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 DDD, some will also revolve around Naminé and Xion.
Also, please review! Tell me what you think!
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.
Quick note before we begin: I'm not entirely sure what Cinderella's Prince's name is, but the common census online seems to be "Henry", so that's what I'm going with. If I'm wrong, though, PM me and let me know. This chapter will also be slightly longer than the previous two, due to it following the plot of an actual movie, rather than an original scenario.
A sidenote: If you want a better idea on how I envision Kairi's fighting style in this AU, go to Youtube and search for Luigi 0211 and their "KH3 Mod Aqua VS Kairi" video, or search for any video showcasing the Project Embrace mod.
This chapter will focus on the third world of Kairi's test, Castle of Dreams, where the Princess there fights to regain her happy ending. The following scenario is based on the movie "Cinderella III: A Twist in Time".
!~~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 18: Dream Drop Distance, Part 4
~Castle of Dreams~
Anastasia didn't think it was fair. Cinderella got the man of every girl's dreams and now she gets to live in the palace, living in luxury while she and Drizella had to do all the chores they had Cinderella do.
As she brought over a stack of dirty dishes to the sink, she heard Drizella curse and mutter, "I broke a nail again!"
What was the use of doing your nails, then? Anatasia mentally asked her sister. What was the point when one gets broken every single day? The only people who see you are me and our mother.
It had been a year, and all three ladies were miserable. Not once had they been invited to a ball, or a party, or even for tea.
Where was her happily ever after? Where was the prince who would marry her?
"I think it suits you," Anastasia quipped as she began sweeping the floor.
Drizella growled, "Why you!" and launched at her sister, sending them both out the nearby door and outside where the chickens were.
The two sisters were about to continue their fight when they heard a familiar voice in the distance say, "Give me your hand."
The two turned to see Prince Henry and Cinderella riding horses together.
Anastasia lost her will to fight as she watched the two lovebirds ride away together. When would someone love her like that? When would someone take her around the world, take her to places she's never been?
"Hey, let's follow them," Drizella suddenly said. Anastasia looked at her in surprise, but she didn't get a chance to answer, because Drizella was suddenly pulling her along.
The two sisters followed Henry and Cinderella deep into the forest, which was glowing with magic. Hiding behind a couple of trees, the duo eavesdropped on the following conversation.
An old woman and a mouse had set up a gazebo and a banquet for Henry and Cinderella. "Surprise!" the two said.
"Happy One-Year Anniversary, Cinda-relly!" the mouse cheered.
"Thank you, Jaq," Cinderella said with a kind smile. "And thank you, Fairy Godmother. It's wonderful."
"You're welcome, dear. Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" the old woman replied, waving her wand and making magic swirl around the couple, placing them in their formal clothes. "All touched up with some magic, just like that night I sent you to the ball."
"So that's how she did it," Drizella muttered. "Magic." Anastasia could only nod.
The two lovebirds began dancing, like they did that night.
Anastasia quipped softly, "I wonder if that old lady has a wand that she could spare."
The two sisters suddenly started before turning their heads to look at each other. Both had the same idea.
"Let us celebrate!" the old lady said, waving her arms. Suddenly, the two sisters got their chance when the wand came flying out of her sleeve and landed right next to Anastasia's foot.
The two sisters share another glance, before Drizella picked up the wand and led her sister all the way back home.
It was dark by the time they got back. Lady Tremaine was on the front porch, having tea like she didn't have any worries.
"Mother! Mother!"
Lady Tremaine glanced up from her tea to see her two daughters running towards, something long and white in Drizella's hands.
"Where have you two been?" the woman asked. "Slacking off?"
"No, Mother!" Anastasia said. "Our troubles are over!"
Drizella held up the object in her hands, "Look!"
"A stick?" Lady Tremaine questioned. "What for? To beat you with?"
"No, not a stick!" Drizella corrected. "A magic wand!"
"We saw this nutty old woman and zap!" Anastasia explained. "She gave Cinderella the beautiful gown and, oh, the Prince."
Lady Tremaine was quiet, until she quipped, "Perhaps I loaded you two with too much housework." Their mother thought they were crazy.
"We'll prove it to you!" Drizella said. "What were those words again?"
"Wappity-pappity-poo?" Anastasia offered. She couldn't remember, but she did know that it was a rhyme. "Skip-skip-scadoo?"
"No, that's not it!" Drizella muttered. "Oh! I remember! Bibbidi-bobbidi..."
Lady Tremaine turned to leave, clearly thinking her daughters were crazy, until she heard an unfamiliar voice rung out from the treeline.
"Oh! There it is!" It was the same old woman from the forest, the one who had the wand in the first place. "Child, put that down!" She walked over to Drizella and gently grabbed the wand. "In the wrong hands, that wand could be extremely dangerous! Now, give it back to me, you silly, little goose!"
"No way, Grandma!" Drizella shot back, and the two started a tug of war over it. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" A string of magic shot out from the wand and hit their cat Lucifer, who had the displeasure of being turned into a goose.
There was a beat of silence, as the Fairy Godmother began to realize the gravity of the situation, "Look what you've done. Now give me back my wand."
"No, we need it, you silly old garden gnome!" Drizella cried. "Bibbido-bobbidi-boo!"
There was a sudden bright flash of light that made Drizzella, her sister, and her mother all cover their eyes. When it faded, the old woman stood where she was before, except she was now completely turned to stone.
"Woah..." Drizella muttered.
As Drizella stood in awe over what she had done, Anastasia approached the statue and began tapping it, "Hello? Hello, hello, Grandma?" No response. "Uh-oh." They had actually turned an old lady into a statue. She then quietly said, "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
Drizella was too awestruck by the power of the wand in her hand to notice, while Lady Tremaine simply ignored it and walked over to Drizella. Taking the wand from her, she said, "So this is how Cinderella did it. What delicious irony. Do you realize what this means, girls?"
"Yes! No more laundry!" Drizella cried.
Lady Tremaine groaned, "No, it means power, riches, revenge."
Anastasia gasped, sounding almost like she didn't want to believe it, "We could rewrite her happy ending and give it to us instead."
"Exactly," Lady Tremaine replied, before raising the wand and chanting, "Now, Cinderella, to undo your trickery and take what's rightfully ours, I call upon all the forces of the universe! Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Reverse the moon and sun, turn back tide and time, unravel Cinderella's happily ever after to the moment my troubles began!"
The nearby clock gave a powerful chime as a light enveloped all of them.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi arrived within Cinderella's heartscape to be instantly greeted by what sounded like a whispered argument. She hid in the shadows at the top of the staircase within the mansion Cinderella used to live in, as she eavesdropped on, but did not see, the following conversation, amid Drizella's gleeful "It fits! It fits!"
"You look confused, dear." Lady Tremaine? As in Cinderella's stepmother?
Cinderella was confused, and rightfully so. According to her memories, things weren't supposed to play out this way.
"How could the slipper have fit Drizella? I danced with the Prince. That was my slipper." Cinderella replied, and Kairi heard some fabric rustling. "See? I have the other one."
"You may have danced with him," Lady Tremaine said. "You may even have thought it was love. But the slipper fits Drizella, and that's who he's marrying. Whatever you think happened last night was a dream."
There was a beat of silence, and Kairi felt Cinderella's heart all around her fracture at the same moment that the sound of glass shattering reached Kairi's ears.
Lady Tremaine had taken the glass slipper Cinderella had held onto and smashed it along with Cinderella's hopes and dreams.
The old lady leaned in and threatened Cinderella with this, "I don't care where you go or what you do, but you stay away from the palace. Stay away from the Prince. Oh and...clean up that broken glass." Those where the final words of the conversation before the front doors slammed shut.
Kairi came out of hiding as soon as those doors closed, "Cinderella?" She could that Cinderella was trying her best not to cry. Trying and failing miserably.
