. "It's not like we have homes to return to. We don't exist, remember?"
He stood upright, as Naminé quietly said, "Yes, it's true. We may not have homes. But there is someplace I want to go...And someone I want to see."
She stared at the sketchbook in her lap, which was open to a drawing of her holding hands with Kairi. She was tired of feeling incomplete, like a part of her was missing (and it was). She had stayed away from Kairi long enough.
"Same here," Axel added. He turned to Riku. "So, you think you might let us go? I know you're here to get rid of us, but..."
A surprised and frightened Naminé looked up at Riku, pulling her sketchbook closer to her chest, "DiZ wants to get rid of me?"
She breathed a sigh of relief when Riku answered, "No, he doesn't."
He remembered what DiZ told him after Sora had woken up in the Old Mansion.
'Do you want me to get rid of Naminé?' The last time he asked, yesterday, DiZ claimed that he was still thinking about it.
'No,' DiZ's answer surprised Riku. 'Instead, I will yield to your good judgement. Protect her from the Organization. Don't let her fall into their hands.'
Riku continued, "The Organization knows where the Old Mansion is, which means they know where to look for you now. DiZ has advised that you run now so they don't catch you leaving. Stay with Axel for now. Now, go."
"You sure about this?" Axel asked.
The other two turned to look at Axel, but Riku turned back to Naminé, "I owe you both."
She stared back at him, "For what?"
"Castle Oblivion," Riku replied. "You helped us."
"Heh, you don't have to tell me twice," Axel said, before holding out his hand and summoning a Corridor.
Naminé looked at him, then back to Riku, before moving back to Axel, who nodded at her. Naminé faced Riku, clutching her sketchbook to her chest. "Thank you," she said, before stood up, before walking slowly toward the Corridor, keeping her eyes on Riku.
Eventually, she let go of her gaze and ran into the portal. Axel walked in after her, letting the Corridor close behind him.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden~
It had been about six (almost seven; it was afternoon now) days since she woke up from her six-day-long nap, as Aerith called it.
Kairi rested against the stone railing outside Merlin's house, having just finished training with Tifa, which Kairi appreciated. She was out of commission for nearly a year, so she needed to get back into shape.
She reached into her bag (that was attached to her belt) and pulled out the purple crystal ball that was in her pocket when she woke up. She held it up to the afternoon sun, and she was immediately hit with a sense of nostalgia and memories of a blonde boy filled her mind.
"Roxas..." she whispered. "Where'd you go?"
'Thank you for your service, Kairi, and I apologize that you had to get involved. Worry no longer. Roxas will be fine.'
What happened to him?
Another set of memories, faded this time, filled her mind. They were of a girl with short black hair and a blurry face. "Why do you feel so familiar?"
A third set of blurry memories quickly followed, this time of a brunette boy and a silver-haired boy.
"And...who are you two?" She lowered the crystal back to chest level, before tightly clutching it in her hand. "Waiting isn't good enough. I have to get out there and find them myself."
"My thoughts exactly!" came a strange, disembodied voice. Kairi frantically looked around for the source. "If you have a dream, don't wait. Act. One of life's little rules. Got it memorized?"
A tall spiky redhead appeared very near her left, exiting a black cloud.
Kairi backed away slowly, "Who are you?"
"Axel," the man introduced himself. "I happen to be an acquaintance Sora and Riku both. Why don't we go see them?"
The headache returned with full force. "What did you just say?" she asked, almost pleaded. "Their names...?"
Axel noted her amnesia, "Why don't you come with me and find out?"
He held out his hand to her as white squiggly creatures rose up from the ground.
But Kairi immediately summoned Oathkeeper and quickly turned to strike one down. As she continued to fight the rest, she demanded, "Why should I trust you?!"
Axel answered her without missing a single beat, "Because we've got something in common. You and I both miss someone important to us."
Kairi struck down another Dusk before turning back to him, "I can sense your darkness, you know! I know you're up to no good!"
Axel watched as Kairi struck down the last Dusk, before he sighed, "Y'know, I was hoping to do this the easy way, but you're just as stubborn as Sora and Riku."
Kairi ignored her recent headache, and angrily asked, "What happened to my friend?!"
"If you want to find, you'll have to come with me," Axel replied.
"No! I'll just beat the answer out of you!"
With that, both of them lowered into their respective battle stances, as Axel summoned his Chakrams.
But before any of them could throw a single punch, a dog pounced on Axel, angrily growling, before jumping off and bounding over to Kairi. She watched as the dog spun around in circles, wagging his tail.
'My name is Pluto', she heard the dog say in her head. 'I'm here to help you.'
Kairi lightly giggled, before leaning down to Pluto's level. "Hi, Pluto. It's nice to meet you. My name is Kairi."
By this time, Axel had gotten back to his feet, and he had summoned more Dusks. Pluto snarled as they surrounded him and Kairi.
"You sure you want to be so stubborn?" Axel asked. "I feel like we could be good friends."
"Yeah? Well, you're not acting very friendly!" Kairi shot back.
Just then, they all heard a whistle. Kairi turned to the source behind her just in time to see a Corridor open up.
Kairi was on edge, waiting for one of Axel's companions to emerge (because he had exited from the same portal). But she was surprised when Pluto leap towards it, before stopping to turn around and bark at Kairi.
'Follow me!'
Kairi blinked. Was this portal friendly?
Pluto barked again, bringing Kairi's attention back to the Dusks that were closing in on her, so she decided to run into the portal.
"Hey, wait!" Axel suddenly called out to her. "Don't go in there! It's too dangerous!"
All Kairi did in response was turn around and give him an akanbe, before the Corridor closed behind her.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~The Dark Realm~
Kairi and Pluto were in a strange abyss, with strange symbols in every direction moving along the walls and floor.
"Hey, what is this place?" Kairi asked, mainly to herself, but she wouldn't have been surprised if Pluto had responded (he didn't). "It's so weird..."
They heard another whistle and saw a bright light at the end of the abyss. Pluto ran inside it, and Kairi knew it was safe to follow. She trusted Pluto with her life.
Right as she entered, she sensed the same familiar darkness from before, from her time with Roxas. She turned around and saw a cloacked figure.
But the portal of light closed before she could find out more.
"Who are you?" she asked the prescence, unsure if they could hear her or understand her. "Why do you feel so nostalgic?"
