Disclaimer: The Mad Doctor claims no ownership to the Kingdom Hearts franchise. It belongs to Disney and Square Enix.

Notes from the Mad Doctor: Greetings readers. Now we finally get to look in on our leading lady. Also, this chapter features a song being played but since I can't write the lyrics in, I will indicate it with the note In-Universe Music. That'll let you know what song is happening in the scene and where it's coming from. Let the drama begin. Enjoy!

Edit Note: This chapter has been edited to conform to this site's rules. If you wish to read the chapter as it was originally written, look this story up on Archive of Our Own.

Chapter 1: When Everything Fell Apart

Destiny Islands

Crouching down, Kairi was practically crawling as she entered the Secret Place on the Play Island. She remembered how easily it used to be when she was little. But now that seemed like such a lifetime ago.

Soon, she emerged in the cave. All around were the scribbles that she, Sora and Riku had doodled throughout the years. As she walked toward the door to the world's heart, she averted her eyes from glancing at a certain drawing. Looking at that one would only bring her more pain.

Stopping right in front of the door, Kairi gazed on what she had added to it. Though she had always been more of a writer, she did have a small talent for art. After all, Naminè had to get it from somewhere and it definitely wasn't from the other person who had a hand in bringing her into existence.

But what was now on the door was a far more ambitious piece of art than the various doodles on the walls. It was an elaborate woodcut picture that had been partially painted in. It almost resembled a stained-glass window made of wood.

A small whine was heard. Kairi turned around and saw that Pluto had emerged into the cave.

"I'm going to finish this today, Pluto. I want it to be ready when Sora comes back," she said a little more half-heartedly than she meant to. The dog just laid down and watched Kairi get to work.

First, Kairi took out her Gummi Phone and opened up the music app. It still fascinated her how useful the device was especially the fact that she could get several of her favorite songs. Selecting a song, one that she had listened to very often since starting this project, she pressed play and the set it on the ground next to the door as the piano introduction began.

(In-Universe Music: Don't Think Twice by Utada Hikaru playing on Kairi's Gummi Phone)

She then reached over where she had left some painting supplies in the cave and took out a painter's smock. Once donning it, she assembled herself a palette of colors, selected a brush and began to work on the picture.

As she added the colors to her picture, tears began to run down her eyes and onto the palette wetting the paint. But in spite of it, she carried on painting as she thought back to the day one month ago when things truly started to fall apart.

Land of Departure, One Month Ago

"Fire!" shouted Kairi as a ball of fire emerged from Destiny's Embrace. The fire soared across a field and incinerated a target.

"Well done, Kairi! You're getting a lot better at casting magic," said Aqua who had been instructing her.

"Thanks Aqua. It's good to know that I'm improving. But then again, everyone is," said Kairi as she looked around at the others.

Riku, Ventus and Goofy were sparring. Terra was teaching Roxas and Axel how to transform their Keyblades into Keyblade Gliders. Xion was running and dodging through a gauntlet of various magical attacks conjured by Donald as Mickey oversaw them. Nearby, Naminè was sketching while Chirithy watched all the action.

"Things are going to be different when the next big threat comes along. We'll have an unstoppable team. Yen Sid even said that he was going to give Terra and Axel a Mark of Mastery exam in the near future," said Aqua.

"That's great! Then you'll both have finally achieved your dream," said Kairi.

"Yes. After all this time. I just wish Master Eraqus had lived to see it," said Aqua casting her gaze downward.

Kairi placed her hand on the Keyblade Master's shoulder. "He may not be here anymore. But he's still watching you from wherever he may be. And I know he'd be proud of you as well as Terra and Ven."

Aqua mustered a smile. "Thanks, Kairi."

"Anytime, Aqua," said Kairi with a smile.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you this: how have you been doing lately?" asked Aqua.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been quite busy these past few months. Whenever you're not training, you seem to be doing a lot of research. I've noticed you working through much of Master Eraqus' old Keyblade lore as well as all of the notes on the Heartless and Nobodies that Jiminy wrote down. Also, is it true that Chip and Dale are also teaching you how to take care of Gummi Ships?"

"Yes, I am Aqua. And I've just been trying to learn a few extra useful skills. There are more ways that I can help than just by fighting. If trouble comes back, I want to be as useful as possible," said Kairi.

Aqua felt a sudden feeling of pity toward the Princess of Heart. 'I can't believe she still feels that she wasn't useful during the Keyblade War way even after all these months. Kairi, don't you realize that if you hadn't kept Sora alive, we would have lost completely?'

"And what about your…?" Aqua hesitated to finish her question.

Kairi looked into her eyes and knew what she was meaning. "My scar?"

Aqua nodded in response. Much to the dismay of everyone, when Kairi had been restored, they discovered that she had not come back unscathed.

On her back, extending from her right shoulder to her left hip, was a long ugly slash mark that was unhealable by medicine or magic. An unfortunate reminder of when Xehanort struck her down.

"It's fine, Aqua. It hasn't hurt in months. Why are you so curious right now?" asked Kairi.

"Just wanting to make sure you're okay," said Aqua with a gentle smile.

"I am and I appreciate your concern. But right now, I just want to focus on training and honing all my skills. Now I think my other spells could use some improvement. I think my aim with the Thunder spells could be better. I want to be in tiptop shape for when we go looking for Sora."

The smile vanished from Aqua's face. "Kairi, there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh that reminds me. There's something I need to tell you all. In fact, I better do it right now. Hey everyone! Come over here!" she called excitedly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and immediately headed toward the two girls.

