The Basics: Okay, so… Here's the deal. The end of Kingdom Hearts II basically spurred me on to start dreaming up ideas about this fic. Cuz I mean, anything could happen after THAT, yeah? Plus, I got to thinking about the small part Kairi really played in the games. Other than being one of the seven Princesses, a password, and Sora's love interest. Well, I figured she should have her own story. And I don't like her and Sora as a pairing, so there. :P She'll be paired up with an OC in this fic, and at one point you'll get to decide who (to a point. I may just pick myself. S'my fic. Haha) Anyways, this is the first fanfic I've authored for and I hope you enjoy it.

Summary: A year has passed since the defeat of Xemnas and all is well and peaceful on Destiny Islands. But poor Kairi is bored and longing for adventures of her own. So when creatures called the Imagi, born of Dreams, begin to threaten the safety of the Worlds, will she finally get her chance to prove that she's a little more than just… Kairi?

Pairings: They'll probably be more clearer as the story goes along, but for now I don't wish to divulge any of that information.

Warning: This fic MIGHT contain a little bit of girl x girl love. Nothing hardcore, but love, like fluffy-mushy-kissy stuff. And cuddling. I -heart- cuddling. :) If you don't like it, don't read it.

Disclaimer: I DO in fact, own a copy of KH, and KHII. I didn't, however, make the game, so I don't own the characters. I wish I did, cuz Riku's kinda hot, but sadly, I don't. The OC's are my creations, though, as is this story mostly. And… um… that's it?

-Lovely Catastrophe-
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----Prologue----

"Nothing happens unless first we dream."
--Carl Sandberg
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Riku and Sora had had their fill of adventures.

Sora was the Keyblade's chosen wielder. He had been picked to save the Worlds from the onslaught of… well, first the Heartless, and then the Nobodies as well. Add to that the Organization, and the young boy had a lot on his plate. And didn't he already save the Worlds once? He kind of wished they would just stay saved…

Then there was Riku. Sure his intentions for good got a little messed up when Xehanort possessed his body, but he turned out alright. Things might not have run so smoothly without him working behind the scenes in the Realm of Darkness. And even though he would have been content staying behind in said Realm, he was a little more than glad to be back home again.

And so, when the two boys arrived back on Destiny Islands, they more or less became a bit… well… sluggish is too nice of a word.

But what about Kairi?

She had to admit, she was a tad bit jealous of her best friends' endeavors. They got to run around, doing all the fun stuff like fighting and whatnot, leaving her on the Islands to worry and wish that she could have been there with them. And now that they were back (not that she wasn't grateful) all they wanted to do was eat, sleep, and loaf around.

It was horribly…

Boring.

And to top that all off, her interest in Sora had diminished fairly quickly in the few months after his and Riku's return. The boy she had loved wasn't at all the young man she knew now. She had expected him to come back like some battle-worn soldier, wanting nothing more than to spend his days with the woman he left behind. Unfortunately for her, Sora didn't have any of that on his mind. He was still a bit too immature to understand much about love, and even though it was true that he was infatuated with Kairi, his feelings for her didn't run as deep as hers for him did.

They had tried to build a relationship that was more than friendship, but they had been away from each other too long and grown too different for that to work.

So there Kairi was, longing for something more, wishing she could have an adventure of her own as she walked along the sandy shores of Destiny Islands. She was only vaguely aware of the reason she had come outside, which was to find Sora and Riku (they were the only quiet company the Islands offered, seeing as she didn't really feel like hanging out with the overly hyper Selphie, Tidus, OR Wakka.)

It wasn't long before she spotted them sitting among the Paopu Fruit trees, basking lazily in the sun, and discussing something amongst themselves. She wordlessly walked over and sat down beside the two, as was her custom: Kairi would quietly listen as they spoke of their endeavors, drinking in every word as if they were the last she'd ever hear.

The boys were discussing Keyblades and whatnot, when her mind began to wander, and her clear blue gaze drifted over to the sea in front of them. She watched the waves churn and dance, shards of light reflecting off of them and bouncing every which way. Kairi continued to stare across the water for a little while, until she noticed a small object floating in the waves.

The little thing seemed to be somewhat shiny, as it would reflect the glare of the sun every now and then, and it also seemed to be floating directly towards the Island. She watched it until it rolled onto the shore: A little bottle, and it looked as though it had something inside.