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Twilight Town~
Kairi wasn't aware she passed out until she came to a strangely familiar place.
"Hey, you okay?" she heard a boy ask.
She groaned as she sat up. Was she in the Usual Spot? "What...?" she asked. "Where am I?"
'Good morning!' Pluto said, licking her face. She gently pet his head in return.
"You're in Twilight Town," the same boy replied. Kairi finally got a look at his face and recognized him as Hayner.
"You and that dog came flying out of a hole in the wall," Pence explained. "You nearly gave us heart attacks! Hey...could it be that you came from another planet? Or a different dimension?"
"Y-Yeah...I'm from Radiant Garden," Kairi answered.
"I'm Olette."
"I'm Pence, and this is—"
Kairi looked over to see Pluto locking Hayner's face. Hayner managed to answer, "Hayner."
If they were introducing themselves to her, then either they didn't remember her, or her time with Roxas must've just been a dream.
But then why did Roxas feel like a real person?
"Haha! Stop, that tickles!" Hayner laughed, still playing with Pluto.
But no matter what the truth was, she could always start over from the beginning.
Kairi smiled, "My name is Kairi. I'm looking for a couple of boys...I think one of their names is...It starts with an 'S'."
It didn't help that she got a headache any time people said their names, the pain always being so intense that she never could hear the names being said.
"Sora?" Olette asked.
The headache returned, but the purple crystal in her pocket became unnaturally warm, and eased her pain. It felt like...
Roxas?
"S-Sora?" Kairi repeated. "That's his name?"
"Don't worry," Pence told her. "You can stay with us. He left just yesterday. But if you stick around, Sora's bound to show up again."
"Yeah, he said he's coming back," Hayner added.
"And then you can get answers from him," Olette said.
"Okay," Kairi said, feeling Roxas sooth her through the crystal in her pocket. "Thank you."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Hollow Bastion/Radiant Garden~
When Sora (in new clothes that actually fit), Donald, and Goofy arrived in Hollow Bastion, they were pleasantly surprised to see the town bustling with activity. The last time they were here, it was quiet, and the world was in ruins. Now, Moogles were flying through the air selling items, and people were hard at work trying to rebuild the town.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy gazed at the castle in the midst of rebuilding.
"It's Hollow Bastion!" Sora exclaimed. "Kairi's here! C'mon, let's go!"
"Gawrsh, it looks kinda different now," Goofy said.
"I hope Leon and the gang are doing okay," Donald replied, before the two followed Sora.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Sora de-summoned his Keyblade after defeating all the Dusks, with help of the town's new defense mechanism.
"Hey, you guys!" the three looked up to see Yuffie standing on a nearby roof, who hopped down to them. "I see you're still in top form."
"What'd you expect?" Sora asked, patting his chest. "Looks like you're doing okay."
"Well, what did you expect?" Yuffie repeated.
"How are the others?" Donald asked.
"Great!" Yuffie replied.
"Hey, Yuffie!" Sora remembered. "Have you see the King and Riku?"
"Nope. Sorry," Yuffie answered. "C'mon, follow me." She led them down the street to her desired destination, wherever it was. "But, y'know, I had a feeling I'd see you guys again."
"'We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other'," Sora repeated.
Yuffie laughed, "Is that supposed to be Leon?" Donald and Goofy also joined in on the laughing.
"So, where are we going?" Goofy asked her.
"Merlin's house," Yuffie replied. "Our base of operations. Everybody's working on stuff over there."
"Including Kairi?" Sora asked.
Yuffie's smile suddenly disappeared without warning, but before Sora could ask what was wrong, she immediately slapped her smile back on, and said, "You'll see when we get there. C'mon!"
Yuffie turned around the corner, the other three following, quickly seeing a little cottage in the near distance. Yuffie opened the door, letting the three enter, before following them inside and closing the door behind her.
Cid was typing at a computer, while Aerith, Leon, (was that?) Cloud, and a new woman watched him. They all turned around when they heard the door close.
"Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie announced.
"We missed you!" Aerith greeted.
"Well, if you ain't in top shape," Cid added.
"Oh, and before I forget," Yuffie motioned to the two people Sora didn't recognize, "these are our new members, Cloud and Tifa." The two nodded at him, and he smiled back.
"I knew it," Leon said.
"Knew what?" Sora asked.
"A while back, everyone suddenly remembered you guys, all at the same time," Leon explained.
"'Remembered'?" Sora repeated. "Wait! Does that mean you forgot about us?!"
Donald sassed, annoyed, "Thanks!"
"So where've you guys been all this time?" Yuffie asked.
"We were sleepin'," Goofy replied.
"Where? In cold storage?" Cid shot back.
Sora, Donald, and Goofy were too nervous to answer this question. They still didn't know why they were sleeping.
"It doesn't matter," fortunately Aerith stood up for them. "This is great. Everyone's together again!"
"So, um..." Sora paused, before saying, "we're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?" They all (sans Yuffie) shook their heads. Sora hung his head, "Right." But he perked up quickly, "What about Kairi? She's supposed to be here, right?" There was an instance silence, and it very noticable. "What's wrong? What happened?"
Aerith was the one who explained, "We're very sorry, Sora. She was here, but we saw her fighting a man in a black coat. But before we could step in to help, she ran into a portal that formed behind her. We think she might be trouble."
"Organization XIII?" Sora didn't miss a beat.
"Uh-oh," Goofy said, before leaning into the brunette. "Sora, that's bad news. Kairi's a Princess of Heart. What she can do to further their goal, whatever it may be, could be anything."
"She's in danger then," Sora muttered.
"By that logic," Tifa spoke up, "the other Princesses of Heart are in danger as well."
She had a point. "Yeah," Sora said. "Leave it to me."
Leon spoke up next, "Sora, there's something else about Kairi you should be aware of." Sora turned to him. "She doesn't remember you, or Riku, or anything about your island. All she remembers is her name, her Keyblade, and that fact that this world is her home."
Sora looked down at his shoes, depressed. So, he was just a stranger to Kairi now?
None of them liked seeing Sora so sad, so Aerith was quick to add, "But it's possible that reuniting with you could be just what she needs to get those memories back."
