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! Hope you guys don't mind but we're taking a break from Kairi and focusing on the other Guardians this chapter. This one's a long one so enjoy!

Chapter 16: One of Our Princesses is Missing

The Mysterious Tower

As Riku morosely trudged up the stairs to Yen Sid's study, he reflected on the fact that there had never been a time when he had enjoyed visiting the Mysterious Tower. It seemed that every time he or any of the other Guardians Light had come there, they only learned increasingly bad news about impending disasters.

This visit felt no different. However, Riku knew they were meeting because of bad news he had delivered earlier.

"Riku?"

The silver haired Keyblade Master looked at the girl slightly ahead of him on the stairs. Naminè carried a look of sympathy on her face.

'How often would I see that look on Kairi's face whenever she felt Sora and I needed comfort.'

"I should have gone to her sooner, Naminè. Right after Mickey finished his call yesterday would have been the best time. Then this wouldn't be happening."

Naminè descended down to the step Riku was on. "I know you're worried about her, Riku. I am too. But there's no point in beating yourself up about what you didn't do. It's not going to help us find Kairi at all. Right now, the others need us to tell them what happened this morning so we can make a plan to find her."

'Besides, you're not the only one who could've done something sooner that might've prevented this.'

Letting out a big sigh, he said, "You're right, Naminè. Let's get this over with so we can start searching for her."

Naminè nodded and side by side, they continued to walk up the stairs until they finally came to the door to Yen Sid's study. Riku opened the door and suddenly felt all eyes on him and Naminè.

Everyone was standing around in their usual groups. Terra, Aqua and Ven with Chirithy on his shoulder stood to the left while Roxas, Xion and Axel stood to the right. Mickey, Donald and Goofy stood at Yen Sid's right while the sorcerer himself sat in his chair behind his desk.

As Riku gazed around at the worried and concerned looks everyone was giving him, he felt the familiar twinge of jealousy. After all, each of these groups had been reunited while his own had been torn apart.

Mickey approached Riku. "Riku, are you okay?"

Riku said nothing. But just shook his head in the negative.

"We don't blame you at all. It was quite a shock when you called to tell us she was gone," said Goofy.

"Especially since the King told you to watch out for her," grumbled Donald causing everyone to gasp in shock.

"Donald, that was uncalled for. I may have asked Riku to keep an eye on her as best as he could. But there's no way he could've watched her every moment," said Mickey.

"Yeah. It's not like they live in the same house," added Goofy.

Donald sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Well, in a way, you're right, Donald. I could've kept a better eye on her, and I should have been trying harder to mend things with her," said Riku.

"That's something we're unfortunately all guilty of, Riku," said Xion.

"Hey, don't put this all on us. Kairi has her share of the blame too. She wasn't listening to reason and lashed out at us, remember? And now she's run off to who knows where without telling anybody and she's likely going to get herself killed again!" exclaimed Axel as he punched the wall causing him to cry out in pain.

"Calm down, Axel. Taking your frustration out on the wall isn't going to help," said Roxas.

Axel took a deep breath. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm just so worried about her. I have been all month."

"We've all been worried about her," said Ven.

"But now's not the time for us to be pointing fingers at each other or her," said Terra.

"That's right. The best thing right now is to remain calm and think of something we can do to find her," said Aqua.

"You are correct, Master Aqua. I suggest we get started immediately. Master Riku? You mentioned that there was a letter that Kairi wrote to her parents. May I see it?" asked Yen Sid.

Riku made his way to the desk. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to the sorcerer.

"I know this is very difficult for you. Kairi's sudden disappearance is a terrible turn of events. But if we are to locate her, we must first gain some idea of why and how she left. So, would you please relate to us what happened on the Destiny Islands this morning," said Yen Sid.

Riku was reluctant to begin. The shock of what had happened earlier was still fresh in his mind.

Then he felt someone take his right hand. He looked and saw Naminè giving him a look that encouraged him to go on.

'All right. They're going to have to hear this if we're going to find her.'