The blonde turned around at the familiar, yet unexpected voice, "Kairi? What are you doing here?"
"Saving you," Kairi said, deciding that honesty was best here. Right off the bat, Cinderella's heart was already fractured pretty bad.
"'Saving' me?" There was a pause, before Kairi felt sudden understanding from the other. "I see. This is a nightmare."
"A very real one," Kairi added. "One that could kill you."
"I know," Cinderella said as she reached into the supply closet and pulled out a broom. "I can sense both Snow White's and Aurora's X-Blade fragments within you." She sighed. "So this is a nightmare...but it feels so real."
"Because it is, in a sense," Kairi replied, before taking the broom from Cinderella's hands and began cleaning up the shattered glass slipper herself. She did this because she could feel Cinderella practically forcing herself to clean up the symbol of her now broken dreams. She didn't want to, because that would be admitting defeat, but her stepmother ordered her to. Kairi continued, "Someone put you to sleep."
Someone with a powerful darkness that Kairi still could not name.
Before Cinderella could respond, a mouse slid down the stair railing. "Cinda-relly? What a-happened? I heard glass break!"
"Oh, Jaq!" Cinderella suddenly cried out as she fell to her knees in despair. "It's awful! Lady Tremaine, she somehow was able to to get Drizella's foot to fit the glass slipper! Now, Prince Henry will marry her instead of me!"
"What?! How is that possible?!" Jaq was startled. "We must tell him the truth!"
"No," Cinderella's response was surprising, for both Jaq and for Kairi. "It's alright. I suppose I'll just have to live my life with a broken heart from now on. Perhaps it was nothing more than a dream."
But that would kill her, Kairi mentally objected. She couldn't let that happen, so she was quick to jump in.
"No, it wasn't," Kairi replied, as she knelt down in front of her elder. The blonde's sad blue eyes met Kairi's determined violet ones. "It was real. Those feelings you had that night was real. You know that. I know that you believe Snow White and Aurora just gave up, but they didn't. I have their fragments because they chose to accept their fates, yet they still fought to acheive their happy ending. They still helped me turn their nightmares back into dreams. Please, Cinderella. Don't give up so easily. That's not you."
Jaq didn't know what Kairi was talking about, but she knew Cinderella did. Cinderella knew that Lady Tremaine had found some way of reversing time and making it so she was victorious rather than her step-daughter. Cinderella knew that the light within her was what allowed to her to retain her memories of how it was supposed to be (that was how she even remembered who Kairi was at all).
Despite not being in the loop fully, Jaq immediately jumped in with this, "She's right, Cinda-relly! Princey knows he danced with you last night! There must-a be some way to tell him!"
Kairi smiled when she felt Cinderella's heart began to warm up and beat with a rythym that said, 'Fight, fight, fight!', over and over. She smiled because it gave her hope.
Cinderella could still be saved.
"You're right, both of you," the blonde replied, as she let Kairi help her to her feet. "Henry does know. Perhaps if he sees my face again, he'll remember."
"Then, let's-a go!" Jaq cheered as he climbed into Cinderella's apron pocket. He then turned to Kairi. "By the way, it's nice to meet you. My name-a Jaq!"
"Kairi. It's nice to meet you too."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi, along with Necho Cat and Aura Lion, escorted Cinderella all the way to the castle, fending off Nightmares with the aid of the Keyblade being in Cinderella's heart had given her.
The Stroke of Midnight Keyblade, which was modeled after the main castle of this world and crystals (much like Cinderella's class slippers), gave her a balanced boost in Strength and Magic. It was also surrounded in a swirling lavender aura, Cinderella's aura.
When faced with the guards, Kairi was fortunate that Nightmares began appearing within the castle, allowing her to enter it under the (correct) guise of her being here to eliminate them. Cinderella, meanwhile, was able to get in under guise of being the royal animal control, with Jaq, Aura Lion, and Necho Cat playing along by sneaking into the castle and causing a ruckus, thus allowing Cinderella to easily get past the guards in order to catch them.
Once inside, they all split up to find the Prince faster, all under their respective disguises. Due to their smaller sizes, Necho Cat and Jaq stuck together. The two managed to locate Prince Henry in the Exercise Room of the palace, fencing with his father. The two watched the following from the rafters.
"But, Dad-" Henry began.
"Those aren't reasons!" the King replied, as their swords clashed. "Breeding, refinement! These are the reasons to marry someone. Not their choice in transparent footwear!" He then pushed his son away from him and grabbed a pear from a nearby bowl. But before he could take a bite, Henry stabbed the fruit with his sword. "Ooh! Nice parry."
"Thanks," Henry replied, before the two continued their duel. "It's not about the slipper. It's the girl in the slipper. She was...Well, she was..." The duel was put on pause.
The King got rather impatient, "She was what?"
"Well, she was the one," Henry revealed. "I know it."
The King lunged forward, and the duel went on, "You think there's only one woman in the kingdom who wears a size four and a half?"
"It's all I have to go on here," Henry pointed out. She never gave him her name.
The King groaned, "Oh, poppycock!"
Henry lunged forward and finally disarmed his father, "You remember when you met Mom? You said the first time you touched her hand...you just knew...instantly."
The King was giving the portrait of the Queen a lovestruck look. "Mmm, yes. The stars were brighter that night." The Queen had passed on a while back. Her husband and son really missed her, but she was well-loved by the entire kingdom.
"Dad, you found true love," Henry finished. "That's all I want."
A bugle outside suddenly sounded, a sound that made Henry excited.
"Oh! They found her!" He exclaimed, as he dashed out the room. Jaq and Necho Cat were quick to follow him.
Their tailing led them to a hallway where Lady Tremaine, Drizella, and Anastasia were taking seats, with the Grand Duke telling them, "Now, if you ladies would please have a seat, the Prince will be right with you."
All of a sudden, the doors opened to reveal an ecstatic Prince Henry, who entered the hallway with a gleeful smile on his face. Drizella had an equally excited smile on her face, and she bowed to him, "My Prince!"
But Henry's smile fell.
"Your Highness," Lady Tremained bowed to him.
"Oh, hello," Henry stuttered. "Am I in the right room? Of course, I'm in the right room. Um...well there-...There seems to be...a little mix-up here."
This was where Drizella's smile fell, as her mother spoke up, "I assure you, Your Highness, the slipper fits my daughter's foot."
"Yes!" Drizella held out her foot that wore the glass slipper. "See? See? How could you miss it?"
"Oh, yeah, I see," Henry replied. "It's just that I was expecting...well, someone else." Drizella quickly glanced at her mother. "I really do feel awful about this."
"But the royal proclamation declared-" Lady Tremaine began.
Henry cut her off, "Yes, but it would appear that, uh, more than one girl actually fits the...the slipper." He cleared his throat. "I'm very sorry to have inconvenienced you. Uh...Why don't I have the Grand Duke to escort you home safely?" He missed Drizella's whimper. "If you'll please excuse me."
Up above, Jaq and Necho Cat both shared a collective sigh of relief as Prince Henry walked towards the doors.
However, Lady Tremaine shared one last glance at Drizella before pulling out the wand she stole, "You will forget who you danced with at the ball, and marry the girl who fits the slipper...tonight. Bibbido-bobbidi-boo."
A burst of magic shot out of the wand and directly hit Henry while his back was turned. His eyes glowed a sickly green before he then turned around, his attitude having done a complete 180.
"Wait. Hold the trumpet!" He exclaimed. "It's all coming back. It is you."
Jaq gasped in surprise, while Necho Cat got ready to pounce.
Henry walked up to Drizella, "Please tell me your name."
"It's...Drizella."
Henry sighed, "Drizella...Well, I-...I know it's sudden, but," he got down on one knee and took out a small box from his back pocket and opened it, "will you marry me?"