No one on the Committee knew Kairi better than Aerith did. She was the one who took care of Kairi while she was sick, after all. Kairi was fully aware that she was forgetting something important. And she was frustrated because she could never remember anything. She wanted to recover those memories, and learned why she lost them at all. Because her bonds with Sora and Riku were just that strong.
Aerith Gainsborough knew, without a single doubt, that being reunited with Sora and Riku would bring those memories back.
Just as she knew he would, Sora was quick to grab onto that piece of hope Aerith had given him, "I hope so...but it all else fails, we can always start from the beginning."
"Sora..." Donald muttered.
"Again, we're sorry we couldn't do much," Aerith said. "But let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Okay?"
"Okay. Thanks," Sora said.
But Cid got up on Sora's face, "Don't go thankin' us just yet."
"Hollow Bastion's got a problem," Leon said. "A big problem."
"You mean, like Nobodies? And Heartless?" Sora asked.
"That's right!" Yuffie said.
"We could use your help," Cloud quietly cut in.
"Yes," Leon added. "Sora, Donald, Goofy. We were hoping the three of you might give us a hand around here."
Sora pat his chest proudly, "Like we're gonna say 'no'?"
Leon was quiet, before he said, "I forgot who I'm dealing with."
"Hey...what do you mean by that?" Donald angrily demanded.
Aerith giggled, "Just think of it as a sort of 'Leon compliment'."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~The Lanes Between~
The trio were back in the Gummi Ship, off to a world they've never been to before, having just left Hollow Bastion.
"Sorry to hear about Kairi, Sora," Donald said.
"Yeah, it'd be nice to pay her back for all the times she helped us before," Goofy added.
"It's okay," Sora reassured them, but mostly himself. "I just have to find her. Once we do, then everything will be okay..."
"Sora..." Donald muttered.
"Stay positive, Sora," Goofy placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, a gesture of comfort. "We'll find her, and we'll protect her. Besides, she's a tough girl."
Sora swallowed the lump in his throat. He would not cry here. "Yeah, you're right."
"Besides, we need smiles in order to drive the Gummi Ship, remember?" Donald reminded them.
Sora smiled, "'This boat runs on happy faces.' Yeah, I remember. But for now, let's focusing on securing the other six Princesses."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Beast's Castle~
Sora, Donald, and Goofy had arrived in a new world, with a familiar prescence. They ran up the stairs into the East Wing. Sora turned around and put a finger to his lips, motioning Donald and Goofy to be quiet.
Goofy clasped his hands over his mouth, as they snuck closer to the door, hearing "What am I going to do?" from inside the room.
Sora quietly pointed to the door, and Donald and Goofy nodded. Donald stepped back from the door, getting ready to run, before blasting through the doors, despite Sora's warning.
But the doors had already opened before he could do it himself. "Hey! Who opened the door?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" came a female voice. The woman grabbed Donald, picking him up off the ground, and hugged him. "Donald! Sora! Goofy! It's really you!"
It was Belle.
"Hiya!" Sora greeted her with a smile, he and Goofy waving from the doorframe.
"Put me down! Put me down!" Donald fussed. Belle realized she was hugging him too tightly and quickly set the dizzy Donald down.
"Oh...sorry."
"Where's the Beast?" Donald asked.
"Oh, he must be in the West Wing," Belle said, sad for some reason. "We don't talk like we used to."
"Did something happen?" Sora immediately picked up on her tone.
"Yes," Belle replied. "Isn't that why you're here?"
Donald and Goofy looked to Sora, who shrugged.
"Not exactly," Goofy said. "But we can still help!"
Donald nodded, as Sora said, "Might as well. Since we're here and all."
"Right," Donald said. "So, the Beast won't talk to you?"
"No," Belle replied. "He's been acting strange lately. The only ones who might know why are locked up in the dungeon. I want to help them, but..."
"Wait a second," Sora interrupted. "Who locked who up?"
"The Beast locked up his servants," Belle said.
"But why?" Donald asked.
"That's what I don't know," Belle explained. "Ever since the worlds were restored, I've become more aware of the powers I possess as a Princess of Heart, and I've been experimenting with them, to keep the castle safe. Since all of us together can hold back massive forces of Darkness, it stands to reason that each of us can do it alone on a smaller scale. I've been able to keep the Heartless mostly limited to the courtyard and undercroft, until recently. That was around the time the Beast began acting strange and when I noticed a man in a black coat slip out of the castle. Now only a few rooms remain secure. I've been trying to talk to the Beast and free the servants myself, but there are just too many Heartless for me to handle alone."
"Don't worry. We've got your back," Sora reassured her. "Now, where's this dungeon?"
"You can get to the undercroft from the west hall," Belle said. "The dungeon is down there. I'll show you the way."
"Then, let's go!" Sora exclaimed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After Belle led the trio to the dungeon and freed the servants (who were really glad to see her), Sora headed off to bring the Beast back to his senses. Donald and Goofy went with him, leaving Belle to take Chip and Mrs. Potts back to her room to keep them safe.
It was quiet for a while, and Belle was getting worried. Was the Beast okay? Were Sora, Donald, and Goofy okay? Why were they taking so long?
The minute she opened her door and peeked out, she knew she was tempting fate. She was a Princess of Heart, after all. She was lucky freeing the servants had gone off without a hitch, and it wouldn't be fair to neither Sora nor the Beast if she got into trouble right now. They had enough problems to worry about.
So she promised herself that she'd be quick. Slip past any Heartless without being seen.
And she did.
At least, until she got to the ballroom. She was crossing open ground here, but it wasn't anything inside that stopped her.
It was what was outside on the balcony.
It was a cloaked figure, the exact same one she saw slip out a few weeks ago, when the Beast began acting strange, when the Heartless became too numerous to contain by herself.
This was all their fault.
She quickly opened the door and stepped onto the balcony, angrily demanding, "You! Who are you?! Why are you here?! What do you want?!"
The figure took off his hood to reveal black-haired man underneath. He calmly replied, "Who I am does not matter, and what my purpose here is does not concern you. You cannot do anything, so don't bother trying."
"I can sense your darkness!" Belle shot back. "I know you can't be trusted!"
The man was calm, "And yet you trust the monster."
"What are you talking about?" Belle asked. "Of course I trust him!"
"It's interesting," the man replied. "You traded your freedom for your father's. You began your life here as a prisoner, his prisoner. And now he trusts you enough to let you roam about the castle freely, yet you do not run from here."