"What's up, Kairi?" asked Ven.

"Yeah. You seem pretty excited," said Goofy.

"Oh I am. And you're going to be excited too."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense. Out with it!" exclaimed Donald.

"Okay. This morning, I felt something I hadn't felt for so long. It was Sora! I felt him! We can find him!"

Surprisingly, the group's reaction was not that of excitement. Instead, they gazed at the Princess of Heart with skepticism.

"You felt him?" asked Roxas.

"Well, it was only for a few minutes. But I know it was him! He's somewhere out there in the worlds and now we can set out to bring him home!"

"Kairi, are you sure you didn't dream it?" asked Xion.

"No, I was awake. It happened just before I left my house to come here. Guys, why are being so doubtful? Don't you believe me?"

"No one's calling you a lair, Kairi. But it has been six months. Why would you feel Sora's presence now and only for a few minutes at that?" asked Mickey.

"Yeah, Kairi. I can't even feel Sora anymore and I spent a long time in his heart," said Ven.

"Well, I don't think amount of time has anything to do with it since Roxas and I were in the same boat. But we haven't felt Sora either," said Xion.

'Yes but you guys never shared a paopu fruit with Sora and I think that makes a big difference,' thought Kairi who was getting angrier by her friends' doubts by the second.

"Maybe you only imagined it," said Mickey.

Kairi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No, I didn't. Guys, it was real! Why aren't you taking this seriously?"

Aqua gave a heavy sigh as she walked up to Kairi and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kairi, this isn't going to be easy to hear. But some of us have been talking."

"Talking? Talking about what?" asked the Princess of Heart.

Terra chimed in, "Please understand that this was not an easy decision. But many of us believe that maybe it's time to suspend the search for Sora."

Kairi gasped. "Suspend? You mean, give up? We can't!"

"Try to understand where we're coming from, Kairi. Over the past six months, we've looked into anything about the Power of Waking for some way that could help us get Sora back. We've looked through everything Master Yen Sid, Master Eraqus, Merlin and Ansem the Wise had, and we've found nothing," said Aqua.

"Even I have no solution at all, Kairi, and I've been around a lot longer than anybody here," chimed in Chirithy.

"I know. I didn't find anything either in all my research. But just because we haven't found a solution doesn't mean there isn't one. There has to be something!" shouted Kairi as she pulled away from Aqua and turned to the rest of their group. "You all can't be seriously considering this, can you?"

The ones in the group who had yet to voice their opinion gave uncomfortable looks. Kairi could see the conflict in their eyes. That just made her madder.

Axel spoke up, "Kairi, you know I'm hardly the one to be rational. But we can't spend the rest of our lives looking for him. Especially when we have no idea where to start."

"And it's not like we're giving up completely, Kairi. If something does come up, we'll pursue it. But for now, maybe it is best we stop actively looking and just move forward. It might actually help us adjust to the possibility that he might be…" began Mickey before being interrupted by the increasingly distraught Princess of Heart.

"He's not gone forever! I felt him! He's out there somewhere! I know he is!" Kairi turned to Riku, Donald and Goofy. "Riku, Donald, Goofy, you believe me, don't you? You don't want to give up on Sora too?"

What she saw in the eyes of Sora's closest friends were the same conflict that the others had shown. After a few moments, Riku spoke up, "Kairi, you know I want Sora back just as much as you do. But…"

"But what?"

"…they are making some very good points."

Kairi felt like she had been stabbed in the back by the one she thought would always have her back. She looked to Donald and Goofy who sadly nodded.

'You promised! When I got back, you promised we would find him!'

"Look, I'll try to reach out to him! I'll see if I can detect where he is!" said Kairi desperately as she closed her eyes and tried to focus on Sora.

'Come on, Sora! Wherever you are, please let me know! Please show me where we can find you!'

She stayed that way for minutes. But there was no response.

Tears began to drip down her cheeks. She felt a hand take her own. Opening her eyes, she saw Mickey holding her hand.

"Kairi, maybe you'd better go take a rest. We can discuss this later when you've calmed down," he said.

Kairi wrenched her hand out of Mickey's. "No offense, Your Majesty, but I think you've all made it perfectly clear there's nothing to discuss since it appears that your minds are all made up on this. So, don't count on me ever coming around here again!" she shouted as she started to run away from them.

"Kairi, wait!" shouted Xion.

"Don't go!" shouted Naminè.

Kairi stopped in her tracks and whipped around, her face a portrait of hurt and rage. "How could you all? After all that Sora has done for you, you all just give up on him?"

She looked at Terra, Aqua and Ven. "He didn't even know you and still risked everything to undo the damage Xehanort did to you."

She looked at Roxas, Naminè and Xion. "He's not only responsible for your existences but he also made it his mission to get you your own lives."

She looked at Axel. "He forgave you for what you put him through even when he had every right not to."

She looked at Mickey. "He did everything you ever asked of him even when you didn't make him a Master when he clearly deserved to be one."

She looked at Riku, Donald and Goofy. "He…" But she couldn't even form the words because she was thoroughly disgusted by Sora's closest friends.

"Sora told me that his greatest power was his friends. But right now, I see no one who deserves to be called that." And with that Kairi ran away.

She never looked back.

Notes from the Mad Doctor: I know I've made Riku and the others look like bad friends in this chapter. We'll explore more into their reasoning further down the road. Plus, Kairi was no prize herself. But as the trolls in Frozen would say: people make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed. Anyway, the next chapter will have one more scene in this flashback before we return to the present. Reviews are much appreciated. Stay tuned!