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! I'm back with more of the Epic Journey! Hopefully, some of you checked out my SoKai Week 2020 contribution Evening's Repose. Anyway, this chapter introduces another recurring element for this story. Enjoy!

Chapter 19: Speaking of Sora

Arendelle

As dusk fell on Arendelle, Kairi exited the private bathroom that was attached to the guestroom that had been provided to her. She had just finished up her nighttime routine and had changed into a nightgown she had packed into her knapsack.

Of course, she still had the Wayfinder around her neck. She was determined to keep it with her even when she slept.

Going up to the fourposter bed, she fell backwards onto it and let out a contented sigh. She turned to Pluto, who was already on the foot of the bed.

"I don't know about you, Pluto. But I'm pretty glad the Wayfinder brought us to a world where we got both good food and a good bed," she said as Pluto barked to show his agreement.

Kairi patted her stomach which was now full of an absolutely delicious meal served by the castle's kitchen staff. Then a little sadness came to her face.

'The food was great. But I probably would have enjoyed it more if Anna wasn't acting so frosty to her sister. We all felt it throughout the whole meal.'

Kairi's sadness increased. 'Like I'm one to talk. I've been giving my friends the cold shoulder for the past month. But I'd be perfectly willing to put this all behind us if only they'd admit they were wrong in giving up the search for Sora.'

A knock on the door was heard. "Come in!" called Kairi sitting up on the edge of the bed.

The door opened and in stepped Elsa dressed in her own nightgown. "Hello Kairi. I just thought I'd check in on you before turning in for the night. Is the room to you and your dog's liking?"

"Oh yes. Thanks again for letting us stay here. Although, I must admit that I'm not too used to staying in such extravagance," said Kairi.

"There's something you and Kristoff have in common. He was more used to simpler accommodations before he started living here," said the queen.

"I can understand why. Also, I may not be familiar with royal etiquette, but is it typical for the queen herself to look in on her guests before bedtime?"

Elsa chuckled. "Not usually. But for friends, I make an exception."

"Don't you mean friends of a friend as Olaf would say?" asked Kairi amusedly. 'Boy, that little guy's rubbing off on me.'

But, much to Kairi's surprise, Elsa didn't laugh at the joke. In fact, the queen seemed a little regretful.

"Elsa? I didn't say anything wrong, did I?"

"No, Kairi. You didn't. It's just…I don't think I have a right to call myself a friend of Sora's.

Kairi gave a look of confusion. "Would you like to tell me why you think that?" she asked as she gestured to a spot on the bed next to her.

Elsa nodded and walked into the room. After sitting next to Kairi on the bed, she turned to the Princess of Heart. "I'm sure Sora would count Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf among his friends. But I don't think he would count me. Not after what I did."

"What do you mean?"

"When I first met him along with Donald and Goofy, I was running away from my kingdom. My powers had been revealed to Anna and everyone else and all I wanted to do to get away so I wouldn't hurt anyone. But when Sora saw what I could do, he actually wasn't afraid. He was surprised, of course, but after, he seemed concerned about me."

"That's Sora for you. If he feels someone needs help, he'll be the one to offer it. It's always been one of his best qualities," said Kairi. 'Biggest heart in all the worlds.'

Elsa's frown deepened. "But instead of accepting his help, I did what I had always done: I shut him out. And even though we parted on good terms after I lifted the winter, I started feel even worse about it after I heard how much he and his friends had done to protect Arendelle from those Heartless monsters. So, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't consider me a friend."

Kairi smiled at the queen. "Elsa, take it from me when I say that Sora wouldn't hold that against you. In fact, from what I heard from him, Donald and Goofy, they kept trying to find you to make sure you were okay."

"Really?" asked Elsa.

Kairi nodded. "Trust me. In spite of how you first met, Sora would still consider you as a friend and help you in anyway he could. I bet if he were here now, he'd probably even be trying to help you and Anna fix things," said Kairi.

Elsa sighed. "That would be nice. But I'm sure once the Duke is gone, Anna and I can put this behind us."

"Still, it can't be easy fighting with your sister like this," said Kairi.

"No, it hasn't. But I can understand why Anna's been so against this. She's really just trying to protect me," said Elsa.

"Because of what happened during your coronation?" asked Kairi causing Elsa to look at her in surprise. "Kristoff told me what the Duke tried to do. He also told me about that prince who tricked Anna into an engagement and tried to take over your kingdom. I can't believe someone would play around with someone's heart like that."

"Yes. Having had two different attempts on my life in such a short amount of time was quite the ordeal for both of us. And that's why I can't blame Anna for being like this during the Duke's visit," said Elsa.