Belle said nothing. His words were making her angrier by the second.
The man continued, "He's a monster, Princess. Leave him. Sooner or later, he will hurt you, and in that moment, you will regret staying."
"Silence!" came her outburst. "You know nothing. The Beast is a lonely soul, starving for contact and kindness. If he really wanted to hurt me, he would've done it by now." She held her fists over her chest, close to her heart. "He is not a monster! And I will not run!" She reached over and snapped off a branch from a nearby bush. "You are not welcome here, so GET OUT!"
The man scoffed in amusement, "I've never seen a Princess of Heart act so irrationally. You're very interesting."
This girl reminded Xaldin of Naminé. The girl was the Organization's prisoner, and, in a way, she still was. She had been given the chance to escape more than once, but she had stayed for the longest time, because she trusted them. But then that trust was broken, for a reason that was unknown to Xaldin. And when given the next chance, when she was trapped in her room, she managed to find a way to slip out unnoticed, despite not being able to create Corridors like other Nobodies. She saw a chance, and she took it. Unlike this woman...
The man held out his hand and a cloud of darkness appeared in front of Belle, and out came the Shadow Stalker. When the cloud of darkness disappated, the man was gone.
Belle held out her branch in front of her like a sword. "I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!" she told the Heartless.
"Belle! Where are you?!" came a voice from inside. Thank goodness she left the balcony door open.
Belle turned back, a smile on her face, "Beast!" She turned back to the Heartless just in time to avoid the Shadow Stalker's swing at her, which she managed to block with her branch. "Help! I'm in the ballroom!"
She struggled against it for a few seconds, before managing to swat it into the ballroom, making it crash through the window.
"Belle!" the Beast called out to her.
"I'm alright!" she called back. She wasn't injured, not even a scratch. Shaken up, yes, but you don't say that to the Beast.
Sora had quickly noticed the Shadow Stalker Heartless, which was recovering, getting back up. He called out to her, "Hide somewhere, Belle! We'll take care of him!"
She did as he said, going back to the balcony, as the Heartless turned around, changing targets from Belle to Sora and the Beast.
After a grueling battle with it, it roared before it was obliterated. Belle watched from outside as the ballroom inside returned to normal.
"We did it!" Sora said.
"So you think," came the man's voice from earlier.
All eyes turned to the man, who's hood was back up, located in the door to the Entrace Hall.
"Xaldin!" the Beast angrily called. Was that the man's name? Sora and the Beast ran over to Xaldin, who disappeared in a dark wave.
"Farewell," were Xaldin's last words.
The two stopped running, because Xaldin was gone.
"What does he want here?" the Beast asked.
Belle listened as Sora explained, "He must be with Organization XIII. Ever heard of the Nobodies? When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody's created, too. See, the Organization...they've got control of all the Nobodies."
"That's right," Goofy replied. "And they were gonna make you into a Heartless. That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it."
Sora nodded in agreement with Goofy's statement.
Belle decided to put all that new information in the back of her mind, and she opened the doors and walked back in, putting on a relieved smile, "You're alright!"
"Belle!" the Beast ran over to her, as Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Chip, and Cogsworth walked into the room. "Belle...I-I'm sorry—I...wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you."
Belle smiled and shook her head, making the Beast smile back.
"Forgive me," the Beast quietly said.
"I know you weren't yourself," Belle replied. "You don't have to apologize. But I had hoped...that you might have changed a little bit." She wagged a finger at him, as he looked sheepish. "I wish you could start trusting me."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Disney Castle~
Sora had docked the Gummi Ship in the Gummi Hanger of Disney Castle.
"This is your castle..." Sora said. "Must be nice to be home, huh? Well..."
Donald and Goofy were looking around. "Ya know," Goofy said, "somethin' just don't feel quite right..."
"Yeah," was Donald's response.
Just then, Chip hopped up onto the launch control ledge and jumped at seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy. Dale jumped up and bumped into Chip, knocking him onto the next ledge. They both jumped in the air, then slid down the slanting ledge to the group.
"You're back!" Chip said.
"Move it!" Dale told them. "Let's go!"
"Queen Minnie needs to see you!" Chip explained.
Dale added, "The castle's in danger! Hurry! To the Library!"
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After fighting loads of Heartless on their way, they finally arrived in the Library, only to find Queen Minnie fighting off more Heartless with Daisy and Clarabelle by her side.
"Your Majesty!" Donald announced their prescence. "Queen Minnie! We're back!"
Minnie greeted them with a smile, "You're here!"
"Donald! Where have you been?!" Daisy cried, before casting a Blizzaga spell at the Heartless on her tail. "I've been worried sick!"
"Sorry!" Donald cried back as he, Goofy, and Sora joined the three ladies. "We got held up!"
"At least send a letter next time!" Daisy shot back.
Goofy blocked an attack for Clarabelle, before telling her, "Just like old times, huh?"
Clarabelle giggled, before throwing her shield and taking out a few more Heartless with it. "Absoluuuutely!"
"Hey!" an irked Sora called out. "Less flirting, more fighting!"
All together, the six defeated the rest of the Heartless in the area. Now given a moment of reprieve, Goofy turned to Minnie, "Your Royal Highness, did ya happen to summon us?"
"Yes," she answered.
"Where's the King?" Sora asked, before yelping in pain when Donald pulled on Sora's ear.
"Excuse him," Donald told the three ladies. "This is our friend, Sora."
Minnie giggled, not affected by Sora's accidental rudeness, "Oh, Sora! The King told me all about you in his letters. He said you're a very brave young man. This is Duchess Daisy and Captain Clarabelle, my two ladies in waiting."
"Hello!" Daisy greeted with a confident smile, slinging her wand over her shoulder.
"Nice to meet youuu!" Clarabelle waved.
"You too!" Sora replied, with a slight bow, before turning back to Minnie. "So, do you know where he is?"
Minnie shook her head, and they all sighed.
"Your Majesty," Donald asked, "what are the Heartless doing in the castle?"
"Oh my..." Minnie looked concerned. "So those are the Heartless. I've never seen them before..."
"Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em!" Sora reassured her.
"I know I can count on you, Sora," Minnie replied. "However, I'm concerned that the enchantments I hastily put up will wear off soon..."
