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She stood before a door, it had a slight glow to it, she reached to open it, but felt her hand repelled, something felt odd, she didn't feel as substantial as normal, she looked down at herself, her body looked slightly ethereal, like it would disappear with a thought. 'Where am I?' On the ground were words in the Old Tongue, she knew enough of it to read, 'Station of Serenity.' 'Sora talked about a similar place once, perhaps the same one, but I saw him on the beach asleep at the same time he was there. This place isn't physical. He got his keyblade here… is this the heart…? If it is, then my emotions and will are power here, where they come from. She turned the force of her will against the door, silently commanding it to let her through. As she pushed against it, the barrier broke. She opened the door and stepped through.
-
Kairi awoke to see a most ghastly sight. The entire room she was in was pink! The furniture, the bed sheets, the pillows, the door, the floor, even the ligh—"Light! There aren't electric lights in this worl-Light! Where am I?" She took a moment and looked around, then she remembered this was her room in Radiant Garden. 'Was it all a dream?' She looked around, nothing had changed, and then she noticed the book lying on her bed. She opened it.
--If you are reading this…--
She closed it gently, still confused. She heard a voice outside, Riku was calling her. "Hey Kairi! Come outside for a second!" She went outside and walked up to him, "What's up?" she said, trying to sound like her old self. "Sora tells me you have a keyblade, and, seeing as Sora has a tendency to just attack recklessly, I thought I'd give you a hand. She nodded and summoned her keyblade. Her heron-mark blade appeared, she quickly changed it when she noticed he wasn't looking at her at the moment. "Okay, I'm ready." Riku jumped back and summoned Way to Dawn. He came towards her, feinting to the left and swinging towards her right side. She countered with Boar Rushes Down the Mountain. On contact she was pushed back. 'Why? I know what to do, and I'm strong enough to—I'm not strong enough am I? The physical changes didn't roll over, only my knowledge. She quickly struck at his legs with The Falcon Stoops; he dodged and lunged towards her, in desperation she stuck her hand, focused her magic, and yelled, "Stop." Riku froze and she stepped out of the way, just as he broke free. He grinned at her, "So that's how it is huh?" He used dark aura to launch a fireball at her. As it flew she felt something change, like a lock being released. She could see the magical flows as he cast the spell. She raised her arm and gathered what dark power she could, focused it, and launched it at Riku's fireball. Dark flames wreathed her arm momentarily before coalescing into a dark fireball. It met Riku's in an explosion of dark fire, but even with her greater control, she lacked the darkness to overpower him. She launched herself at him; raising her keyblade she focused and launched a fire spell, hurling Riku backwards. Riku pulled himself up, looking shocked, he asked, "H-how did you do that?"
"I'm not really sure myself. Thanks for the practice though."
"It was fun, but you should ask Leon for a duel, he'll be more helpful than me. He arrived last night."
Kairi walked back to the RGRC headquarters. Leon was leaning against the wall. She turned to Aeris first though, "Aeris, how did you learn magic?"
Aeris smiled, "In Midgar we used objects called materia. They allowed us to use magic, and eventually learn to use it without them."