"Okay. Here's what happened," said Riku as he related how he had found out that Kairi and Pluto had vanished from the Destiny Islands.

Destiny Islands, Earlier That Day

Up in his room, Riku was finishing getting dressed. As he put on his jacket, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in!" he called.

The door opened and in stepped Naminè. "Your mom let me in. So, are you ready for this?"

Riku sighed. "As I'll ever be, I guess."

"It's been a whole month since that fight, Riku. You know we have to try again," said Naminè.

"I know we do and part of me hopes that this is when we'll finally fix things with Kairi. But I'm also afraid that we're just going to end up in another fight," said Riku.

"Just tell her what you told me, Riku. Maybe that'll be what you need to mend your bond. Then, hopefully, she'll be open to fixing things with the others," said Naminè.

"I wish I could be more optimistic about this. But that's never been easy for me. Sora always had more than enough optimism for the two of us."

"Yes, I've seen plenty of evidence for that in his memories. But if he were here now, he'd want you to try. He wouldn't want a friendship like yours and Kairi's to end," said Naminè.

"If he were here, none of this would be happening," stated Riku.

"I know. Come on. Let's head over to her house," said Naminè as she and Riku made their way out of his room. They travelled through the house and soon reached the front door.

But before Riku could open it, a loud rapping was heard on the other side of the door. Following it came frantic cries from a familiar voice.

"Riku! Riku! Open up!"

"That's Selphie!" exclaimed Riku as he quickly grabbed the doorknob and opened it.

Selphie was standing on the doorstep and she had a look of absolute panic on her face. Standing behind her wearing identical expressions were Tidus and Wakka.

"Oh good, you're here!" exclaimed Selphie.

"Selphie, what's wrong?" asked Riku.

"You've got to come to Kairi's house right now!" exclaimed Selphie.

Riku's eyes widened. "What's happened?"

"Is she okay?" asked Naminè coming out from behind Riku.

"We don't know. She's not there!" exclaimed Tidus.

"What?!" exclaimed both Riku and Naminè.

"It's true! Her mom's going crazy about it," said Wakka.

"We went to her house earlier because I wanted to check and see how she was doing. But when we got there, her mom was in tears. She told us that both Kairi and Pluto were gone, and we had to get you over there as quickly as possible," said Selphie.

Riku said nothing. He just charged past the trio and headed in the direction of Kairi's house. Naminè followed close behind with Selphie and the others doing the same.

Much later, all of them were in Kairi's bedroom. They had all over and were searching for clues while her mother stood in the doorway drying her eyes with a handkerchief.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Riku. You too, Naminè," said Dorothy.

"Of course, ma'am. We were about to come here anyway. And we're going to get to the bottom of this. Right, Riku?" asked Naminè.

"Right," said Riku as he and others continued to survey Kairi's bedroom.

So far, there wasn't too much that looked out of the ordinary. The only exceptions were an open window and a few papers and things strewn about the floor.

"Now they did come home last night, didn't they?" asked Naminè.

"Yes, they did. I actually caught Kairi trying to sneak up to her room without eating or feeding Pluto first," said Dorothy.

"And this is exactly how you found the room when you discovered they were gone?" Riku asked.

"Yes. I had just finished cooking breakfast for her and myself. She and Pluto hadn't come down yet and I thought they may have just overslept. I went to wake them and found they were gone," said Dorothy.

"Then we showed up and she told us to go get you, Riku," said Tidus.

"I thought if anyone had any idea of what might've happened to them, it would be you or someone else in your Keyblade group," said Dorothy.

"Well, if you ask me, it's pretty obvious what happened. It looks like somebody or something came in and kidnapped them," said Wakka.

A fearful look came to Dorothy's face. "Oh, Riku. You don't think that's what happened, do you?"

"Yeah. What if it was those Heartless or Nobody things you told us about?" asked Selphie wearing an equally frightened expression.

Riku thought for a second. While they hadn't seen any sign of the Heartless, Nobodies or any of their other enemies since Xehanort's defeat, they couldn't rule out an eventual reappearance from them. Kidnapping Kairi, who was both a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade Wielder, would definitely fit their modus operandi.