"Don't worry, Your Majesty!" Donald said. "Daisy and I can easily reinforce them!"
"Right!" Goofy said. "And Clarabelle and I can make sure everyone knows what's going on and are all hidden somewhere safe!"
"Please, do!" Minnie ordered.
The four saluted, and as Sora watched them leave, he asked, "What about me?! What do I do?!"
"Stay with the Queen!" Donald called back. "You'll just get lost!"
Sora pouted. He couldn't deny that Donald had a point, but that didn't mean he had to be comfortable with it.
Minnie giggled, "Not to worry, Sora. There's actually something I'd like you to come and see. Would you please escort me to the audience chamber?"
"Of course!" Sora nodded.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The Queen, with Daisy at her side, greeted the three boys and Clarabelle (who had gone with them) when the doors to the Timeless River closed behind them, "Welcome back! Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again. Thank you so much for all you've done!"
"Good work, you guys!" Chip and Dale cheerfully called out.
"Now boys," Merlin said, "I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were there?"
"Of course not!" Donald cried back.
"Don't worry, I made sure they didn't," Clarabelle reassured.
Sora and Goofy chuckled, before Daisy cleared her throat, standing over Donald.
Sora leaned closer to Goofy, and asked, "So, who are Daisy and Clarabelle?"
"Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart," Goofy replied.
"And Goofy is mine," Clarabelle said, making Goofy blush.
"Yeah," Goofy added, "like how Kairi is yours."
Sora's face immediately turned red, "H-Hey!"
Goofy and Clarabelle both hid their laughs as Daisy turned on Donald, "Now that everything is over...Donald, you forgot about our date again! You'd better have a good excuse this time!"
"But Daisy...I..."
"I know it's an important mission, but you could at least check in every once in a while."
Donald looked to Sora and Goofy for help, but they were too busy chuckling, so he looked to the door, and snickered.
"Donald!" Merlin said.
Donald bowed, "Just a minute..." before rushing to the door.
But Daisy caught him by the tail, "Going somewhere?"
"Of course not!" Donald loosened Daisy's grip and ran away.
"Donald!" And Daisy chased after him, all around the room, while everyone else had a nice laugh.
But it all stopped when Minnie said, "Oh, look!"
Sora looked down to see his Keyblade glowing, as well as the Cornerstone of Light. He use the Cornerstone to open another gate.
Once that was gone, he said, "Daisy, Clarabelle...Sorry, but I need Donald and Goofy for just a little longer."
"How much longer?" Daisy asked.
"Um, well..." Sora couldn't answer that. He really didn't know the answer.
"I'll be back soon, Daisy!" Donald said.
"Don't you worry, Queen Minnie, Clarabelle, Daisy," Goofy reassured them. "We'll return."
"Please tell the King that we're still looking for him," Sora pleaded.
"I will," Minnie answered.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Agrabah~
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Iago entered the Palace Gates, where they found Princess Jasmine.
"Jasmine!" Sora greeted.
She turned around, smiling, "Sora! Donald! Goofy!"
Donald bowed, "Your Majesty." Jasmine giggled when Sora and Goofy followed Donald's example.
"I never had the chance to thank you for before," she said. "You helped Aladdin defeat that awful Jafar and saved Agrabah."
"All in a day's work," Sora replied. "But uh...it looks like the Heartless are up to not good again." Iago peeked out from behind Goofy and waved, before hiding again. "Is there any way we can help you?"
"Actually," Jasmine said, "I've been learning to harness my powers as a Princess of Heart more effectively and I've created a safe zone within the palace and its courtyard. Most citizens have taken refuge there. So, I think we're all right for now."
"And ya always got Aladdin," Goofy added.
Jasmine turned sad for some reason, "He...hasn't been himself lately."
"Is it because of the Heartless?" Donald asked.
"I'm not sure," Jasmine replied. "Usually, he's the same cheerful Aladdin. But sometimes...he just seems sad. He leaves the palace and goes off by himself all the time. I've asked him about it, but he says nothing's wrong. He's gone again today. What if he doesn't come back this time?"
Iago popped out from behind Goofy, "Hey, maybe he's got a secret girlfriend. I know! I'll go find out who she is!"
"Iago!" Jasmine cried, before snatching him out of the air before he could hide behind Sora. "What are you doing here?!"
"Wait, Jasmine!" Sora called. "Don't! Iago's not the bad guy anymore."
Jasmine paused, considering Sora's words, before turning back to Iago, loosening her grip a little bit, "Go on."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Iago said. "I've turned over a new leaf! My flight will allow me to search the skies, faster than anyone on foot."
Jasmine thought this over, rightfully suspicious, but after a few seconds, she said, "Alright...but I still don't trust you."
But she released him.
"Don't worry, Your Highness!" Iago assured her. "I won't let you down!" He then flew off.
Jasmine then turned to Sora, Donald, and Goofy, saying, "I'll stay here and guard the citizens. If you three can help find Aladdin..."
"You can count on us!" Sora said.
Jasmine merely sent them off with a smile.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Jasmine sensed Pete and the Peddler as soon as they entered the Palace Gates. And she could sense the darkness they had brought in. 'Oh, no. Not on my watch, buddy!' she thought, before rushing out of the safe zone.
Meanwhile, Pete caught up to the Peddler. He said, "Thank you," as he grabbed the lamp from the Peddler's hands and ran ahead.
"It's mine!" the Peddler shot back, as he caught up to Pete, before he grabbed it back and kept running.
Pete realized it was gone and ran faster. The two chased each other around the courtyard. "Lamp hog!"
"Go away!" the Peddler shouted back.
"Gotcha!" Pete cried as he grabbed the Peddler and took the lamp, holding the Peddler down with one hand.
The Peddler tried to jump, but couldn't. "No fair!"
"Heh heh, I win!"
Just then Iago flew in and snatched the lamp away. Pete's ears perked up and he realized that his hand felt lighter. He looked up and saw no lamp. The Peddler was quick to catch on and he tried to jump at Iago to get the lamp, but he was too short.
"Nice one, Iago!" Sora called.
"Way to go!" Aladdin said.
"Don't drop it!" Donald warned.
"Look!" Goofy called out. "Behind you!"
Pete and the Peddler both chased Iago, who turned swiftly, making the two crash into a wall. The Peddler fell to the ground, and Pete rubbed his head and turned to see Iago.
