Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters, or storyline. This story is mine. Kind reviews are always appreciated!

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Chapter Five: Faces Among the Monsters

The only thing remarkable about the girl was that she wasn't infected. Sora hadn't met another immune human besides Even in almost three years. She was also the first person to train a gun at his heart too.

Sora lifted his hands slowly, non-threateningly. The last thing he wanted was to get in a fight with one of the three survivors of the virus. "Easy." He breathed.

The young woman remained where she was; her blue eyes squinted against the sun and narrowed in suspicion. She was dressed in what remained of a pair of shorts and a dark sleeveless shirt. Her movements and image mimicked that of the infected: dirty, unkempt appearance, stringy dark hair tied back in a knot on her head. She made no visible movements besides the minor shifting of her legs on the roof of the hut.

"Let's just take it easy now." Sora breathed again, gazing from the woman to the gun and back.

"Who are you?" The woman snapped. Her voice was raspy and hoarse, as though she hadn't spoken in a long time.

"I'm one of the survivors—"

"One of them? How many are there?" She cut in.

"Just me and another man, a scientist. Who are you?"

The woman paused, eying him suspiciously. Slowly, she eased out of her squatted position, sitting on the edge of the hut, though she kept the gun leveled at Sora.

"I'm also a survivor."

Sora allowed himself a gentle grin, "I can see that."

She tilted her head at him, "How?"

"Well—you're not all—crazy and wild—"

"No, no." She waved her free hand. "How are you immune?"

Sora opened his mouth, thought for a moment, and hummed, "I'm not sure. Even, the other survivor, and I can't figure out why we're immune to the virus. Um…You're not going to shoot me, are you?"

The girl made an indignant noise, "You're the first person I've met since the outbreak wiped everyone out. Why would I kill you?"

Sora released a nervous chuckle, "Then…can we not wave the gun around?"

The girl paused, looked at the gun in her hands, and lowered it. "Fine."

Rustling in the jungle made them both turn to face the trees. The girl pointed the gun into the air and fired a warning shot. As the report thundered through Sora's ears, the creature rustling beyond the treeline screeched and moved deeper into the jungle.

"Riku." The girl grunted, her voice rasped with an undertone of anguish.

Sora looked at her so fast his neck cracked, "What?"

The girl hopped down from the hut, tucking the gun into her waistband and scanning the trees with her eyes. "That was Riku, a boy who used to live on the main island—"

"I knew him." Sora said, barely above a whisper. He looked towards the trees, "How do you know that was him?"

"There's a hive located in that cave." She pointed. "Riku sort of serves as the alpha male of the main hive on this island. He's more aggressive than the others. Wakka probably taddled to him about running into you or running into me."

"You know Wakka?" Sora asked, looking at her again.

He certainly didn't recognize this girl. She was of a medium height with sun darkened skin. Her eyes were a jaded blue color and her mouth was a straight line, neither smiling nor frowning. There was a scar crossing from her left eyebrow to the hairline above her right eye. Her arms and legs were strong, with slender muscles sliding under the skin. She had obviously been living on her own for a while.

"I knew him before…all this mess." She threw an arm around and turned to face the ocean, "Was Even the same one who composed that broadcast message?"

"Yes." Sora answered tersely. "Who are you?"

"I'm a survivor—"

"Yeah, yeah, we got through that part already." He waved her off, "I mean, do you have a name?"

She blinked, looking at him slowly. "No one's asked me what my name is in a while." She looked as though she had to think to remember. She faced Sora again, "I'm Kairi."

Sora's stomach dropped to his knees at the same time his heart jumped into his throat. "What?"

"My name's Kairi. Well it was…I guess it still is." She shrugged.

Sora jumped, grabbing her by the shoulders and turning her to face him.

"Ah, hey! What are you staring at, you stupid—"

Sora ignored her, holding her still and staring into her eyes. She was almost completely unrecognizable! Her hair was even darker than he remembered, her eyes no longer sparkled, and several scars lined her hands, in addition to the one on her forehead. Her skin was too dark and her arms under his fingers were too firm, too strong. This wasn't the same Kairi he'd known.

She watched him stare at her like he was nuts. When his grip faltered, she wriggled out of his hands and took several steps back, "What's your problem? Who are you?"

Sora struggled to find his voice, "K-Kairi, it's me."

She drew her head back from him, watching him with her head turned slightly away, bewildered.

Sora held his hands out, "It's me. It's Sora. Kairi, it's me."

