Note to Disclaimers: I do not and never will own Kingdom Hearts or anyone else except Cyra so please don't sure me. This is for entertainment only, not profits.

Author's Note: Hi people. It's been a while and I am sorry, but hey, at least this chapter is very short. Actually, it's incredibly short for my standards so, yeah. This chapter is kind of weird and if you hate, just say so but not in a rude way-no cursing or anything cause I can't stand that. It's not that it bothers me and I'm going to cry or anything, it's just so rude and so not helpful. Anyway, this is basically about Kairi and Cyra and finding out more things about there background. And truthfully, this might be the last chapter like this, ok? I think I've explained everything that needed to be in this chapter. Anyway, please R&R!

Word Coding:

Everything else

'Thoughts'

"speaking"

Thoughts of Zephyr

Cyra sighed heavily as she watched another white mushroom approach her and start doing tricks for her to solve. She was not concerned about them in the least; their charades actually bothered her more than she showed. But she was not cruel and still dwelled on purity; she was not going to give herself to the darkness, yet. Still, even as she sat upon the tent in the deep jungle, she couldn't help but wonder why they, she and Riku, were there. According to Kairi, there was no princess in the Deep Jungle-only Tarzan and his wife, Jane Porter. 'She can't be a princess though,' Cyra concluded thoughtfully. It never bothered her; of course, that Jane was not a princess-it pleased her, in fact. With a small huff, she cast the curaga spell on the mushroom, which had demonstrated falling repeatedly, and shooed it away from her line of vision. She noticed that Riku had been gone a long time, which DID bother her, and decided to go look for him. But before she could even proceed to jump off the small tent his figure appeared from the bamboo thicket to her left. She rolled her eyes as he returned, hauling a burlap sack full of things she assumed to be materia and goods. He ignored her and went right inside the tent. She heard him conversing with Jane and, then, a shriek.

By now she was no longer alarmed by his actions as he had been startling people everywhere they went. Yet, she knew she had to investigate and jumped from her perch to enter the tent. Once inside, she saw that Jane was unconscious, but clearly still alive, and floating in mid air. She made a particularly precarious face at him along with a blatant scowl. "Great, what do we need her for? She's not a princess is she?" Cyra's eyes were narrowed angrily at her counterpart. "I highly doubt that we need Mrs. Jungle-vine-woman in any way, don't you?"

"No, she is very important and yes, she is a princess." Riku pushed his way past her to the outside of the tent. "In fact, I suppose I hadn't mentioned when we began this journey but there is a princess in EVERY world we go to. Sometimes the princess doesn't even know she is one, more or less acknowledging the fact that she is one, publicly."

"But how could she possibly be a princess? She's not even from this world! She said she was from a world known as England for heaven's sake!" She slapped her forehead in irritation. He ignored her boisterous comment.

Cyra was incredulous as he allowed the tent entrance flap to smack her in the face as she began to exit. Indeed she was peeved, but she brushed that aside as she joined him, lugging the sack he'd left for her to carry, for he had Jane Porter in his arms. She knew they were headed to another world. 'But what other worlds could we possibly steal a princess from?' She was sure that, at least by now, Kairi and the others had also been traveling and rescuing princesses from their evil grasp. She blew a strand of hair from her eyes as she latched onto Riku's arm, preparing to leave the world of Tarzan for the time being. Once they were into his dark portal she felt herself shiver. 'Whoever said this was easy was definitely lying,' she thought bitterly. Despite the fact that portals were quick and efficient, she could not believe how much of a pain and impractical they were. Every time they went through one she could feel her stomach churn with the amount of ground they covered at the speed they acquired to do so. Not only did it make her insides mushy but it also caused her skin to crawl and itch to incredible extremes. As she guessed, it had no affect on Riku.

And though she would have cursed him to kingdom come for not allowing her the pleasure of numbness, she had already been forewarned of the process in which to eliminate the feelings of oddness that filled her. Cyra, above all, was trying to avoid the darkness at all costs and, in doing so, was willing to suffer if it meant survival of the worlds, if even for a little while. She figured while she was in control that she would not contribute to world destruction, even though she knew her conversion to the darkness was inevitable. Helplessness overwhelmed her and she made faces at Riku's back when they arrived at their destination. "What is this place?" She asked as she dusted off her hair, which somehow managed to pick up every single particle of dirt and pebbles that existed. When Riku offered her no answer, she became indignant and punched his shoulder. This caught his attention rapidly. "Well, where are we genius?"