The bird looked back, making him also crash into a wall and drop the lamp. Iago tried to get up, but couldn't.
Pete picked the lamp up and laughed, "Nice try, bird brain. Just wait till Jafar's free! He's gonna make one beauty of a Heartless!"
Just then, a whip came out of the shadows and snatched the lamp out of Pete's hand. Sora and Aladdin watched as the lamp landed in Jasmine's free hand (the other holding a whip).
"If you'll please return that lamp, Your Highness," Pete said.
"No way!" Jasmine shot back. "I can sense darkness! I know you're up to no good!"
Pete summoned a few Shadow Heartless to attack her, and Sora and Aladdin both began to rush in to help, so they were surprised when Jasmine used her whip to defend herself, defeating all the few Shadows by herself.
He turned back to Pete after they were all gone, "Now, get OUT of my kingdom!"
Pete growled as this sight before moving to attack her himself.
"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out in fear.
Then, the ground shook and a blue large humanoid...something flew around in the sky, announcing, "I'm HOME~!" Genie flew past Pete. "Al! It's been eons!" He flew back and hugged Pete, as Aladdin, Sora, Donald, and Goofy quickly ran over to join Jasmine.
"Jasmine..." Aladdin said when he was finally at her side. "I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you."
She smiled at him, "It's okay. Just don't keep me in the dark anymore. We're supposed to be a team."
Aladdin smiled.
Meanwhile Genie was still harassing Pete, "Al, you princely little muffin, you!" He teleported back into the air, "Cosmic travel can get so lonely without a friend." He placed an arm on Pete's shoulder, then teleported and placed his other arm on Pete's other shoulder. "Genie: To think I left you forlorn and Genie-less... Oh, the humanity!"
Genie shook Pete, then comedically rubbed his eyes, obviously still completely oblivious to Aladdin, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jasmine, or the Peddler.
"Genie?" Aladdin asked.
"Hey, Al, you've been puttin' on weight?" Genie grew several feet wider, before teleporting right to Pete's face, the latter of whom was completely disheveled. "Aw, of course, what am I saying? You're living at the palace now." He spun around and a second Genie appeared. "Aladdin!" he said in Jasmine's voice, before speaking in Aladdin's voice, "Jasmine!" The two Genies hug and fireworks shoot out from behind them. One made a heart shape in the sky, before Genie appeared again next to Pete. "I can just picture it..." He slapped a hand on Pete's back, slightly hard, this time in a smaller scale version of himself. "Wait, tell me. Am I being a pest? Just a big blue pest? Aw, who cares, Al! I'm just so glad to see you!" He poofed back into a normal size and shook both of Pete's hands, who had almost lost his balance by this point.
Aladdin walked up after sharing a knowing, exapserated glance with Jasmine, and called out, "Genie!"
Genie looked from Aladdin to Pete and let go, "Oops!"
Meanwhile, Pete snapped back into reality, "I'll teach you to make you a fool out of me!"
Genie picked Aladdin up, laughing, and hugged him.
"Time for Plan B!" Pete growled. "I'm finishin' you mugs off right now!"
Pete slammed his fist on the ground. A large geyser appeared and destroyed a wooden cart, and out of it, the Blizzard Lord Heartless appeared. Bushes lining the courtyard burst into flame as the Volcanic Lord Heartless rose up. Jasmine scooped up the injured Iago and carried him and the lamp to safety, back inside the palace, as the other five engage in the following battle.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The four guys, and Genie, returned to the palace, where Jasmine was, just in time to see her finish healing Iago with her light. Her light was intense and strong, but her expression and hands were gentle.
After the healing was done, she released Iago, who immediately began flying, "Thank you, Princess! I promise you won't regret givin' me another chance. Honest!"
"Uhhhh..." Genie asked, "Princess Jasmine, you sure that you want that pigeon in the coop?"
"Oh, I think Iago's shown that he means well," Jasmine replied.
"Aw, sure. You're probably right," Genie said.
"And how much trouble can one noisy bird cause?" Sora asked, making a good point. "She can clearly handle herself."
"You might have a point there, kid," Genie said.
"Don't worry about the lamp," Jasmine told them. "I placed it in a stone coffin in the dungeon and put a barrier of light around it. Now, what happens next, Sora?"
"Well, it was great seeing you all..." Sora said, "but we still need to find Riku, Kairi, and the King. I guess we'll be moving on."
"I hope you find 'em," Genie told him.
"Me too," Sora agreed.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Twilight Town~
It'd been about seven days since Kairi arrived here in Twilight Town. She'd been staying with Olette, on her couch (her parents didn't mind; they were welcoming, in fact). The three had shown her and Pluto around town, and Kairi had taken on a few odd jobs so she could save some money for any future travels (and she also get memories of doing those things with Roxas). She felt oddly drawn the Old Mansion, but ultimately decided not to go in because, well, going into a decrepit old building is usually a bad choice.
Right now, the four kids and the dog were walking through Market Street.
"So you don't remember Sora? But you still want to find him?" Olette asked, before fawning over this information, "Aww, what a romantic story!"
Kairi giggled before sobering up, "I remember a raft...and a collective sense to explore the outside world...but that's it. I wish I could remember everything..."
"I'm sure you will," Hayner said. "All you have to do is talk to Sora!"
The headaches no longer came now. She still didn't know the other boy's name, but that was okay. She'd still find him. She just needed to find Sora first.
Pence agreed with Hayner, "Yeah, I"m sure he'll fill you in with the rest."
"Right."
The group passed by the Sandlot, and Kairi heard Seifer say, "I see you've got a stranger with you." They turned to face him, Rai and Fuu, as Seifer took a lollipop out of his mouth. "What's up? Is that girl a transfer student?"
"Oh no..it's him..." Hayner groaned.
Olette turned to Kairi, "Ignore him. They're just a gang of hooligans."
Seifer walked over to Kairi, Rai and Fuu following, "Hey, we've never met before, right?"
"What an unnatural pick-up line," Hayner sassed.
"Don't be a jerk, Seifer!" Olette said.
"Geez, at least let me say hello to her," Seifer shot back.