Kairi's eyes widened and color began to drain from her face, "No you're not."

Sora knew he had to look as different to her as she did to him. "Yes I am! Look at me!"

Kairi glanced from his incredulous face, to his bare chest, to his spiky hair, and finally to his eyes. "Sora?" She stammered, leaning forward despite herself.

Sora nodded vehemently, unable to even think properly while looking at her. Kairi was alive! She was here, she was immune, she was alive. She was here! He did the only thing that seemed appropriate. He reached out and grabbed her up in his arms, pulling her close. Kairi went rigid, stiffening uncomfortably in his embrace. Sora pressed her to him, disbelief crashing over him in waves. She was real. He could feel her skin and her hair. She was breathing and standing and alive!

Soon, Kairi relaxed, comprehension fully dawning on her. She lifted her arms and locked them around his back, holding him like he was holding her…for dear life. "I was sure you were dead." She murmured, her voice muffled by her face pressed against his shoulder.

Sora pulled her away from him, studying her intensely, as if afraid she would disappear if he blinked. "This is unbelievable." He gaped.

"I know!" Hot tears were welling in her eyes, but they didn't break down her cheeks.

"How? How have you been living here?"

"How long have you been over there?"

"What about the evacuation boats?"

"How are you not infected?"

"How are YOU not infected?"

"I don't know!"

Sora ran his hands through his hair, staggering around as though he were drugged. Maybe he was drugged. Being in the presence of another person was his drug. He threw his hands down to his sides. "Are you—"

"The only one." She finished.

Sora bit his lip, looking towards the jungle. So Riku was the leader of the infected people?

Kairi followed his gaze and her liveliness sombered, "You have no idea how hard it's been…living around them for so long."

Sora swallowed hard, "Actually, I think I do." He looked back at her sharply, "Come back with me to the main island. We've got a house and supplies and protection. Meet Even. Oh, Even's gonna wet himself when he sees you!"

Kairi didn't need much persuading, "All right."

Sora jogged over to his backpack, stuffing everything back inside and haphazardly pulling his shirt back on before throwing the bag into the rowboat. Kairi came down the beach to meet him at the boat, looking impatient and anxious to leave.

"Do you need to take anything?" Sora asked.

Kairi gave him a flat look, "What in the world would I need to take? I've been living off mushrooms and fish."

Together they maneuvered the boat off the coast and into the shallows before climbing in. Sora took over rowing, and nearly ripped his arms out of joint in his hurry to get back to the main island. Kairi sat in front of him. She wasn't watching the ocean or the sky or the clouds or the islands around them. She only stared straight at Sora, disbelieving and uncomprehending. Sora stared back, a lopsided grin plastered to his face like an idiot.

The trip back to the main island seemed to take forever, but neither of them spoke. There were no words. Anything Sora could think of saying only came out in a garbled mess. He seemed to have forgotten how to use his jaw. Kairi was just despondent with shock and realization, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of not being alone anymore.

When they finally reached the shallows and waded up to the pier, Sora barely remembered to tie his boat to the dock before they climbed out. He slung his bag over his shoulder and snatched Kairi's wrist up in his other hand. Warm skin and a returned grip were things Sora would never take for granted again.

They moved at a jogging pace through the jungle, walking briskly and occasionally breaking into a run. There was so much to catch up on! It wasn't like Kairi had been gone on vacation for a week. She had been missing, gone from Sora's life for three YEARS.

Even's house across the meadow made Kairi gasp. It wasn't much, but considering she'd lived in lean-to's and flats in the trees for years, the house was a palace. She soon passed Sora, dragging him after her by the wrist in her hurry to reach the building. Sora had to pick up his pace to take the lead again, guiding her around to the back entrance.

He fumbled with the door and managed to finally push it open. The door swung wide and smacked into the wall inside.

"Skywalker, is that you?" Even called out from the lab.

Sora looked back at Kairi, who was craning her neck to peer over his shoulder.

"Yeah—and I have a friend." Sora responded.

Even chuckled, "Good, because that warthog was a little too tough for me." He walked out of the lab and into the hallway, spotting Kairi. His eyes ballooned to the size of lollipops and the clipboard in his hands toppled to the floor with a clatter.

"Who—"

"This is Even, number two survivor of Destiny Islands." Sora introduced for Kairi.

"She's…immune." Even stammered.

Kairi shouldered past Sora, offering her hand to the bewildered man, "I'm also Kairi. It's nice to meet another civilized human being."