Still, throughout the adventures he shared with the others, he had learned that nothing was ever what it seemed to be at first glance. As he gazed around Kairi's room, he saw plenty of evidence preventing him from blaming any of their foes for her disappearance.

Naminè shared his train of thought. "I don't think they were kidnapped at all."

"How can you say that? The window's wide open and the place is a mess," said Wakka gesturing to the window.

"Yeah, if that doesn't point to something coming in and taking them, I don't know what does," said Tidus.

"If something did come in to try and abduct Kairi, I think the mess would be a lot larger. Even if she and Pluto lost, they would have put up a fight. And if a fight did happen, you and the mayor would've heard it, Dorothy," said Riku as Dorothy nodded in agreement.

"Maybe she didn't even get a chance to fight. Maybe they got her by surprise," said Tidus.

'Wouldn't be the first time,' thought Riku as he recalled what Roxas, Axel and Xion told him about how Xemnas grabbed her during the Keyblade War.

"But look at Kairi's bed," said Naminè as she pointed to the bed. "I doubt that if she was snatched from it in the middle of the night, the kidnapper wouldn't take the time to make it."

"Also, you guys don't know Pluto like we do. He would've sensed an intruder no matter how sound asleep he was and woke her up," said Riku

"But what about all this stuff all over the floor? How do you explain that?" asked Wakka.

"Now that I think about it, Wakka, it really isn't much of a mess. Not one caused by a fight, at least. It actually looks more like all this stuff was just blown around by the wind through the window," said Tidus.

"That actually makes sense, Tidus. And the window only opens from the inside, so someone would've had to break it to get in," said Dorothy.

"And breaking and entering isn't really what any of our foes do. Especially Heartless and Nobodies, who can just pop in wherever they want. They wouldn't need to use the window at all," said Riku.

"So, if there's nothing to indicate Kairi was kidnapped, then there's really only one possible answer: she and Pluto left in the middle of the night on their own," said Naminè.

"That would explain the made-up bed! Kairi's always been in the habit of making her bed. She even did it at our sleepovers," said Selphie.

"But why would she just leave like that without telling anyone?" asked Dorothy.

Riku and Naminè hung their heads. They both had a pretty good idea of why Kairi had left so suddenly.

"She must've have gone to look for Sora," said Riku.

"And she didn't tell anyone because she probably thought someone would stop her," said Naminè.

Dorothy looked like she was about to start crying again. "I knew she's been upset all month since you all had that fight. She was even more saddened last night when she told me she couldn't even write her monthly letter to Sora."

Dorothy's last statement sent a shock through Riku and Naminè. As far as they knew, words had never failed Kairi when it came to writing her letters to Sora. The idea of her being unable to write one was unthinkable.

"I knew it was the last thing she wanted to hear, but I even implied that she was starting to accept that he was gone. That probably made things worse and caused her to run away," said Dorothy as she began to sob.

Riku placed his hand on Dorothy's shoulder. It was all he could do from breaking down himself.

'Don't blame yourself, Dorothy. You're not the one who's to blame for this.'

"Hold up, everyone. There's still something that doesn't make sense about this whole thing," said Tidus.

"And that is?" asked Naminè.

"You said Kairi's been upset all month since that fight. But if she wanted to find Sora, why would she leave now of all times?" asked Tidus.

"That's right. I mean, if I were her, I would've taken off looking for him right after the fight," said Wakka.

"As mad as Kairi was at us, even she had no idea where to start looking," said Naminè.

"So, what could've happened between yesterday evening and this morning that caused her to leave?" asked Riku.

"And there's another thing that doesn't make sense. If Kairi really did leave to find Sora, how was she going to leave the Islands and get to the other worlds?" asked Naminè.

"Couldn't she use that ship of yours? What was it called? The Gumbo Ship?" asked Wakka.

"Gummi Ship. And she didn't take it. When I came here earlier from Radiant Garden in my own ship, I noticed the one belonging to Kairi and Riku was still parked in orbit," said Naminè.