"It's okay, guys," Kairi gently cut in. She then turned to Seifer. In her dream, he was cocky and he had a crush on her that was rather annoying. But here, he seemed to be a nice guy with his own group of friends. "I'm Kairi," she greeted with a smile. "It's nice to meet you. Don't worry, I won't be causing trouble here for long. I'm just looking for my friends."
Seifer immediately blushed, and Hayner, Pence, and Olette turned to each other, asking themselves if Seifer was really lovestruck.
His face red, Seifer crossed his arms, "D-Don't worry. If I see any of your friends, I'll let you know."
Kairi was rather relieved that the dream-Seifer and the real-Seifer weren't the same. "Thank you."
"It's useless to go after her, Seifer," Hayner suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah, Kairi's looking for her boyfriend," Pence added, as he and Hayner escorted Seifer and his gang away from her.
Kairi immediately felt her face turn red, "E-Eh? No! Sora's not—!"
Olette placed a hand on Kairi's shoulder, "Don't be embarrassed. Hayner has crush, too, though he'd never admit it."
Yeah, but what Olette left out was that she herself was the one Hayner had a crush on. Kairi could sense it (she was an empath), and there were plenty of signs too.
One of those signs was Hayner blushing, like he was now, and saying, "I-I do not!", like he just said.
Olette giggle, as Kairi noticed a familiar poster. She pointed at the poster, asking, "Hey, what's that?"
"Oh, that's a poster for the upcoming Struggle tournament," Hayner replied.
"Struggle?" Kairi asked. She was asking because the dream had the same sport.
But they obviously misinterpretted it as her being new, evidenced by Pence explaining, "It's a very popular sport around here. Two people fight each other with foam weapons in order to knock 'Struggle Orbs' off of each other. The one with the most Orbs at the end of sixty seconds is the winner. It's really fun."
"So, it's like a safe version of swordfighting?" Kairi asked, deciding to keep up her cover.
"Yeah," Olette said. "C'mon, let's go to our second favorite place to hang out. We haven't shown you yet, have we?"
Kairi shook her head no, and let Olette lead her along.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
At Sunset Hill now, the group watched the noon sun against the beach in the distance below. Kairi smiled at the nostalgia this sight brought.
"I could stay here all day," she admitted. "This is nice. Nostalgic..."
"Are you remembering your islands?" Olette asked her.
"Yeah," Kairi replied. "There was a small island off the shores of the mainland where the three of us used to play together. It's the place I call home."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a message in a bottle in it. She then threw it. The four and Pluto watched it as it landed into the sea below them.
"What was that?" Pence asked.
"A letter," Kairi answered. "I wrote it yesterday, to Sora, the boy I can't remember. It expresses my feelings towards him and says that no matter where he and the other boy are, I'll find them. One day."
"You could've just given it to us," Olette reminded her, "or him when he arrives."
Kairi smiled, "Sorry, but something told me not to."
"Do you think it'll reach him?" Hayner asked. "Even without an address?"
Kairi had no doubt in her mind, "I know it will. The three of us made a promise to go back to our island together." She then out the purple crystal and looked at it, letting memories of Roxas fill her mind. "Do you think it's possible for me to enter that Struggle tournament?"
"Yeah, anyone can enter. Why?" Hayner asked.
"Something's telling me I should," Kairi explained. Truth be hold, that something was Roxas.
"Sure thing! We'll cheer you on all the way!" Pence pumped his arms in excitement.
Kairi smiled at them in return.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
About two days later, Kairi was in the Struggle tournament, and she was progressing rather well. She supposed it was because she actually had fighting experience, unlike the other contestants.
After a couple of rounds where Kairi was not involved, Olette turned to her, "You're doing great, Kairi!"
"Thanks!"
Hayner told her, "All you have to do is beat Seifer, and then you can take on Setzer and win the championship."
"Right!" Kairi said, before walking up on stage, Struggle bat in hand. She was facing Seifer now. "Hey, Seifer. No matter who wins, no hard feelings, okay?"
"Of course not," Seifer's reply once again, reassured Kairi that he was a genuinely nice person. "But don't expect me to go easy on you!"
Kairi smiled, "I don't want you to!"
"And fight!" the announcer called out.
But before they could strike each other, a familiar voice called out, interrupting the fight.
"What took you so long, Kairi?"
Kairi turned to the source of the voice just as Axel walk in through a portal. Pluto immediately leapt up on stage and broke into a defensive stance, growling, as Oathkeeper appeared in Kairi's hand in a flash of white.
Axel continued, "Somehow I just knew you'd be here. I tell ya, Kairi, you've got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that. I see now that it's gonna take a lot to crack ya."
He then summoned the same creatures from before as well as some new ones (Dusks and Assassins), which immediately went after the bystanders nearby. All the bystanders in the area immediately ran away at this sight, with Seifer, Fuu, and Rai using Struggle bats to cover some people's escape. Meanwhile, Kairi saw Hayner, Pence, and Olette also grab Struggle bats to fight off the Nobodies themselves. Pluto also pounced on one and entered the fray himself.
'Go away!' she heard Pluto say.
Kairi smiled, as this gave her the freedom to go after Axel without anybody getting in her way.
So, she charged in without second thought, and Keyblade met Chakrams.
Axel was tough, she had to admit that. He was a great fighter, or defender, at least.
Because Axel wasn't trying to get any hits on her. Their fight was just her attacking him and defending himself. Was his strategy to wear her out and take her at her weakest? Or did he not want to harm her? Both, probably.
But Kairi did not want to give up. She still needed to find those two boys, to find Roxas, to find that girl whose name or face she could not recall.
However, the fight was interrupted a couple of minutes later by Pence, scared, calling out, "Kairi, help!"
Hers and Axel's weapons pressed together, Kairi immediately turned around to see Hayner, Pence, and Olette cornered by several Dusks and Assassins, Pluto in front them, growling, ready to pounce.
Kairi turned back to Axel, and he saw a face he'd never seen on her before: a scared face, and she pleaded, "Stop! They have nothing to do with this!"
There was no way she could take on every enemy here alone.
Axel was calm as he replied, "If you want this all to stop, then come with me."
Kairi paused, as the reality of that statement settled in. He had a point. He only wanted her. She looked down at the ground sadly, before back up at Axel, determined.
Axel was glad and relieved when she de-summoned Oathkeeper, and said, "Fine...But only if you promise to leave this world and its inhabitants alone."