He barely got the question out when Drizella leapt forward and snatched the ring from him, "Yes! Yippee!" She was so excited, she fell backward in her chair. She cheered until her mother cleared her throat, and Drizella immediately collected herself and calmly said, "I mean, yes. Definitely yes. I will marry you."
Lady Tremaine stepped in front of her daughter, "Excellent. The ceremony will take place tonight. I trust that meets with your approval, sire."
Henry smiled, "The sooner the better."
"Slendid," Lady Tremaine replied. "Then tonight we will have a new princess."
"Wonderful," Henry turned to leave the room. "I'll go tell my father."
As he left the room, Jaq turned to Necho Cat, both of them still hiding in the rafters, "Not good! We have to find Cinda-relly and Kai-Kai!"
All the while, Anastasia stewed in silent jealousy. Why did her mother pick Drizella over her?
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi had just chased down and defeated a nightmare that was about to sneak up on Cinderella. "You never seem to stay out of trouble, do you?" Kairi quietly asked with a smile.
"All I am doing is my job as the 'royal animal control'," Cinderella smiled back, holding up the net she borrowed from the storage closet. "Have you found him yet?"
"No," Kairi replied. "Due to the prescence of those nightmares, I have free reign all about the castle, but it's not helping. You?"
Cinderella shook her head. "I must find him. Before it's too late." Meaning, before the Prince married the wrong girl or Cinderella's heart broke beyind repair. Cinderella glanced up at Kairi, only to see the redhead staring off into space. "Kairi?" She waved a hand over the younger's face.
"He's here," Kairi whispered, nodding her head at something behind Cinderella.
The blonde turned her head and immediately gasped in excitement, before smiling. It was Prince Henry, walking down the hallway to go meet his father, the King. Just like Kairi knew, Cinderella immediately raced after him.
"Your Highness!" She exclaimed. He stopped and turned around to look at who had called out to him.
"Yes?"
"Hello," Cinderella giggled.
"Um...hello."
"It's wonderful to see you again."
"Um...I'm sorry, have we met?" Henry asked.
Cinderella appeared to have expected this. She didn't seem all that phased by such a question, "I believe we danced last night at the ball." Cinderella's grip had loosened up by this point, causing the net she was holding to fall to the floor.
Henry chuckled as they both bent over to pick it up, "Well, uh...maybe you've mistaken me for some other prince."
Cinderella was oddly calm, "I don't think so. You are quite the dancer."
The two touched the net at the same time, causing Prince Henry to trail off, "Well, it wasn't just me. I was the lady I was..." his eyes turned a sickly green, "...dancing with."
"Oh, Your Highness, you see-"
He cut her off, "As a matter of fact, I'm gonna marry her."
Cinderella was excited by this, "Marry? Really?"
"Yes! Tonight." He seemed just as excited as she was.
"Tonight?" she questioned, trying to calm her excitement after feeling Kairi send a wordless warning that it might be false hope.
"Once you dance with someone like Drizella, you don't want to waste any time."
And there it was. The bombshell that made Cinderella's heart fracture more. "D-Did you say Drizella?"
"Yes." He didn't seem to notice her joy turn into shock and sorrow.
"But..."
"Well... I guess I better be going," Henry said. "I've got to tell my father."
"But that's not right," she muttered as he turned to leave.
"I'm sorry?" He turned back to her.
Unfortunately, before Cinderella could explain, the head mistress of the castle, the one who had to be convinced with disguises in the first place, arrived on the scene. She already had a solid grip on Kairi's shoulders and she was walking towards Cinderella, "You there. Royal animal control! I need you two this..." The head mistress paused when she noticed the Prince standing there too, "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, Your Grace. I didn't realize..."
"I was the one..." Cinderella muttered, still in dhock.
"I need them both this instant! Please excuse us, Your Highness?" the head mistress said.
"Please. I'm sorry, just one moment," Cinderella pleaded.
Henry was quick to reply, "No, no, no. Of course, I can see you're busy. I'll... I'll let you go." And he turned to walk away. Seriously?! Did he really not want to hear Cinderella out?!
"But... it was me," Kairi heard Cinderella mutter as the head mistress escorted both girls away.
But the head mistress was now all-business, as she was telling both Princesses, "I want this castle completely vermin-free in time for the wedding."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Cinderella was inconsolable. She and Kairi were placed in the cellar after their unfortunate encounter with Prince Henry in order to keep an eye out for those 'vermin'.
"This is terrible," the blonde sobbed. "There's nothing I can do now. It's my worst nightmare. I worked hard to achieve my dream, only for it to break apart so easily!" Aura Lion calmly placed its head in her lap, hoping to at least calm her down. Cinderella acknowledged this gesture with a simply pat of its head.
"Cinda-relly! Kai-Kai!" came Jaq's voice from the nearest wall. The two turned to see Jaq and Necho Cat coming to a stop in front of them. "We found Princey!"
"We did too," Cinderella replied. "But he doesn't even know who I am."
"No, no, no!" Jaq replied, hurriedly. "It's a magic!"
"A what?" Kairi started, now on edge.
"Fairy Godmother's wand!" Jaq exclaimed. "Stepmother stole it! Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo! Now she's in control!"
"She used a magic spell to make him forget who you are," Kairi explained to Cinderella.
"That does explain it," Cinderella replied, "but there's nothing I can do! My stepmother's in control!" She paused. "Cruel, isn't it? All that hard work, only for it to be broken down with one simple wave of a magic wand. And now, he knows nothing about me, but I remember everything, and there's nothing I can do to fix it."
'The fact that he doesn't remember, but you do, is exactly what's causing your heart to break,' Kairi wanted to say. But she didn't. Instead, she took Cinderella's trembling hands in her own. "Don't give up yet. If it's a magic spell that took everything away, then it's a magic spell that will bring it all back. Deep down, Prince Henry's heart still remembers. He may be under a spell, but I can see him struggling to fight it. Trust me, deep emotions and connections like that don't simply fade away."
"Thank goodness I found you two. I don't know how long I've been wandering here."
"It doesn't matter, Kairi. We're just glad you're okay, and that we're all back together again."
She knew that from experience. Despite the strain her own light had placed on her due to overusing her powers, despite the fact that she forgot about them, her heart still recognized Sora and Riku both deep down. Her finally reuniting with them were what caused those memories to return.
"This isn't over yet," she finished, as she tightly clutched her wayfinder (the one with her own face on it) in her hand. "We can still fix this."
Cinderella finally smiled through her tears, "Right. We have to get that wand."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi had used the excuse of hunting down a stray nightmare in order to see if she could eavesdrop on Lady Tremaine and her daughters. Well, it wasn't an excuse; it was true. She was looking for a nightmare.
Cinderella's Nightmare, to be more precise.
She and Necho Cat were scaling the roof of the palace to get a better view of the kingdom, when an open window below them began revealing a rather interesting encounter.
"Father," it was Prince Henry, "allow me to introduce my bride-to-be, Drizella. Drizella, this is my father."
"It is an honor, Your Majesty," Drizella replied, as Kairi got a better view into the room.
"Charmed, I'm sure," the King didn't so so pleased. That gave Kairi hope. Maybe the King would see Henry and Drizella weren't a good fit and stop the wedding himself.
"So, who's up for a dance?" Henry asked. In the background, Kairi saw an small orchestra warm up.
"Oh, I don't dance much," Drizella said.
"You're too modest," Henry told her. "That's how we met, remember?"
Drizella seemed to remember the glass slipper that was still on her oversized foot. "Oh, right. I course."
"I'll never forget when I first touched," Henry took Drizella's hand, only to trail off, "...your hand."
Kairi wondered why he sounded disappointed, before remembering that earlier, he touched hands with Cinderella, and sparks seemed to fly between them instantly. Did he feel none of those sparks when he touched Drizella's hand just now?
(When was the first time she felt the sparks fly between her and Sora? She couldn't recall...)
Kairi was brought out of her reverie when the orchestra began playing a tune she felt Cinderella recognize as 'On the Beautiful Blue Danube'.