Then, to Kairi's surprise, Elsa let out a small chuckle. "It's a little funny when I think about it. I'm the eldest sister and the one with the magical powers. And yet, Anna seems to think she has to be the one to protect me."

"I know the feeling. I've seen how much Sora's done, and I know what he's capable of. And yet, there's nothing I wanted more than be one who he could count on to protect him," said Kairi as her smile faded. 'And I failed horribly.'

Elsa gave Kairi a look of sympathy. "Kairi, we'll do all we can to help you find Sora. We owe him a great debt for protecting Arendelle. That being said, there is one thing that is concerning me about this situation. Now don't take this the wrong way. But I, along with Anna and Krisoff, have a feeling that you haven't exactly told us everything about what happened to him. Knowing a little more could really help us help you."

Kairi gazed at Elsa sadly. "I'd like to, Elsa. But I really can't. I'm sorry."

Elsa gave a gentle smile to the girl. "No, it's okay, Kairi. Don't feel bad about it. I can see that it must be a really difficult subject for you to talk about. Just know that you can talk to any of us when you feel ready to."

Kairi smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Elsa."

"Now you'd better get some sleep. We have quite a few things to do tomorrow. But if you need anything during the night, don't hesitate to call for Gerda or any of the servants. Good night, Kairi. See you in the morning," said Elsa as she got up from the bed.

"Good night, Elsa," said Kairi as the queen left the room.

Kairi then turned to Pluto. The dog gave her a concerned expression. The girl let out a sigh as she petted him on the head.

"I really wish I could tell them, Pluto. Tell them everything. About the Keyblade War and how Sora was really lost. But you and I both know that's impossible."

Pluto whimpered in sympathy. Kairi gave a sad smile to her companion.

"Let's get some sleep. Hopefully tomorrow, we'll find something in this world that can help us find Sora," said Kairi.

With that, Kairi got into the bed as Pluto settled in his place at the foot. Laying her head down on the pillow and pulling the covers up to her neck, it wasn't too long before she fell asleep.

?

A short while later, Kairi's eyes opened. Much to her surprise, she was no longer in her room in Arendelle.

She was now floating down a tunnel of darkness. Up ahead, there was what appeared to be a portal of bright light that seemed to glow brighter as she got closer.

'What's going on?' she thought.

Soon, the light encompassed her completely. Kairi raised her hand and covered her eyes. She held her hand there for a few moments until she lowered it and finally saw where she had arrived to her shock.

She was now standing in the middle of an endless expanse of sea and sky. It was a place Kairi recognized and knew all too well.

'This is…this is the place where…' she thought before a familiar voice interrupted her pondering.

"Kairi!"

Kairi gasped. 'Sora?'

Kairi turned to the right. There, standing a short distance away with his back to her, was Sora.

"Kairi, where are you?" he called with his hands cupped around his mouth.

"Sora! I'm over here!" Kairi called back.

Sora turned in the direction of her voice. But to her surprise, he didn't look overjoyed. Instead, he looked extremely worried.

"Kairi! Answer me! Where are you?" he shouted again.

"Huh? Sora, I'm right here in front of you! Can't you see me?" asked Kairi waving her arm.

Then, from nowhere, a familiar voice cried out, "Sora!"

To both Sora and Kairi's surprise, a familiar form materialized between them. Their eyes opened wide when they saw who it was.

"Chirithy!" exclaimed Sora.

"I didn't expect to see you back here so soon. What's happening?" asked the Dream Eater.

Kairi was absolutely baffled. 'He can see and hear Chirithy but he can't see or hear me? Seriously, what is happening?'

"I don't have time to explain everything, Chirithy. But maybe you could help me. Have you seen a girl show up here recently? She's dressed in pink and has red hair and indigo eyes. I've got to find her!" exclaimed Sora urgently.

Chirithy shook its head. "I'm sorry, Sora. I haven't seen anybody who looks like that. I don't think it would even be possible. Remember, usually only hearts reach this world and not the bodies they belong to. You were a major exception."

Sora turned away from Chirithy. He collapsed to his knees and pounded his right hand on the ground. He looked like he was about to cry.

Kairi's heart ached when she saw the boy who meant so much to her look so despondent. She wanted to hold him in her arms so very much. But since he apparently couldn't see or hear her, she doubted he would even be able to feel her embrace if she even tried to.

"But something unusual did arrive here very recently. Maybe it's connected to who you're looking for," said Chirithy.

Sora rose to his feet and faced the Dream Eater. "Could you show it to me? Please?"