"Could I see one?" Aeris reached into her pocket and handed Kairi the Leviathan summon materia. "This will allow you to summon Leviathan. Use it well." Kairi left for Ansem's Study. Sitting down she ran threads of magic into the materia, just enough to elicit a response. She watched as the magic flowed through the materia. She started to understand, 'This guides magic based on the nature of the soul that created it. The magic forms the correct pattern and elemental changes to cast the spell, once someone becomes accustomed to this pattern they can perform it on their own. It will be useful in learning to summon.' She stood up and walked back towards the castle, only to be interrupted by Yuna and Rikku. The summoner-turned-annoying pest was asking if she wanted to buy anything, the trio (including a reluctant Paine) had recently opened a store to raise money after they realized their "treasures" had little value, and that they could find better items in other shops. If Kairi remembered correctly it was Yuna who sold her that horrific pink paint. "Yuna, could I buy some whi-actually, Paine, do you have any black paint or clothing?" Yuna and Rikku were shocked, while Paine looked to be reevaluating Kairi. "Right back here," she said, indicating there shop (a small store in the main courtyard) and leading her to the back room, "Rikku and Yuna can't stand anything dark, no matter how much people pay for it, and they refuse to display weapons, so my merchandise is kept back here. I'll get the paint, have a look around." Kairi closely examined the displayed weapons and armor. She selected an organization-style cloak ('How did she get this?') and a simple black outfit to wear underneath. There was a wide variety of weapons, ranging from daggers to battle axes. She grabbed a pair of simple knives with black hilts (virtually all of Paine's merchandise was black or dark-gray) and holsters to conceal them up her sleeves (a habit from the borderlands). Stopping at the swords, she lifted one with a dark gray blade and a skull design above the black hilt. Emerging, Paine stiffened momentarily before speaking, "That was mine before I-it used to be mine. I can't use it now though, and I'd rather know you had it than sell it to someone else, take it, consider it a gift."
"No, it's alright."
"I insist, I won't have some idiotic fool misusing my weapon."
"Thank you Paine."
Paine smiled slightly, then looked down, noticing the paint bucket. "Oh, here," she handed her the paint, "come again!" As Kairi entered the main room of the shop, the other shopkeepers suddenly tackled her. "Are you alright Kairi? Paine's mood is contagious, please tell me she didn't get to you." Rikku seemed to be panicking. "I'm alright, and please, stop talking as if Paine is diseased, just because she doesn't smile 24/7 doesn't mean she isn't pleasant to be around." Kairi grimaced at the mention of Rikku's normal attitude, eliciting a cry from Yuna, "Rikku, Paine did affect her, mourn for the loss of the Kairi we once knew!" Rikku fell to the ground, looking rather downtrodden. Kairi, growing quickly annoyed, went back to the back room. "Paine! Do you know why they act like that?" "Rikku does because she's Rikku, Yuna because of over-exposure to Rikku. Still, they weren't always this bad, it's a side effect of—they didn't used to be this bad." Sighing, Kairi left, slipping by Rikku and Yuna, heading for her—the castle. Stepping into her room, she took out the paint and set to work redecorating. She painted the door, closet, window frame, and bed frame black; replaced the drapes with black ones; switched the comforter for a black one that was left in the castle (undamaged). Next she painted the remainder white, with the exception of black baseboards, and replaced the other bed sheets with plain white (one again, salvaged). She quickly changed into her new outfit tucked the knives into holsters under her cloak. She took out Paine's sword and unthinkingly pushed magic into it, turning it into a skull shaped keychain, which she attached to her keyblade. Staring at the transformed weapon, basically the same as Paine's sword, plus the key-like bit, she wondered how she knew that. Shrugging, she laid back to sleep.
Kairi was woken several hours later by Sora, wanting to spar. Kairi smirked and walked outside.
Sora's PoV
'Where's Kairi?' Someone walked out of the building to his left. They were dressed in an organization cloak. "Who are you? Where is Kai—Kairi!" Kairi had just dropped her hood. "Kairi, is that you."
"I don't look that different Sora."
"Kairi, I've never seen you wear black outside of a fu—oh no! Who died! Was it Leon? Is Yuffie all right? Riku is okay isn't he?" Sora yelled, falling into a panic.
--
"Sora, everyone is fine, this just was more practical. Besides, I got tired of all the pink." She'd expected Sora to be surprised, not assume someone died and panic. He really did jump to conclusions too easily. He still hadn't calmed down and Kairi decided to make him do so. "Blizzard!" Sora got his bearings in time to dodge, then he ran at her with ultima weapon. She drew Paine's Keyblade and met Ultima, with her other hand she slipped a knife out and brought it to rest at his neck. "I win."
-
Overhead, a figure watched the battle, "She's recovering quickly, good. I just hope she doesn't lose herself completely."