Henry and Drizella began to ballroom dance, much like how he and Cinderella did the night before, but much to Kairi's amusement, Drizella was a terrible dancer. She kept stepping on Henry's feet, and whenever she apologized, her heart was only half in it.
The dance ended in Drizella landing right on her backside after she tripped over the back hem of her dress.
Henry immediately leaned down and lent her a hand to help her up, "Are you okay?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Drizella replied. "These aren't my shoes." Truth. One of them was Cinderella's. "I mean, what am I saying? Of course they're my shoes. I'm sorry. I must be off today." She was clearly trying to salvage her and her mother's plan.
"No, no, it was my fault," the Prince. "I'm afraid I'm just not up-to-date on the latest dance steps."
The Duke approached the two and cleared his throat, "If I may interrupt, you two, it is time for your fittings."
"Right! My dress!" Drizella exclaimed.
"Yes, now come along," the Duke said, as he escorted the two out of the room.
The King entered the frame Kairi was observing and addressed Lady Tremaine, "Perhaps, you would like to join them, to ensure that everything is perfect for your daughter. I must talk to your other daughter alone."
It was then that Kairi noticed Anastasia. She looked rather green with envy, but what surprised Kairi was the unshed tears in those eyes. She seemed to be suffering in a way that no one else noticed or cared about.
Fortunately, Lady Tremaine left the room to follow a hyper and excited Drizella. However, Henry walked alongside the Duke. As he exited the room, Kairi heard the following whispered exchange, "It's quite alright, sire. I'll have a dozen dance instructors sent in immediately."
"Something's wrong."
The Duke gasped, "An army of dance instructors."
"No, no," Henry was quick to say. "I thought...I sure sure it was Drizella last night, but...well, just now when I touched her hand, I felt...nothing."
Kairi didn't hear any more of this conversation, because the doors then closed behind them. It was short, but it made Kairi wonder if what just happened would stick to the Prince's mind.
Now, it was just Anastasia and the King alone in the room. Kairi knew she had to keep an eye on Prince Henry, but something told her to stay and listen to this.
"I can explain everything, Your Majesty," Anastasia began. "My sister has this, um, this inner ear thing, and-"
The King cut her off, "I do not wish to talk about your sister. I wish to talk about you."
"Me?" Anastasia asked. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'm a terrible dancer. My sister's the one who's good at everything. There's nothing interesting about me."
"It's alright," the King was kind and gentle, surprisingly. "You remind me of me queen. She was a terrible dancer as well. She trod on my feet all the time, but she took very good care of my heart." He chuckled, before sobering up, his gentle smile remaining. "Do you really believe you're not good at anything?"
"That's what my mother says," Anastasia solemnly replied, and Kairi beleived her. It wasn't Anastasia's heart she was in (it was Cinderella's), and thus it wasn't her emotions Kairi could sense. But there was something in Anastasia's voice that made Kairi feel sympathy for her.
Lady Tremaine was a terrible mother, and not just to Cinderella and Anastasia. Drizella too. If Lady Tremaine truly cared about her so-called 'favorite daughter', then she wouldn't be playing Drizella up like a pawn the way she currently was.
"Everyone deserves love," the King replied. "And if not romantic, then at least platonic." Kairi agreed with this, one hundred percent. "Come outside, on the balcony. I wish to show you something I do not wish to show anyone else."
Kairi readjusted her position to ensure she was completely hidden by shrubs and trees as she saw the two head out onto the balcony. Now that they were outside, and she wasn't just listened through an open window, Kairi could hear them a lot better.
"A princess is bestowed with many riches," the King said, holding a golden heart-shaped box in his hand. "Land, jewels, horses. But today I wish to give you something much more valuable."
He opened the box to reveal something that Anastasia seemed disappointed in receiving.
A seashell?
"What is this?" a black-haired girl asked as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a seashell she picked up earlier.
"That's a thalassa shell," Kairi replied. "They're incredibly rare."
"It's beautiful," the black-haired mirror of herself replied.
Kairi smiled. It was rare that she met someone with as much interest in seashells as her.
Kairi wasn't aware of her sudden headache until Necho Cat brought her back to reality with a simple pawing at her knee. Who was that? Why could she remember that girl's face? Or name for that matter?
Necho Cat nodded its head back to the conversation they were eavesdropping on.
"Oh. Isn't it lovely?" the King seemed very smitten with shell.
"A seashell?" Anastasia asked.
"This shell was the Queen's most treasured possession," the King explained. "We found it while walking by the water the day we met. You see, we reached for it at the same moment, and when our hands touched..." He chuckled, "Well, that's when I knew I had found true love."
Anastasia smiled, seemingly realizing that she too shared the same sentiment to such an object, "You knew that just by touching her hand?"
"There's no powerful force in the world than true love," the King said, as he placed the shell in her hands.
"Y-You're giving it to me?" Anastasia stuttered, seemingly surprised that the King would give such a gift to her of all people. Which made sense. She was just the sister of the bride, the one no one cared about.
"Yes," the King explained. "You need it so much more than I. I only ask that once you do find true love, then you will pass it on to someone else who is having the same troubles as you are now."
Anastasia's smile grew wider and warmer, "I will, Your Majesty. Thank you."
The King then cleared his throat, "Remember, do not tell anyone I gave you that, and do not show anyone, least of all your sister and mother. Now, run along."
Anastasia smiled, before clutching the shell to her chest and walking towards the doors to the hallway outside.
Kairi also smiled, though still in hiding. She felt optimistic about this. Not only was the Prince at least vaguely aware that Drizella wasn't the girl for him, but Anastasia, Kairi felt, was on the path toward the light.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi was interrupted from her recon mission by the arrival of a new herd of nightmares. The timing couldn't have been any worse, because in that moment, Cinderella and Jaq were making their attempt to sneak into the Tremaines' room and steal the wand. However, once she heard smashing and yelling, fearing for Cinderella's safety, Kairi urged Necho Cat and Aura Lion to ignore her and the nightmares and protect Cinderella.
Soon after, she heard Aura Lion roar and Necho Cat hiss, and then scampering down the hall, with Jaq yelling, "Hurry, hurry!" She then saw two flashes of light shine down the hallway, just out of sight, indicating the Necho Cat had just used Thundaga and Aura Lion just used Firaga.
Kairi defeated the last nightmare, before rushing over to see what was going on, only to be met by Jaq running down the hall, the wand in his tiny hands and Cinderella, Necho Cat, and Aura Lion right behind him. "Other way, Kai-Kai! The guards are chasing us!"
"Hurry! After her!" Lady Tremaine was yelling. "That servant girl is a thief!"
Seeing guards come into view, Kairi chose to turn tail and run, leading the group back to the main staircase, the area she was just in. After closing the doors behind them, Kairi immediately locked them with her Keyblade.
Cinderella came to a stop just as the Prince appeared at the top of the stairwell.
Before Cinderella could respond, Jaq tossed her the wand. Cinderella barely managed to catch it, but she wasted no time, "Lift the spell. Let him remember. Bibbidi-bobbidi-" She was cut off by the doors being smashed open by the guards, who immediately restrained her. Lady Tremaine came out of nowhere, then, and took back the wand, "No!"
"What's going on?" Henry asked, confused, as he ran down the stairs to where Cinderella was.
Lady Tremaine said, "My apologizes. It's a problem with my maid."
"It's under control, Sire," one of the guards said.
"Are you okay?" Henry asked Cinderella.
"This servant girl is a thief," a guard replied.
"I am not a thief!" Cinderella exclaimed, pleading with her love to believe her. "You're under a spell! That's why you don't remember me! Please! You have to listen!" She reached her hand out to him, and it briefly made contact with his before the guards pulled her away. "Let go!"
Lady Tremaine tsked, "Poor child. Obviously out of her mind."