"And even if she did take it, there's no way she could use it to get to the other worlds because she doesn't know how to open up the Gates," said Riku.

"But hasn't she's gone to the other worlds on her own before? I mean, she did come back by herself after you guys fought a month ago," asked Dorothy.

"That may be true. But after Xehanort was defeated, Riku and the other Wielders closed up most of the Gates between worlds that Sora opened. The only worlds that are still connected are Disney Castle, Radiant Garden, Twilight Town, the Land of Departure, and the Mysterious Tower. And with the way Kairi's been avoiding us and the rest of the Guardians, I don't think she'd start any search for Sora in any of those worlds," said Naminè.

"So, we still don't know the why or the how she left," said Tidus.

"Guys! Look here! I found something!" exclaimed Selphie.

They all turned toward Selphie who was standing on the other side of Kairi's bed. She was holding a folded piece of paper in her hand.

"I found this beside the bed. It must've been blown there by the wind from the window. Maybe this'll have the answers we need."

"What is that?" asked Riku.

"It must be a letter from Kairi," said Selphie showing the front of the paper. On it, in Kairi's handwriting, were the words, 'Mom and Dad'.

Dorothy rushed over to Selphie and took the note. Everyone gathered around her as she unfolded it and read it aloud.

Dear Mom and Dad,

First of all, I'd to say that I am really sorry for just leaving in the middle of the night. You have both been the most wonderful parents I've ever known, and it pains me to know that I am hurting you like this.

But I couldn't risk you or anyone else trying to stop me from doing what I know I have to do.

Anyway, last night, I was visited in my dreams by a mysterious woman. She gave me a special talisman that's supposed to take me a journey through the worlds to 'where I need to be'.

I can't say that I completely understand it myself and I know it will be hard for you to believe. All I know is that my heart is telling me that this woman can be trusted, and this talisman must be the key to finding Sora.

So that is why I left. I don't know how long it will be until I return. But I promise you that I will do all that I can to make sure that both Sora and I come home safely for good.

Love, now and always,

Your daughter Kairi

P.S.: I've sent Pluto to Riku's house. He should be able to get him back home to Disney Castle, so you don't have to worry about taking care of him.

P.P.S.: If Riku or any of the others ask about me, just tell them that we'll have plenty to talk about when I return with Sora.

After Dorothy had finished reading the note, everyone stood in silence and reflected on what they had heard. Though Kairi's note had provided some kind of answer to their questions, it did not make them feel any better. If anything, it had only raised more questions and increased their worry.

"What do we do now? How are we going to find her?" asked Dorothy.

"I don't know. But what we need to do now is call Mickey and everyone else and have them meet us at Yen Sid's tower. Maybe then we can make a plan to find her. Dorothy, can we take that letter with us? I think everyone should hear what it says," said Riku.

"Yes, of course," said Dorothy as she handed Riku the note.

"And before we do anything else, we'll come back here and tell you and the mayor what our plan is," said Naminè. 'We really ought to have provided Gummi Phones for Kairi's parents as well as Sora's and Riku's.'

"Thank you. I haven't let Parker know what's happened yet since he's currently on the north side of the island. But I'll give him a call and he'll probably rush right home. Hopefully, I can calm him down by the time you return," said Dorothy.

"Really hope you can. I wouldn't want to be here when the mayor finds out about this," said Wakka with Selphie and Tidus nodding in agreement.

'Wakka's right. Aside from Sora's parents, Kairi's dad probably took the story of what happened during the Keyblade War the hardest. I can't blame him since he had to hear that his daughter was killed,' thought Riku.

"Come on, Naminè. We've got some calls to make. We'll be back as soon as we can, Dorothy," said Riku as he and Naminè rushed out of the room and downstairs toward the front door.

'Oh Kairi. What have you done? Where did you go?' thought Riku

The Mysterious Tower, Present Time

As Riku and Naminè finished their tale, everyone stood in silence. Mixed emotions travelled across their faces as they comprehended what they had learned.

Goofy scratched his head in thought. "Gawrsh, Your Majesty. Do ya think that Kairi's onto somethin'?"