Riku glanced around for a while, seemingly in deep thought, before settling on smoke far in the distance. Cyra held her breath as his lips turned upward to one side in a magnified smirk. "Welcome to the New World."

"The New World?" Cyra looked perplexed. "As opposed to…MANY new worlds?"

Riku rolled his eyes at her, silver hair swishing this way and that as he began walking towards the shore. "Yes, this is known as the New World, much like the End of the World." When she gave no sign of understanding him, Riku sighed heavily and rolled his eyes once again. "It's not a literal term, you twit." Cyra looked offended. "Well, ok, so it is literal, but no so much as you might believe it to be."

"Why do you always talk in riddles?" She questioned him with an annoyed glance. "I swear, you are more cryptic than my father."

Riku snorted, "I hardly call your father's speeches on the awesome power of darkness any kind of riddles." He pushed his way past her to where a boat was resting upon the lakeshore. "Come on, we don't have much time before the Princess of Heart arrives."

"Ok Mr. Pushy-ass," said Cyra. She rolled her eyes and followed him. Since she found nothing interesting to do, she decided to observe the beautifully unique scenery. 'I've never seen so many rolling hills,' she thought. It seemed everything was green from the hills to the mountainsides to the fields rich with corn. She spotted smoke rising into the air and saw dark skinned children running around. 'The natives,' she assumed. The land itself was rather beautiful, she admitted; but it was more than that. Something about the place exploded with positive energy vibes, vibes of purity. Cyra was gracious for this. On the other hand, Riku seemed rather bothered by the heart of the land. He threw her a distasteful look as they approached the encampment. A man quickly spotted them and began to blow an unusually shaped horn.

"What is he doing?" Cyra stopped slightly beside Riku.

"Sending word of our presence," Riku stated. They stood their ground until a man came into view, his head adorned with many feathers and royal garbs of the finest animal skins. Riku sighed in utter boredom as the man greeted them politely. "Hello Chief Powahatan. How are you these days sir?"

"You've come for my daughter?" The elderly man looked only the slightest bit disturbed as Riku nodded. Cyra guessed they'd met before. "I am afraid she will not go."

"That's better," Cyra smiled. "She's safer, that way-

"Shut up, will you?" Riku snarled. "Where is she?"

The man smirked wisely. "Wherever the wind has taken her. Seek her if you must…but you will not find her."

"All the better," Cyra stated again, this time spitting at Riku as she strolled off in the opposite direction. "You crude ass jerk."

Riku ignored her as he stomped towards the village, only one thought in mind. He needed the princess of heart from the land to open the keyhole again. Cyra in turn ignored him as she marched up and down the cornfields, her raven hair swaying back and forth in the breeze as the wind blew past her. She paused at the end of the first field, wondering if she could see the rest of the landscape. She was pleasantly surprised to find a vast, deep blue sea staring straight back at her. 'Hm…this place is purely exquisite!' In the distance she could see men fishing at the shore, spearing the squirming creatures on the razor sharp tips of their tools. Despite the fact that it was slightly barbaric to kill any living thing, it was a definite way of survival that she understood all too well. 'Hunting is a little similar,' she thought. She recalled the hunts she and her stepfather took on Nebula. Of course her weapons were the heartless, completely at her disposal. Cyra shook her head at this and continued walking until she reached the woods, which she proceed through, as though she had not a care in the world. Sure, things did matter to her but she, at the moment, did not care. There were more important things going on at the moment.

@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@^@

I look at the person, more like creature, standing in the broken doorway of Mulan's house. The shining gold key blinds me as he approaches us, the metal instrument dangling at his side. When he reaches us, we all stand up to greet him. "I've been waiting to meet you for some time now Kairi, Princess of Heart."

"King Mickey!" Donald and Goofy drop in bows before the mouse's feet.