"Of course. Follow me," said Chirithy as it scampered away with Sora following close behind.

Kairi stood where she was. Her mind was reeling as she tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed. Finally, it hit her.

'This must be a memory. One of Sora's that must've happened after he defeated Xehanort and went to find me. But how is it that I'm seeing this now and why?'

With no answer to her question, Kairi then began to chase after Sora and Chirithy. 'I do know one thing for certain: I'm not leaving Sora's side even if he can't see or hear me.'

Through the expanse of the world, Kairi followed the boy she loved as he followed the little Dream Eater. As she ran, she heard the various mutterings of the stars all around them. Normally, Kairi would've stopped to listen to their tales. But she could not lose sight of Sora no matter what.

Finally, Sora and Chirithy stopped. Kairi stopped as well and the three of them beheld what stood before them.

It looked like some kind of translucent dark orb rooted to the ground by black tendrils. Within the orb, hovering in mid-air, was a glowing pink shard of crystal.

"Chirithy, what is that? Is it a heart?" asked Sora.

"Yes, but not a full one, actually," responded Chirithy.

Sora looked confused. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What we are looking at, Sora, is a crystallized piece of a heart. It was very strange, actually. When I saw this shard arrive here, it rooted itself to this world with those dark tendrils. It's almost as if whatever divided this heart and sent it here wanted it to remain here. But I have no idea why," said Chirithy.

Sora approached the dark structure. As he got close to it, an odd feeling came over him and he clutched his heart. Then his eyes opened wide.

"Kairi! This is a piece of Kairi's heart! I know it is! I can feel it!" he exclaimed.

Then his excitement was replaced by confusion. "But why would Xehanort want it to remain in this world?" he wondered.

"Hold on, Sora. Maybe you'd better explain a few things first. What exactly happened to your friend?" asked Chirithy.

Sora gazed downward and clenched his fist. "This…monster named Xehanort is what happened to her. He destroyed her in front of me to goad me into fighting with him to forge the χ-blade."

Chirithy let out a gasp. "Someone was actually trying to recreate that?! But that would mean he would have the power of Kingdom Hearts itself at his command!"

"That's exactly what he was trying to do. And like a fool, I played into right into his hands," said Sora who almost sounded on the verge of crying.

'No, Sora. It's not your fault. It was mine. If I had only been stronger, this never would've happened,' thought Kairi wishing she could tell Sora that very notion.

Chirithy tapped its chin with its paw. "Hmm. That still doesn't explain everything. If all this Xehanort had to do was get you to fight with him, why go through all the trouble of fragmenting your friend's heart and then planting the pieces of them here? Is there anything particularly special about your friend's heart?"

"Well, she is one of the Seven Princesses of Heart," said Sora.

Chirithy gasped in surprise. "She's one of the Seven Pure Lights?"

"Yes. That's why we were fighting against Xehanort and his Organization even though we knew it's exactly what he wanted us to do. If we didn't, they would've gone after Kairi and the other Princesses to forge the χ-blade."

A feeling of dread came over Kairi as she considered the thought of the Organization going after the Princesses of Heart. 'All the princesses and their friends probably would have stood no chance against them. We barely stood a chance against them. Especially me.'

Then Sora let out a gasp of realization. "That it! Xehanort always had backup plans. In fact, he even had backup plans for his backup plans!"

"I don't quite understand what you're getting at, Sora," said Chirithy.

"Don't you see? If our clash at the Keyblade Graveyard didn't work out for him, he could've still used Kairi and the Princesses in another plan to acquire the χ-blade. That must be why he sent the pieces of her heart here so he could retrieve them later if he needed to," said Sora.

"Well, I guess that does make sense," said Chirithy.

"So, if the pieces of Kairi's heart are here in this world, all I have to do to get her back is use the Power of Waking to track them all down and restore her!" exclaimed Sora.

"No, Sora! Don't do that!" shouted Kairi even though she knew it was futile.

"First, I'll set this piece of heart free and then I'll go find the others," said Sora as he summoned Kingdom Key and pointed it at the dark tendrils.

"Wait, Sora!" exclaimed Chirithy.

Sora stopped in his tracks. "What is it, Chirithy?"

"This plan of yours; I don't think it's the right way to bring your friend back."

Sora turned back to the Dream Eater with a look of confusion on his face. "What do you mean? I did it before. I used the Power of Waking to track down and save Riku and the others when the Demon Tide consumed all of us."

"Yes, but that's not the way the Power of Waking is supposed to be used at all. And if you misuse it that way to save your friend, it may end up costing you more than you expect," said Chirithy.