Curious, Kairi decided to leave the conversation for a moment, and she walked down towards the shore, stopping in front of the object that had piqued her interest for a good five minutes or so. She bent down and picked up the bottle, holding it up to the sun's rays for a better view of it's contents.

A letter… with the King's seal?

Her heart jumped slightly as she realized the importance of what she now held in her hands. Quickly she ran back up the hill to where Riku and Sora were STILL talking, and when she slid to a halt, she was panting like a racehorse.

"Guys! …Message! …King's seal! …Look!"

That was all she managed to get out, and as Sora got to his feet, she handed over the bottle to him. He pulled the cork out and slid the paper out into his hand, after which he fumbled to unroll the thing and began to read it. Riku glanced over his shoulder, and Kairi strained to do the same. (Hey, it was a hard thing to do, especially when both boys had a few inches on her.)

After he finished the note, Sora shrugged, and handed it to Kairi. "It's for you, not us." He stated, blinking a few times. He and Riku seemed a bit put off about something, so Kairi was anxious to read what the King had to say.

She unrolled the message and began to read:

"To Kairi, Princess of Heart:

I hope all is going well on Destiny Islands.


The Worlds seem to be getting back to their peaceful states once again, yet I cannot shake this feeling that evil is yet again lurking over our shoulders.

I know, it may be too soon to tell...


Barely a year has passed since Xemnas was defeated.

But…

I think that I'm going to go with my gut instinct on this one. And I don't think that Sora or Riku will be able to help with this problem.

I need YOUR help, Kairi. You may be the key to vanquishing this new enemy.

I also know that you'll probably have a lot of questions for me. So I'll be sending Chip and Dale with the Gummi Ship to take you back here to Disney Castle, where you and I can discuss these things in private.

And don't let Sora or Riku come with you, either. Their time for fighting is over. I'm afraid that now they would only hinder the mission, rather than help it. Tell them no hard feelings, though. They need only to rest now and be happy that they get some well-earned R&R.

See you soon.

KM"

The trio was quiet for a moment as Kairi mulled over the letter several times, trying to make sure that her vision (and her mind) wasn't playing games with her.

'He wants… ME? To help save the Worlds? But I'm just…'

She paused for a moment, thinking to herself. '…What exactly am I? They call me Princess of Heart… but is that all I really am? I'm not a heroine… I can't save the world, can I? …Can I?' Kairi shook her head. 'Or maybe… this isn't a matter of what I can and can't do… maybe this is a matter of what I MUST do.'

"That settles it." Her voice caused Riku and Sora to both jump, the silence suddenly shattered.

"What settles it?" Asked Riku inquisitively, "Are you going to go, Kairi?"

She nodded. "This is something… I think I have to do. If the Worlds truly need me, who am I to say no?" Although, secretly she knew she would never turn down such an opportunity for adventure.

Sora pouted, turning away from them. It was clear that he wasn't too happy with the current state of events. But after a moment, he sighed and faced Kairi. "Well, good luck then. We'll be cheering for you back here at home."

Riku grinned and nodded, ruffling the young girl's hair. "Be careful. And you'll have to tell us EVERYTHING when you get back, okay?"

Kairi smiled. "Of course I will. I won't leave out a single detail— " But anything else she might have said was drowned out as the Gummi Ship's engines were heard roaring overhead; It flew erratically towards the shore before landing, and she figured that the brothers piloting the ship were having another one of their sibling spats.

This thought caused her to giggle, and she waved goodbye to her friends, skipping off towards the ship.

As she approached, a door on the side of the ship opened, and a ramp slid out so that she could board it. Kairi hesitated for a moment. In that moment she realized that her destiny was calling for her, beckoning for her to enter that ship and sail off right away. It caused her to shiver, and all of a sudden an urge to stay planted right there on that shore flooded her mind.

But no, she couldn't stay. Kairi steeled herself, somehow managing to shove the fear aside. This was what she had to do. She just HAD to. Whether she wanted to or not, this was where she was going.

And as she stepped inside the Gummi Ship, another thought popped into her head.

She just might find out who she was on the way.

Riku and Sora had had their fill of adventures.

Now it was time to start hers…

……………………………………………………

And that, my friends, is the Prologue.

Hope you liked it, and if not… well… please save your rotten fruit until I've gotten into the actual plotline. It gets better, I promise!

Reviews would be lovely, though. :)

I can always go for some constructive criticism.

Chapter One coming soon. Maybe even a little later tonight. We'll see how long my creative juices flow.