"I don't know, Goofy. I think we'd all like to believe that after all this time, she's found what we've been hoping for. But this whole situation leaves me wondering about so many things," said Mickey.

"Yeah. Like who is this mystery woman who visited Kairi in her dreams? And what exactly is this talisman she's using?" asked Chirithy.

"Doesn't it sound anything you've heard of before, Chirithy?" asked Ven.

"No. As far as I know, there is no way to save Sora without paying the same price he did."

'And Sora would never want to be brought back at the cost of any one of us,' thought Riku.

"Master Yen Sid, have you ever heard of something like this?" asked Aqua.

"I am afraid not, Master Aqua. If Kairi had come to us with her talisman before she left, we may have been able to verify if its capability to save Sora was authentic," said the sorcerer.

"Maybe it really is. Kairi wouldn't have gone if she didn't truly believe in her heart that it was the real thing," said Xion.

"But remember, Xion, from what Riku's told us, Kairi hasn't been in the most reasonable frame of mind this last month," said Terra.

"Terra's right. Chances are, Kairi might be walking into a trap," said Axel.

"What makes you think that, Axel?" asked Roxas.

"Think about it, guys. A way to bring Sora back is practically the perfect bait for Kairi especially since she's been so upset about him lately. She'd snatch that bait up without a second thought. I'm sure a few people who've been in the same boat before would agree."

Everyone once again stood in silence as they contemplated what they had just heard. While it was true many of them had fallen prey to villainous manipulations before, part of them were also hoping, in various degrees, that Sora's return was now a possibility.

It was quite a conundrum. Was Kairi really on her way to bringing Sora back? Or was she being lured into a trap by some unknown adversary?

Yen Sid stroked his beard for a few moments before he finally piped up. "Regardless of either possibility, I believe it is essential that we locate Kairi as soon as possible. As one of the Princesses of Heart, she is a major target for the forces of darkness."

"But how are we going to find her? We have no idea to which world she may have gone," said Donald.

"At least Pluto's with her. Her note may have said she intended to send him home through Riku. But knowing my pal, he probably stuck with her. He's so fond of her that he'd never let her go without him," said Mickey.

"Pluto! Mickey, is there anyway to track him? Because if we can find him, we can find Kairi!" exclaimed Xion.

In response to Xion's question, Mickey shook his head. "Sorry, Xion. Pluto doesn't have anything like that. I never thought such a thing was necessary."

Axel threw up his hands in frustration. "This is just dandy. There's near infinite worlds out there and they could be anywhere. For all we know, they may not even be in the Realm of Light anymore."

"Now, Axel, let's not assume the worst just yet. I actually have an idea of what we can do to try and find them," said Aqua.

"What do you propose, Master Aqua?" asked Yen Sid.

"I think we should check in on the other Princesses of Heart. If something strange is happening in their worlds or if they have vanished as well, it might lead us to a clue on how to find Kairi and Pluto," said Aqua.

"But Aqua, other than Kairi, we only know the identities and locations of three of the new Princesses. The other three are still unknown to us," said Mickey.

"I understand that, Mickey. But the worlds of the new Princesses aren't the only ones we should investigate," said Aqua.

"I don't follow," said Axel.

"Of the previous seven, Kairi is the only one who has kept her power. This may be a longshot but if Kairi was being lured by someone who wanted to gather all seven, maybe they aren't aware that the others' powers have been passed on," said Aqua.

"That's right. Even Sora, Donald and I weren't aware of that until Marluxia told us Rapunzel was one of the new ones," said Goofy.

"Like I said, it is a longshot. But I think it's the best we've got right now," said Aqua.

"A longshot's better than nothing," said Roxas.

"So, if we're going to check on the Princesses of Heart, both the previous and current ones, the question now is who's going where?" asked Riku.

Much later, after the meeting had concluded and their travel plans finalized, Riku stood outside the Mysterious Tower by himself. Everyone else had already departed to where they were meant to go. Right now, he was waiting for Naminè.