I blink stupidly as I continue to stare at the gold key at his side. I cannot believe he has a keyblade even though Sora had mentioned it before hand. My mind swims with millions of ideas as King Mickey continues speaking to his subjects, Donald and Goofy. Beside me, I hear Yuffie, vaguely, whispering to Leon and Cid about our next part of the journey. I am still standing dumbfounded when Selphie taps my shoulder. I give her a look of mere annoyance and she retreats to a corner with Tidus, no doubt to talk about my strange behavior. I turn back to Mulan who has made her way to King Mickey, raven hair now tied back into an elegant bun with a beautifully rich, red ribbon of silk. I ignore Yuffie who is still rambling on about our journey to Leon, who doesn't seem to be paying attention one bit. My eyes fall to my feet as I recall what Mulan said to me while we were fighting, the haunting words leaking into my skin like a poison without a cure. I feel dread spread through my entire being as I wait for someone to explain to me the reason for all the cryptic language and vague statements that are meant to reveal something. I twiddle my thumbs idly as I await the feelings of despair to leave me, though I know they won't, before I resume speaking to people. I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to meet Mulan's caring eyes, her smile comforting me somewhat within my warped thoughts. She points to King Mickey who is walking towards the back of her house. "He wants you to follow him. There is something he and I have to show you Kairi."

I nod as I proceed, without thoughts, towards the door where the mouse has disappeared through, my mind empty but weary. Once we both step outside onto the threshold, Mickey raises his key and touches the hilt of my hip belt where my katanas are, though obscured by the large robe Mulan had given me earlier. Mulan smiles at me again as she reaches into the robe and removes the extravagant weapons from my side. I don't flinch at all; instead I stand there much similar to a mindless doll as they inspect my weapons, seemingly enchanting them with some powerful magic that I have no knowledge of. I do not pay them mind as my thought return to Sora's disappearance, as well as the possibilities as to where he could have gone besides the River Styx. I, even in my own twisted way, do not believe Sora is dead, merely on a task to figure out something us living persons cannot. Then again, it could be my own fantasy world that I've created due to the insanity of the entire situation. But I don't like to think that, not one bit, especially since I am the Purest of Heart.

I awake from my reverie when I feel the weight of my katanas replaced upon my hip belt, and I turn to glance at them quickly. "What happened? Did you do something to them?" I ask this question without a hint of emotion in my voice, my eyes empty and body numb. Mickey senses this, I think, because he shakes his head and looks at Mulan. She shakes her head warily. I feel irritation beginning to well up inside the pit of my stomach. "Is there something I need to know?"

Mickey sighs as he sets his key against the wall. "There is something you should know Kairi, something that many people have regrettable forgotten to inform you about during your journey." I nod. "You asked why the darkness is taking you, not your sister?" I nod again. "It is just as Mulan said. When you allow your feelings to become as bleak as they have been, the darkness knows where to go. It feeds upon the misery and despair, depression and loss of every human being. But, because you and your sister are the two beings that control the universe's flow, your pain and your love are the two strongest forces driving the universal flow of life. Now, since your pain has been so great, the darkness has found it easily and has already, sadly, planted its seed within your heart, just as the light has planted a seed within Cyra's heart. You two, having originally followed your proper paths, are both switching your destinies because of recent events. Fortunately, this is never permanent and can be changed as long as you work on this. Unfortunately, Neither you nor Cyra will ever be able to rid yourself of those planted seeds, though you may wish to in the future." I continue to stare at him blankly, hearing but not necessarily processing the words entering my ears. "Princess Kairi, are you listening to this?"

"I am," I reply. "But I do not see how I will overcome these feelings."

"But of course you can," Mulan answers. "All you have to do is want to overcome them."

"But I don't want to," I say, eyes closed as I breath out a shaky breath. "I don't want to give up these feelings of pain, not now. I want to grieve for Sora, grieve for his death like any other human being who loses a loved one. Isn't that normal?"

"Yes, very," Mickey responds. "But Kairi, you are not normal. You're thoughts and feelings could unbalance the natural order of life if you were to dwell to long."

"So," I state blandly. "I don't care."