Kairi couldn't take her eyes off the old lady. There was a strange darkness radiating from her. Not the kind that indicated darkness hiding within someone's heart, like Riku, but rather the kind that suggested that the person were not who they said they were.
"I hope she'll be alright," Henry said as the guards began taking Cinderella away. "She seemed, you know, nice when I met her. Well, maybe a little confused, but still, there's something about her..."
Kairi had a feeling that he was talking about when they touched hands just now.
"Oh, don't trouble yourself, Your Highness," Lady Tremaine replied. "I'll see to it, personally, that she gets all the help she needs."
As Kairi could only watch Cinderella get dragged away, Drizella suddenly arrived in the room and called out to the blonde, "Nice try, but we won!" She then cackled.
"You won?" Henry asked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Drizella immediately scrambled to cover up her slip-up, "Uh, well, nothing! I, um..."
Henry seemed to choose to ignore that and turned to Lady Tremaine, "You'll see she's taken care of?"
"Personally, Your Highness," Lady Tremaine replied, before ordering the guards, "Put her on the next ship leaving the kingdom! I want her banished forever!" She then leaned in to Drizella and whispered, "And you. Keep your mouth shut or you're next." Drizella's face radiated fear.
Kairi couldn't take this anymore. She surprised everyone in the room by suddenly shouting, "No!" She then pointed her Keyblade at Cinderella and cast Protega, but she also felt herself cast Faith too.
The bright flash of light this caused made for an excellent escape.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
In Cinderella's old chateau, another flash of light appeared, and when it faded, Kairi and Cinderella stood there, along with Necho Cat, Aura Lion, and Jaq. The redhead breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she realized that no one else had telported with them.
"Thank you, Kairi," Cinderella finally spoke and broke through the silence.
"You're welcome," Kairi muttered. "But how did I do that?"
"Do what?" the blonde asked.
"Combine two separate magic spells into one," Kairi explained. "That was Protega for sure, but I also cast Faith at the same time, without meaning to."
Cinderella softly smiled, "I remember being saved by a blue-haired woman that was an expert at magic. Perhaps you could ask her."
Kairi remembered seeing a glimpse of a blue-haired woman wandering the Realm of Darkness. Was she the same person who saved Cinderella?
"Perhaps," Kairi replied, her thoughts causing her to be a million miles away. She then shook her head, "Anyways, we should be safe here for the time being. Necho Cat, Aura Lion, keep a close eye on the perimeter. If any guards find this house, make no sign that anybody lives here."
The two Dream Eaters nodded, as Cinderella sighed, before she said, "Thank you for all your help, Kairi, really, but I'm tired of hiding."
Kairi knew that. Like with Snow White and Aurora before, she could never fully understand the trauma Cinderella went through. Kairi could never fully comprehend one of her parents marrying someone secretly awful and then being treated like a slave once that parent died.
"I-I know," Kairi attempted. "But you've been exiled. Listen, there's a Nightmare out there, the boss and one that's connected to you. If I can find it and destroy it, then everything will go back to normal."
"We can't go back to normal, Kairi. Not anymore," came Cinderella's solemn voice. "My heart is broken beyond repair now. I can feel it, and so can you."
Kairi's hopeful expression fell. Cinderella was right. The cracks in her heart were too severe to fix now. The attempt to steal the wand, and almost succeeding, only to have it ripped away, was the last straw for her.
The sky was still filled with the setting sun, but the world suddenly went dark as a bright light began to shine from Cinderella's chest. Her hands cupped the light that emerged from her. Kairi watched as, like Snow White and Aurora before her, the light formulated into a flower petal.
It was her X-Blade fragment.
"C-Cin-..."
The elder of the two cut her off, "This is my choice, Kairi. I'm not giving up yet, but I understand the dangers of this fragment falling into the wrong hands. We can't let that happen. I know you understand."
"I do," Kairi said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She then nodded, before taking the X-Blade fragment and accepting it into her own heart. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Believe me, I don't like this either. I hate it, actually," Cinderella replied. "But the fact that you have, not one, but now four, fragments within you tells me, not that the others chose to give up, but rather that the danger is more severe that I initially thought."
"You still wish to regain your happy ending?" Kairi asked after a pause.
"Of course," Cinderella was determined. "I'm not letting you leave until then."
"I don't plan to leave until then," Kairi smiled back.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Kairi was proud of Cinderella. Sad that she gave up her X-Blade fragment, but proud because she chose to fight back instead of giving up after almost succeeding. Cinderella had formulated a plan, and Kairi was the linchpin. She was the most powerful of the five, after all.
(Which wasn't saying much, but there were bigger issues right now.)
Now, here she was hiding outside Henry's room, waiting for him to enter. Eventually, his door did open and in stepped Henry himself, who was muttering, "Something's not right..." Kairi waited a few more seconds to see if anyone else came in after him, but no one did. Henry closed the doors behind him.
She waited until he was on his balcony to make her move.
"I know I said 'the girl who fits the glass slipper', but I wanted it to be about the girl, not the slipper," Henry groaned. "I should have gone with the Duke."
"I doubt that would've made a difference," Kairi finally spoke up, catching the Prince off-guard. "Lady Tremaine is a crafty old lady."
Henry nearly jumped out of his skin, but he calmed down when he laid eyes on Kairi. "Oh, it's you. The servant girl's friend. Tell me, is she alright?"
Kairi lowered her eyes, putting on a cold front in order to pretend like she hated him now, "Physically, she's fine. Mentally is a different story."
"She told me I was under a spell-" Henry began.
Kairi quickly cut him off, "She's not crazy, just heartbroken. You are under a spell, one that Lady Tremaine placed on you to think that Drizella was the one you danced with last night."
"She placed a spell over me?!" Henry seemed confused. Kairi couldn't blame him.
"Yes, using a wand she stole," Kairi explained. "Maybe she and her daughters are good people deep down," though she highly doubted that, aside from Anastasia, "but right now, they are fueled by the desire to make the servant girl's life a living hell. Lady Tremaine used the wand to rewind time. She knows whom that glass slipper really belongs to. I'd say ask her, but she'd only lie."
Henry glanced over at her, "You seem to know an awful lot."
"I know a lot more than you," she calmly fired back. It was true. He thought this was real life, but Kairi knew this was all just taking place in Cinderella's heart, that this was all a product of the nightmare Cinderella had been subjected to.
"I'm aware," Henry was just as calm. "That's why I'm asking you all these questions. So if Drizella wasn't who I danced with at the ball last night, then...who was?"
"The servant girl," Kairi said. This was it. It was time to break that spell over him.
Henry blinked. "What? It was her?" He didn't seem to believe her.
At least until Kairi reached into her back pocket and unwrapped a hankerchief to reveal the repaired glass slipper, the one Cinderella had but was shattered.
"I know it sounds crazy," Kairi leaned forward after Henry took the repaired slipper in shaking hands. "But humor me for a minute. When you touched Drizella's hand earlier, did you feel any sparks?"
"...No..."
Kairi barely managed to squash her urge to smile at that, "When you touched the servant girl's hand earlier, did you feel any sparks from her?"
"...Yes," Henry seemed to be coming to a realization. "I did. They were the same sparks I felt when dancing with that girl last night. The two of us had such chemistry that..."
He trailed off, and she became concerned, "That what?"
"That I didn't want the night to end." Kairi smiled when he said this. "You must be telling the truth, because my heart confirms it...but my memories are saying something entirely different."
"That's the spell," Kairi reminded him, before pausing. She needed to find some way to break it.
A knock suddenly came at the door. While Kairi buried herself deeper in the bushes and trees outside the balcony, Henry turned to face the door and straightened himself up before replying, "Come on."
Kairi couldn't see who had come in, but she could hear them.
"Oh, hello. Anastasia, right?" Henry asked, trying his best to be polite. Anastasia must've nodded, because Henry continued, "I'm rather busy. What can I do for you?"