'I wonder what Master Yen Sid wanted to speak to her about,' he thought just as the doors opened and Naminè stepped out.

"Is everything okay? What did he want to tell you?"

Naminè looked hesitant to answer. Finally, she said, "He wants me to stick with you when you go searching for Kairi."

Riku's jaw dropped in surprise. "What?! B-but, Naminè, it could be dangerous. You're the only one of us who doesn't have a Keyblade or any kind of fighting techniques."

'Besides, when my Replica sacrificed his chance to have a new vessel for you, I vowed that I would keep you safe for him. And I want to actually keep a promise I made.'

"I know that, Riku. But Yen Sid doesn't think you should be alone right now, and I agree with him. And since Mickey's not going to be with you this time, someone's got to keep you on the road to dawn," said Naminè.

Riku thought about what she said. 'She's right. With Sora gone and Kairi missing now, there could be a big risk of me slipping back into darkness.'

"And if we do run into trouble, I know I can count you to keep me safe," said Naminè offering a comforting smile to her friend.

Riku tried to return the smile. But he still felt uneasy about the whole thing. "I don't really have a choice here, do I?"

Naminè shook her head. "Nope. I'm afraid you don't."

Riku sighed in resignation. "Fine. But don't you go doing anything reckless while we're out there."

"I won't. I may not have been to many other worlds. But I have seen Sora's memories of them, so I've got a pretty good idea of the kind of dangers they have to offer."

"Then let's head back to the Islands so we can tell Kairi's parents what we're going to do," said Riku as he headed in the direction of where the Gummi Ship was parked.

Naminè was about to follow when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something standing near the edge of the tower. It was Chirithy and it was waving to her as if it wanted her to come over.

"Um, why don't you go ahead and get the Gummi Ship ready to go? I just realized there was something I meant to ask Master Yen Sid about but forgot."

"Okay. I'll wait for you in it," said Riku as he headed off.

Once Riku was a good distance away, Naminè quickly walked to where Chirithy was. After going around the side of the tower, she gazed down at the Dream Eater.

"Better make this fast, Chirithy or Riku's going to get suspicious," said Naminè.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't told him what you've been up to lately with Ven, Roxas, and Xion?" asked Chirithy.

Naminè shook her head. "No. I was planning on telling both him and Kairi if we succeeded in mending things with her this morning."

"Did you ever think that maybe if we had told them sooner about your project, we might have avoided this?" asked the Dream Eater.

"Maybe. But you know why we weren't going to tell them until we had something definite."

Chirithy sighed. "Yes. We didn't want to get their hopes up in case it turned out to be another dead end."

"Right. I only decided to tell them today because I thought it might persuade Kairi to fix things with some of the rest of them."

"But are you going to tell Riku about it now?"

"I don't think it's a good time for it. Not with Kairi missing. But we can deal with this later. We've got some worlds to check out."

"All right. I'll pop in on the others and let them know we're still keeping it a secret for now," said Chirithy as it vanished while Naminè turned around and headed to where Riku had gone.

'Kairi, I wish you hadn't just left like that. But I do hope that, wherever you and Pluto are, you're safe and whatever came to you last night will give you better luck in finding Sora than what I was trying to do.'

Notes from the Mad Doctor: Special points to the one who can guess the obscure Disney film the chapter title refers to! So, the Guardians are on the search for Kairi. Will their paths cross with her? Or will they either arrive too early or too late? Also, what has Naminè been up to? You'll just have to keep reading to find out. I'd like to point out that a lot of these interlude chapters take place simultaneously with the Kairi chapters. Case in point: while the events of this interlude and the last one with Maleficent and Pete are happening, so are the events in Never Land with Kairi. Kind of like the simultaneous narratives of Sora and Riku in Chain of Memories. Their placement may not be as clear as Kairi's more linear narrative. But I'll do my best. I give my thanks to everyone who read this chapter and special thanks to Tonks Rocks23 and KeywielderAnima for their reviews. Next chapter, Kairi arrives in a new world for a new adventure. Reviews are much appreciated! Stay tuned!