Mulan gasps. "But Kairi, there are people out there who will die, lose all their loved ones, lose their homes if you do not stay connected to the light!"

"Gee, it's not like anyone did that for me when Sora passed, is it?" I glare at them mildly. "Screw the world."

"Snap out of it Kairi!" Mulan shouts angrily, her eyes arched in frustration.

"No, I rather like it this way. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to tend to." I walk away, slowly, and make my way towards the Gummi ship, passing everyone else on the way. I ignore their stares of astonishment, especially Aerith's.

"What could be more important than other people's lives and the universe's balance?" Selphie mumbles quietly. I still hear her. "God…she's being awfully selfish now."

Just as I am about to board the Gummi ship, Belle and the other princesses appear out of nowhere. "What do you want?" I ask with annoyance lacing my voice as I take the first step into the heated hatch. "More information on my mission?"

"No, more information on your attitude," Jasmine says, her eyes ablaze with disappointment. I shrug. "Do you have any idea how important a role you play in the destruction or preservation of worlds? This is not something you can just shrug off Kairi!"

"Well, funny isn't it? That's exactly what I am about to do. I am tired. I am going to go home." I say with a snort.

"You won't have one to go home to if you keep this charade up," Aurora snaps icily. "Now come back here. We all need to talk."

I climb back down, gingerly, and face them with a bored look on my face. "Yes? Can you make it quick? The king in the Land of Nod is calling to me."

"Haha, very funny Kairi," Snow white mutters as she directs her spiteful glare somewhere other than my face.

"Don't you care at all about any of this? Don't you care about these beautiful lands?" Cinderella waves to our surroundings.

"Yeah, so?" I gaze at them dully. I notice Belle is missing though she was present earlier on.

"Isn't this worth saving?" Anastasia, the most recent addition to our group, asks.

I glance around again, disinterested. "Hm…" I pretend to think though I could careless. "No, I don't really care whether it stays or goes. Now," I turn back to the ship. "I would like to get some sleep. I'll see you when I see you."

"You most certainly will not!" A shrill voice replies and I feel myself being whirled around. Once I'm there, my cheek is met with a sharp pain and I hear a loud smack. I look up and see Alice; her hand is still extended outward, body shaking as she glares accusingly at me. "Well, for you information Miss Kairi, the rest of us, including you, really do care about all this. And I'll be heartless before I let it go to waste because of one girl with indecisions! I, myself, haven't gone through this journey for nothing! We all want to go home Kairi, we all do."

No anger flows through my veins. Only understanding. I feel my eyes tear as I realize my attitude was positively rotten and strange. I feel the darkness spread even more throughout my body and will it, with all my strength, to leave me alone. But as Mickey said before, it never will. Instead I push it away to the recesses of my mind and give them a small smile with tear-stained cheeks. "I'm sorry," I whisper sadly. "I…I will do my best. I am sorry. I just…I couldn't help it. It's just so unfair."

"We know this," Jasmine comforts me as Mulan emerges from the house with King Mickey. "Don't worry, Mulan will be with you to guide you through this next phase. Please Kairi…stay strong, for Sora."

At his name I nod and place my face in my hands, continuing to sob loudly as I feel Yuffie hug my trembling form. As Leon begins carrying me into the ship, I realize a few different things. Emotions are a fickle thing is the first thing I think of. Then there is the whole universal flow issue. I still can't believe that Cyra and I control the entire universe's emotions and feelings, which are reflected in the earth's power and weather patterns. Weird stuff, I think. As the hatch to the ship closes after us, I feel my body spasm as pain flows through me. I can feel the darkness returning and I squirm in Leon's arms, writhing in agony as I release a scream that shatters all the windows in the ship, before darkness envelopes me and I pass out.

^TBC...

(Ok, that totally sucked, no? Well, I liked it! But if you didn't, what can I do? Well probably something…but not unless you tell me! Anyway, if you have any ideas for me then feel free to let me know, ok? Um…really sorry for those of you who don't like it. Well, please R&R and constructive criticism is welcome but NO flames cause that is rude! Thank you everyone who has and hasn't reviewed! Freakin aye, at least you read it!)

+DarkKairi+