"I swear," was all Axel said, as he de-summoned his Chakrams.
He held out his hand, and Kairi took it, feeling defeated. Axel firmly grasped it, ensuring that she couldn't escape or try any dirty tricks now. Kairi turned back to the others and breathed a sigh of relief when Axel commanded the Dusks and Assassins to back off and leave, and they obeyed.
Axel then summoned a dark portal and proceeded to lead her inside of it.
"Hey!" Hayner called out, as he ran in for a punch, as did Pence. Kairi blinked in surprise when Axel stopped them by merely setting their hair on fire.
"Oh, sorry," Axel replied, and Kairi could sense some sincerity in his voice. "I used too much force by accident."
"Let go of Kairi!" Axel and Kairi both turned to Axel's right to see Olette holding up a nail-embedded bat.
Axel merely side-stepped her, "Please don't make this worse for yourselves, you three." Kairi could have sworn she felt him almost pleading, like he didn't want to hurt them. "Your strength is nothing compared to mine."
Hayner, Pence, and Olette could only watch as Pluto entered the portal the second before it closed behind the two redheads.
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: When I was still brainstorming this AU, I was really debating on whether I should have Axel try to kidnap Kairi twice like in canon, or actually have Kairi tag along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy after their first visit to Hollow Bastion and then get kidnapped by Axel when they returned to Twilight Town, but I realized that once Sora and Kairi were separated at the end of KH1, they had to stay apart until the World That Never Was segment. So, I'm sorry.
Donald feeling remorse for not letting Riku tag along during Sora's KH1 adventure was rather fun to add, as well as important, I feel. It also got me thinking about what would've happened if Riku did tag along from that point on. This franchise/series allows the opportunity for so many interesting AU ideas. DiZ choosing not to kill Naminé was also important to add. Because if I left that scene the same, then all his development last chapter would've been useless.
It's only been a day or two for Sora, and I state that it's been at least six days for Kairi, and you may find this factoid weird. But keep in mind that time in every single world flows differently, so it makes sense in context.
Like in my other fic 'Let Me Face My Fears', I have this personal headcanon that Princesses of Heart can understand and talk to animals, since most of the Princesses have animal friends, and Kairi easily befriends Pluto. Also, I got inspiration for Pluto's lines from Thoughts Of Dog on Twitter (an excellent and fun page, especially for dog lovers). His lines are also simple (because he's a dog). He doesn't understand much, but he's still enthusastic, and his main mission is to protect Kairi.
The scenes with Axel and Kairi do have traces of the manga there, because I love the manga. It has great ideas when it comes to Kairi's character. Also, Axel doesn't want to hurt Kairi, and I'll explain this better in the next chapter when Saïx enters the fray. And an 'akanbe' is what you call an eyelid pull taunt. Also, in KH2, the fact that Riku was checking in on Kairi once in a while was very subtle, and in this story, I've made it a little more obvious (remember, in Days Part 4/Chapter 8, I mention that he's been visiting her often enough to know that she's sick and only getting worse). Also, if this was an actual game, then Kairi's fights with the Dusks (both times) and Axel would be playable. And during her fights in Twilight Town, Pluto would also be her Party Member.
In the canon KH2, Roxas and Kairi shared a brief psychic link, and here I'm just elaborating on it (especially since here, the two already know each other). Someone online had a theory that suggested the link between these two was the same as the one between Sora and Naminé, considering Roxas and Naminé were born at the same time, and had the same three people contributing to their genetics (and it's been explained why Naminé can control Sora's memories), and I really like that theory. Also, someone on TVTropes (on Roxas' page) pointed out that Roxas has a strong affinity for the light, despite being a Nobody (who have strong alignments with the darkness by default), possibly due to Kairi's influence (and maybe a little of Ven's; not counting the fact that Sora was turned into a shadow, the weakest kind of heartless). Also, yes, he's concerned about Kairi (remember, he's within Sora), and yes, he's trying to help her, to pay her back for trying to help him (through the link I mentioned).
Belle and Jasmine experimenting with their powers is very important, or it will be later on around DDD, so keep this little factoid in mind. I would've shown the same with Alice, Aurora, Snow White, and Cinderella too, but their own worlds aren't shown in KH2 (and they won't be seen again until DDD; I have something very special in mind). Also, Belle and Jasmine are a lot more active during their respective world visits to better match their movie selves (since in the canon KH2, they're both a lot more passive). And, Belle is a bookworm, hence why I had her explain the reason for the experimentation (also, because her world comes first; so it's really just a coincidence). Also, Xaldin's talk with Belle is a bit of foreshadowing to what I have in mind for DDD.
Yes, Daisy is a mage like Donald, and Clarabelle is a guard like Goofy (and they're co-Captains), because these girls deserve to be badasses too. And I would've given Minnie a Keyblade too, but I realized that she's too busy running the kingdom in Mickey's absense, and she's a badass without one (besides, someone on TVTropes pointed out that her ring could be a medium for her light powers). Besides, Mickey was the one who was married into the family, so ruling a kingdom is Minnie's strength. The Disney Castle segments were my favorite to write in this chapter, mainly because I got to add something new and fresh to one of the established Disney worlds. Also, forgetting to warn everybody about the Heartless looks a little incompetent, so that's why I changed that (she had the time to call Donald, Goofy, and Sora for help, after all).
And also, I really like the real Seifer actually being a nice, understanding person who is sometimes misunderstood himself, with him and Hayner being friendly rivals. I hope you guys don't mind that characterization choice. (Besides, it gave Kairi a hint as to where she was when she was asleep for those six days.)
Kairi goes down fighting in this version, only surrendering when Axel places the other three in danger, because I find it more satisfying than what canon gave us (though it's understandable) while also staying true to her character, and I'm glad how it turned out. Don't worry, though. Kairi's got some fight left in her, as you'll see in the next chapter.
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)", and if you want an idea of what I have in mind for Naminé, then you can find it on the piece titled "Number 14 AU". I will update the cover image to match Kairi's appearance (as well as Naminé's and Xion's) as I update each chapter, but keep in mind, Kairi's design in this AU matches how I imagine her growth to be.
Next chapter will focus on Kairi's imprisonment in The Castle That Never Was, and we'll also get a little more focus on how Axel's and Naminé's friendship has also changed since Days.