"Return his memories to their rightful place," Anastasia softly said. "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo." Kairi saw a faint white light, and she slipped out of her hiding place to see if what she heard was correct.
The sight that greeted her was a surprising, but welcome one. Only Anastasia, Henry, and now Kairi herself was in the room, and in Anastasia's hand was the wand her mother had stolen.
"Did you just-?" Kairi cut herself off, as a guilty-looking Anastasia nodded. She just lifted the spell her mother had placed over Henry. "Why?"
"Because what we were doing is wrong," Anastasia's voice was soft. "Mother and Drizella don't see it that way, because in their minds, the end justifies the means. But I know it's wrong. After seeing Cinderella almost succeeding, only for it to be ripped away from her...well, it made me realize that our treatment of her is wrong too. She's our step-sister. We're supposed to be her family, but...well, we just turned her into our glorified slave instead. I'm sorry, Your Highness, for all the trouble we've caused. And you," she turned to Kairi, "do you know where Cinderella is now?"
It was a question asked because the one asking wanted to apologize, but Kairi immediately, and sternly, replied, "That secret stays with me." After realizing how mean she must've sounded, Kairi then softened her voice, "But once all this is over, I'll take her to you."
Anastasia was disappointed, but she nodded anyways.
Kairi continued, "However, before anything else happens, I need you to give that wand to me."
Anastasia paused, recalling what kind of power the wand held. But in Kairi's mind, this would solidify if Anastasia really did have a change of heart or if she had her own selfish motives behind this.
"B-But this..." Anastasia stuttered, "this has the power to make someone love me..."
"Magic cannot create love," Kairi softly told her. "Only a connection with another person can do that." Anastasia seemed to have a realization, and Kairi knew she was remembering the King's seashell.
"She's right, you know," Henry added, his voice just as soft. "Don't rely on magic to do everything. Just be yourself."
Anastasia seemed a million miles away, "Your father said...that everyone deserves love..."
"I know," Henry replied. "That was something my mother taught everyone, not just him and me."
Anastasia's expression eased up, and, no longer tense, she gave up the wand to Kairi. Kairi took it and sheathed it like she would a Keyblade.
"You made the right choice," Kairi finally smiled. All of a sudden, Aura Lion poofed into existence and rushed over to its Keyblade wielder. Kairi was quiet as it bounded, its own way of speaking. Kairi was alarmed by the news, "What?! The Nightmare caught Cinderella?!"
"'Nightmare'?" Henry repeated, concerned.
"A creature of darkness," Kairi explained, "like the ones invading the castle earlier, only this one is a lot bigger, tougher, and meaner. Cinderella's in real danger with this one. She's it's primary target."
"Then, let's go," Henry said. He quickly turned to Anastasia, "You stay here."
Henry and Kairi ran out of the room, with Henry grabbing a sword from an empty suit of armor on the way and Aura Lion right on their heels.
"Son, where are you going?!" the King asked as the two encountered him on the stairs.
Now at a dead stop, Henry was in a hurry, "Sorry, but I have to go."
"But you're about to be married!"
"She's the wrong girl, Dad!" Henry said. He leaned over to Kairi and whispered, "What's your name?"
"Kairi."
"Kairi here says so!"
"She's been exiled, remember?" the King shot back. "She's the one who let that thief escape!"
"Cinderella is no thief!" Kairi told him, her voice hard and desperate. "All she's trying to do is take back what rightfully belongs to her. We'll explain everything later, we promise, but right now, she's in danger and we have to save her."
"Son, you agreed to marry the girl in the glass slipper! I was completely with you on that one! But this is just ridiculous!" the King sputtered. "I forbid both of you from taking another step down these stairs!"
Henry and Kairi glanced at each other, both seeing the nearby window and getting the same idea. They turned back to the King, and Henry said a simple, "Okay," before they and Aura Lion jumped out of the said window.
"Son?!" the King was calling out to them as the two rode into the forest on Aura Lion.
Interestingly, though, the guards didn't chase them.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The Step Cat Nightmare was, like Kairi expected, Cinderella's personal nightmare. It had the appearance of a large cat with cruel red eyes and the markings of any other ordinary nightmare, with its tail constantly on fire.
It was holding Cinderella in its paw, holding her hostage and walking back toward the castle, with Jaq and an injured Necho Cat trying their best to get her back, but failing. The Nightmare was too powerful for them.
Aura Lion clawed at the paw holding Cinderella, and the pain caused by this forced the Nightmare to drop her. Fortunately, before she hit the ground, Henry managed to catch her. The two shared a lovestruck glance before Kairi stepped in front of them, her Keyblade in hand.
"Save it for somewhere safer, at least," She told them before handing them the injured Necho Cat. "Look after them for me. Aura Lion, let's go!"
The following fight forced Kairi to practice and quickly master to sliding. The Nightmare loved to pounce, and it was rather quick on its feet. She also discovered something interesting about its nature, something she chose not to share until this fight was over.
However, midway through the fight, Cinderella had joined in with Henry's sword. Kairi was concerned, but she didn't protest, knowing that Cinderella didn't want to hide anymore. It was interesting, Kairi thought, that while Snow was quick on her feet and Aurora's hits were powerful, but Cinderella excelled in something entirely different.
Magic.
She used Protera to block attacks and her elemental spells were all at the second tier, despite not using them until now.
Kairi and Cinderella's combined Faith attack was what finished the Nightmare off.
Once the fight was done, Kairi turned to the elder, "That was some impressive magic."
"Thank you," Cinderella replied. "And I'm sorry for the trouble. It came out of nowhere."
"Actually, it just felt like that," Kairi revealed, remembering what she had observed during the fight. "It was with you the entire time."
"What?" Cinderella was surprised.
"Lady Tremaine was the Step Cat Nightmare in disguise," Kairi explained. "And as your own personal nightmare, it makes sense that it would follow you. Lady Tremaine is your stepmother, not a stranger to you, and it needed to be in the most ideal position in order to break you. Combine them together, and...it's practically a recipe for success."
Cinderella lowered her eyes as she digested that, until Henry cleared his throat, "Um, you are...Cinderella, yes?" He carefully handed the wounded Necho Cat to Kairi, who took it in her arms.
Blue eyes met brown. "Yes, that's me." She held out the sword she borrowed from him. "I believe this is yours."
He took the sword back but put it down on the ground, "Are you alright?"
She nodded, "Yes. Do you...remember me?"
"Yes," he replied, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I remember everything."
The two joined hands, and Kairi felt like an awkward third wheel as she stood there off to the side, healing Necho Cat with her light. But they weren't bothered by her prescence, as it was clear they were lost in their own little world. And Kairi decided to give that to them.
It was Cinderella's happy ending, after all.
"Will you marry me, Cinderella?" Henry softly asked.
The blonde Princess of Heart smiled happily and brightly for the first time since this nightmare first began. "Yes."
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
As promised, once the Nightmare was defeated, Kairi took Cinderella and Henry back to the castle, explaining Anastasia's sudden redemption on the way.
Cinderella chose to forgive Anastasia, and the two used the wand Kairi gave Cinderella to free the Fairy Godmother from her statue state together.
Once free, the Fairy Godmother was grateful, "Oh, goodness. I certainly am stiff." As Cinderella handed the wand back to its rightful owner, and as Drizella was dragged to the dungeon, Anastasia went up to the King and held out the seashell she gave him earlier.
"Your Majesty, I don't deserve this."
He was surprised, but he refused to take the shell back, "I gave it to you for a reason, and I mean it. Everyone deserves love."
Anastasia smiled and she clutched the shell close to her chest.
The commotion allowed Kairi to slip away unnoticed, seeing that Cinderella was at peace now, but the Fairy Godmother stopped her before she could go anywhere. However, no one seemed to notice the two off to the side.