Sora reflected on Chirithy's words. In addition, the warnings of Young Xehanort and King Mickey about the Power of Waking were ringing through his mind. Still, something didn't add up.

"But Chirithy, when I asked you if the Power of Waking was how I could save the others before, you didn't seem to have problem with it. Why are you against it now?" asked Sora.

Chirithy sighed. "I'm sorry, Sora. I wasn't trying to mislead you. Let me explain. Remember when I told you when we first met that something was tethering you to this world and preventing you from passing beyond?"

Sora nodded in response. But his confused expression remained.

"Well, I believed that the same thing would also allow you to use the Power of Waking to save your friends without any risk of the consequences. And since you were able to pull it off, it appears I was right. But that is not the case anymore. Whatever tether you had back then, it's gone now and that's why you shouldn't go through with this plan. Maybe you should try to discover how Xehanort planned to retrieve the pieces of her heart. It may be a safer way," said Chirithy.

Sora looked as if he was considering Chirithy's words. Then he glanced back to the shard of Kairi's heart entrapped in the dark structure.

Kairi felt a tremendous sympathy for Sora. 'It's such a painful irony. Since I was the one who kept Sora from fading away, he was able to save everyone else without anything bad happening to him. But when it comes to saving me, he's forced to risk everything.'

Sora turned back to Chirithy. "I'm sorry, Chirithy. But I can't do that."

Chirithy made a gesture of surprise. "But why?"

"You said the only reason I was able to save everyone is because something was keeping me from fading away. Well, that something was a someone and that someone was Kairi," said Sora.

Chirithy gave another surprised gesture. "So that was what held you here the first time! It was a special connection to one of the Seven Pure Lights!" it exclaimed.

"That's right. It's knowing that she always believed in me that's enabled me to do the things I've done. And I'm not going to leave her like this: shattered and scattered around this world. Not for one more second. I don't care how risky it is because she's worth every risk," stated Sora.

Chirithy stared at the Keyblade Wielder. "She really does mean a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"More than you'll ever know."

Kairi's heart sank. While it did feel good to hear Sora speak so highly of his devotion to her, it also had the unfortunate effect of making her feel even more guilty about what he was about to do.

The Dream Eater sighed. "I guess I can't stop you, can I? Very well then. Do what you believe you have to do."

Sora gave a smile to Chirithy and then turned back to the heart shard. Raising his Keyblade, he pointed it at the base of the structure.

Summoning all his strength, Sora shot a beam of light from Kingdom Key. Upon striking the dark structure, it immediately disintegrated. The freed heart shard hovered over to Sora.

"Kairi," he said as he watched it circle around him like a halo.

In spite of herself, Kairi had to smile. 'Even a piece of my heart knows that it's safe with Sora.'

"Just be careful, Sora. There's no telling how many pieces of Kairi's heart are out there and if this Xehanort had his own plans for them, acquiring them will probably be more difficult than this one," warned Chirithy.

"You're probably right. Freeing this one did seem a little too easy especially since Xehanort was the one who set it up. He may have set up a few nasty surprises to protect the other ones. But I need to take that chance. I promised to keep Kairi safe and when I make a promise to her, I always keep it. Wish me luck!" said Sora as closed his eyes and raised his Keyblade as he prepared to use the Power of Waking to bring him to the next shard.

As Kari watched, light began to surround her. The scene in front of her began to fade out of view.

Before she completely lost sight of Sora, she heard the Dream Eater utter, "May your heart be your guiding key, Sora."

Arendelle

Kairi's eyes slowly opened. She was back in her bed in Arendelle. Glancing over to the window, she could see small beams of daylight peek in through the curtain.

Sitting up, she watched Pluto stretch and let out a yawn. He then crawled over to her with a smile on his face. With a small smile of her own, she scratched him on the head.

Then her smile gave way to puzzlement. She placed her hand over her heart and wondered why she had become a witness to one of Sora's memories.

'Sora, did you call me?'

Notes from the Mad Doctor:

After making small appearances here and there throughout this story, Sora finally gets a bigger scene. I plan to use Kairi's dreams whenever she goes to sleep to show what has happened to Sora since he went to save her. I hope you enjoy what I offer in the place of Re:Mind although you will probably see a few elements from it Re:Worked and Re:Imagined for the purposes of this story. I initially planned to write the memory part as if Kairi was experiencing the memory from Sora's POV. But it was hard to put into writing, so I just went with A Christmas Carol style of her witnessing it without being able to be seen and heard. I give my thanks to everyone who read this chapter as well as anyone who read Evening's Repose as well. Reviews are much appreciated! Stay tuned!