"Be careful, dear," the Fairy Godmother warned her. "All seven Princesses are in grave danger. Three of them have already given up their most valuable treasures," she was referring to the X-Blade fragments, "and now four remain."
The Fairy Godmother was not a product of Cinderella's heart, Kairi realized. She was the real deal.
But Kairi couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Four?"
"The same may happen to you, dear," the Fairy Godmother reminded her. "Take caution so that it doesn't."
Kairi could only nod, speechless because that had completely slipped her mind.
The Fairy Godmother faded away in a shower of sparkles, and Kairi pointed Stroke of Midnight at the sky, where a bright lock appeared. A light shot from the tip of her Keyblade and straight at the lock, engulfing it in light.
Again, hopefully, this would allow Cinderella to hold on for a little bit longer.
The sky was still dark, and the moment Kairi left, the entire world went black.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Destiny Islands, 10 Years Ago~
It was two weeks (and one crash course about life on the Islands) later before Kairi felt courageous enough to return to the play island, where she first crashed.
When she said this, she swore it was like music to Sora's ears, because he immediately jumped up and said that was good, because there was something on the island that he and Riku wanted to show her.
Now, here they were, approaching what Sora said was their destination: a cave. Kairi seemed unsure, because she felt that there was something in that cave that she felt needed to be avoided.
"Sora, are you sure about this?" Riku was asking Sora. "It's our secret hideout."
His voice was quiet, but Kairi heard it anyways. His words and the fact that he wasn't intending kairi to hear this brought a twinge of pain to Kairi's heart. It was just a reminder that she was probably driving a wedge between Sora and Riku. That's not what she wanted.
Sora's grip on Kairi's hand tightened, feeling protective. Kairi felt what she recognized nine years later as sparks flying. She had to fight to contain the blush this little gesture caused.
"Calm down, Riku," Sora whispered back, seemingly forgetting that he was currently holding her hand. "She's our friend now. It's only right. No secrets, remember?"
They had a conversation about it apparently. Sora urging Riku to 'remember' told Kairi that Riku agreed earlier but was currently having second thoughts.
Which he got over, judging by how Riku then sighed softly, "Right. No secrets." He then turned to their new third. "Kairi, this is the Secret Place, mine and Sora's special hideout. No one else knows this cave exists except for us...and now you."
"Keep it a secret, okay?" Sora added, with a smile.
Kairi nodded, before following them inside, albeit reluctantly. That feeling from before was still persisting.
The first thing she noticed, despite all the cool drawings on the walls (most likely done by Sora and Riku), was the door smack dab in the middle of the farthest wall. It was wooden, with a lock in the center, but it was dark and forboding.
"W-What is that?" she asked. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.
Both boys turned around to follow her gaze. Once they saw what she was looking at, they turned back to her.
"Oh, we don't know," Riku replied. He seemed to understand her hesitation in trusting the door.
But Sora didn't. He seemed to be too innocent, "And we probably never will. It's locked."
"I don't like it," Kairi muttered. She couldn't ignore the bad feeling she got when looking at that door.
However, neither Sora nor Riku heard her. Instead, they instead asked her something completely different and mood-changing.
"Have you ever played on the beach?" Sora asked.
"...What's a 'beach'?" It was honest curiosity, as she remember if wherever she was from had beaches or not.
Sora and Riku shared a quick glance, before turning to her with smiles. "C'mon, we'll show you," Riku said. "Follow us."
She did, and they led her out of the cave and all the way to where the ocean met the sand.
This was the beach? She had seen it so many times before. She lived on an island now, for destiny's sake! She had crashed right here!
"Well?" Sora asked, bringing her back to reality.
She felt a smile come to her face, "I love it." It was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen, and ever would. It was the one place where the sky, the land, and the sea all met, the one place where you could forget all your troubles and just be the kids you were.
For the first time since she arrived here, Kairi finally felt like she belonged.
Sora and Riku both smiled at her words, apparently glad to hear her say this. "We knew you'd like it," Riku said.
"Water fight?" Sora asked them both, an excited grin across his face.
Riku waited for Kairi to nod before replying, "Let's do it!"
The three all left their shoes behind on the dry sand before running straight into the water. It was the first time Kairi ever remembered having fun, or had ever felt like the child she was. She couldn't remember where she came from, but that was okay, because she knew where she was now, and she felt safe here.
Sora's dad arrived on a boat to fetch his son a couple hours later. It was time for Sora to do his daily chores apparently, which was no big deal. It was a normal occurance, according to Riku, and Kairi found this to be the case, as it wouldn't be the last time.
Kairi, however, did find this a big deal. Because it meant she and Riku were now alone on the island.
The two were sitting on the beach, letting their feet dry with the help of the sun in the sky.
"I'm glad you had fun," Riku said, when he noticed Kairi staying silent.
Kairi's smile was soft, "Me too. Will we...get to do that again?"
"Of course," he answered. "The beach is a public place and it's practically summer all the time here. We can do it again whenever."
Kairi eased up a bit, "That's good. Thank you for showing it to me...and your secret hideout. I know it was a big deal for you guys. Showing me something that special, I mean." She meant this. She appreciated their kindness.
She realized earlier that, while Sora was easy to befriend, thanks to his outgoing and extroverted nature, befriending Riku was going to be more of a challenge, due to his mature and introverted personality. She'd have to do so when Sora wasn't around. This moment here, with just her and Riku on the play island, was the perfect chance.
Riku was the one who justifiably got an adult when he and Sora found her that night, and according to Sora, Riku was also the one who suggested that they befriend Kairi upon seeing that she could use some company. He was a good person, but he scared her, because he and Sora were already friends before meeting Kairi. And while Sora didn't seem to mind, she didn't know if Riku felt the same way.
"You're welcome," he replied. "You're our friend now, so it's only fair."
Her voice was quiet and her smile was gone as she asked him, "It's...hard for you to make friends...isn't it?"
He paused, making her fear that she had said something wrong until he finally answered, just as quiet, "Yeah. Sora and I are polar opposites. He's like the sun."
"He is, isn't he?" Kairi couldn't help but giggle.
"Yeah, and I'm not," Riku replied, and Kairi could see the ghost of a smile on his face. He then turned to her, "Listen, I know you feel like you're forcing me and Sora apart. And trust me, I get why. I mean, Sora and I have been friends since our diaper days. Our parents were friends way back in high school, and on these islands, friendships like that last a lifetime. Sora's my brother." Her smile returned at that, but she remained silent. "But nothing could ever ruin the connection we have. You're not ruining anything, Kairi. You're changing things, yes, but I feel the same way about Sora as I always have. A younger brother who still has some growing up to do."
"But you can't expect things to stay the same," Kairi began, but she trailed off, not sure how to word her feelings.
"I'm not expecting things to stay the same," Riku told her. "Like I said, you're definitely shaking up the status quo. We don't normally get newcomers. Then there's the fact that you came here by a meteor shower. Then there's your not-tanned skin and unusual eyes and hair. Then there's your memory problem-"
Kairi cut him off, hanging her head, "I get it. I'm different. There's no need to tell me."
If Riku didn't at least suspect that she was insecure about being the newcomer before this, he definitely knew now. He was quiet as he told her, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't know it was a sore subject." He did now. He continued on his original track, "Anyways, you may be changing some things, but mine and Sora's friendship isn't one of them. Bonds don't magically disappear just because a new friend joins the group. They can change, but they don't just go away. I don't regret becoming your friend, Kairi. At all. Actually, I feel better with you around."
A light blush crossed her face, "R-Really?"
"Yeah," Riku explained. "Maybe Sora won't get into as much trouble if you're keeping an eye on him too. Especially since I'm a year older and grade above both of you, so I won't be there all the time."
Kairi smiled at him, "You can count on me. However, it's only fair that I keep an eye on you too."
"Me? But I'm not a troublemaker," Riku asked, before realizing what she just did. Her first use of sarcasm. "Oh, I see what you did there." She just offered him an angelic smile, one that said 'What? I'm innocent'. He just smirked, "Cheeky, huh? You're fun."
The two shared a liberating laugh, before a wave crashed against Kairi's toes. Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal, as the waves were bathing her feet before this. But this wave had brought something to her. When that something hit her pinky toe, Kairi reached down and picked it up.
"What is this?" She asked. It was small, with blue and sandy yellow on one side, and pink and the same sandy yellow on the other.
"A seashell. They're quite common considering we're at a beach," Riku answered, before noticing what kind of shell she was holding. "Oh, that's a thalassa shell," Riku explained. "I've never actually seen one of those in person. They're very rare."
"It's beautiful," Kairi said. "Am I allowed to keep it?"
"If you want."
And that's how Kairi began her seashell-collecting hobby.
A couple hours later, the sun was starting to set, meaning it was time to go back to the main island and home for dinner. As they were on the dock waiting for Riku's dad to take them back, with her thalassa shell in her hand, she asked him one more question, "Riku? You and Sora love to fight with wooden swords, right?"
"Yeah," he answered. "We find it fun. Why?"
"You think you could teach me how?" She had to learn. She couldn't get rid of the feeling she had when seeing that door earlier. She felt the same thing before, but she couldn't remember what had happened. She just knew it was something bad.
"Teach you how to sword-fight?" Riku asked, definitely trying to make sure he heard her right.
"Yes," she nodded. When he didn't answer her, she cocked an eyebrow, "What? Afraid I'll beat you?"
Riku's response was a smile and, "I knew I'd like you. We'll start teaching you tomorrow."
She could swear that her smile at this almost blinded him.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Mysterious Tower~
By this time, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Lea had returned to the Mysterious Tower.
"Seven lights, thirteen Darknesses," Yen Sid pondered over what he was just told. "Master Xehanort has been busy."
Lea leaned against a shelf as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy surrounded a comatose Sora. Shion, meanwhile, had not left the tower, instead remaining by Kairi's side.
"He said he succeeded in extracting one of the three hearts within Sora. He called them 'Vanitas'," Riku recalled. "And he mentioned the seven Princesses of Heart being too powerful. How's Kairi doing?" He asked Yen Sid.
He had told Riku her exam's goal changing, and remembering what Xehanort had just told them, Riku was concerned about her. Had she been in danger this whole time? Or had the darkness not yet touched her?
"While understandably surrounded by darkness," Yen Sid replied, calmly, "she is holding her own rather well, and is, in fact, succeeding in her mission. At least, so far. Right now, Sora is the one in immediate danger."
"Aw, Sora," Mickey muttered as he and the others sadly watched over Sora. "Don't tell me your heart's sleeping, too."
"No, Mickey," Yen Sid told him. "This affliction is not the same."
The group looked back to him, who was sitting in his chair, his back to them.
"Can we do anything for him?" Riku asked, tightly clutching his wayfinder.
"In your Mark of Mastery exam, you were to unlock seven Sleeping Keyholes," Yen Sid said. "By doing so, you would awaken those worlds from their prison of slumber, and also acquire the power to free a heart from its sleep. Riku, you unlocked those Keyholes within Sora's dreams. Therefore, it stands to reason that you now have the power to awaken Sora's heart."
Mickey seemed concerned when he heard this, "You want him to dive back into Sora's sleep? But Master, Sora's heart is down in the darkest abyss. If Riku's not careful, he might just get trapped down there with him. No... I'll go instead."
Yen Sid stood up from his chair and walked over to them, "And perhaps you may even succeed, Mickey. But there is no denying Riku stands the better chance, having dived into Sora's heart as long as he has."
Mickey contemplated this, unable to deny the truth in this, as Donald and Goofy looked worried. Riku looked at Sora and smiled.
"Mickey, I really appreciate it. But...I'll go wake Sora up."
"Riku..." Mickey muttered in surprise.
Riku turned back to a sleeping Sora, "Look at his face. Sleeping like nothing's wrong, like there's nothing to even worry about. He's always been like that. The three of us would agree to work on the raft, and then this guy would go and take a nap on the beach. You see, it's my job to keep him on his toes. Besides, what kind of Keyblade Master sleeps through his test?" Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Shion all smiled at this. "I'm doing it for me, too. Sora saved me once. And...I heard him call my name. He was calling for me and Kairi both. He needs us."
"But Kairi's still-" Shion began. She was going to say that Kairi's still in the middle of her exam.
Riku sent the little girl a gentle smile, "I know, but I also know that Kairi's always with him." He held up the wayfinder Kairi made for him. "She made these for a reason." He then leaned over and connected the hands of his two friends.
That way, if Kairi was too preoccupied to send her light, then Sora would feel better nonetheless. He always liked holding her hand.
"There's something real strong that binds us to each other," Mickey said. "Even in the darkness, you can reach him. All you gotta do is follow that connection!"
"Gee, we're all connected to Sora," Goofy added.
"You said it!" Donald agreed.
'The Key that Connects Everything'. That was Sora's official title.
"And if the darkness gets ya," Lea vowed, "I promise I'll bail you out. 'Dark Rescue' is my middle name."
Riku stood up, "Guys, thank you. Lea, watch over Kairi. Sora and I will be back soon."
Lea saluted him, as Riku bowed to Master Yen Sid. He then summoned his new Keyblade, Way to the Dawn, and let his light resonate with Sora's body. This allowed a Portal to open, a way to the dark recesses of Sora's heart.
Everyone else could only watch as Riku entered the Portal with only one thought on his mind.
He wasn't afraid of the Darkness anymore. It was initially given to him to destroy worlds, but he couldn't do that. But he could use them for a purpose he's always had, from the moment he first learned to walk.
His powers, from now on, were solely for protecting Sora and Kairi.
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: Like with the previous two chapters, the first scene sets up the themes for the rest of the chapter. The stepsisters are jealous of Cinderella and want what she has, to the point where they're willing to rewind time and make it so her happy ending never happens, with Lady Tremaine (Cinderella's Nightmare in disguise) being the one who sets everything into motion. Then, we have Anastasia seeming to be the unfavorite of her mother, as well as different from both her mother and sister. Lastly, we have the fact that, from Cinderella's perspective, everything happens completely out of nowhere, despite her Nightmare taking the face of someone she knows.
Kairi remembering Xion and Aqua (though separately) will have impacts later, I promise. The "don't take another step down these stairs" and "okay" moment was something I had to leave in; it's too good a moment not to. Also, I love that the ending theme for Cinderella III ("I Still Believe") is sung by Kairi's original voice actress, Hayden Panettiere (who still voices her in this AU, by the way). It's about romantic love, but I can easily see Kairi herself singing it.
Again, the Stroke to Midnight keyblade is the final upgrade from X/Union X. Cinderella's fighting style is like Aqua's, a nod that's even lampshaded in the chapter at one point. The "Protega and Faith" spell Kairi used, I imagine, is her final upgrade for "Starcracker" (the canon version now).
The constant connections back to Sora and Riku are on purpose. Remember, these and the ending memories are all building up to Kairi's story near the end. Showing Kairi the Secret Place was a flashback I showed way back in Chapter 2 (KH1, Part 1), this time with more details because it's currently in Kairi's POV, while them playing in the water afterwards is a shot from the opening cinematic of A Fragmentary Passage.
Where we are in the timeline: obviously when Riku dives into Sora's heart to wake him up. And yes, this is when he receives his Way to the Dawn keyblade. Also, Vanitas being in Sora's heart was a small change that I'll come back to later in KH3.
Note: While I am a big fan of Kingdom Hearts, I am still prone to getting the lore wrong at times. 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 (but this point is where I'm starting to go my own direction). 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 I have collages for Naminé, Xion, and my OC now as well. 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 the fourth world, Wonderland, where the Princess there has grown up and can't remember what made her special.