They landed in Hollow Bastion. Surrounding them was nothing but water that flowed upwards. A beast in a purple cloak perched on the remains of a bridge or a walkway. Kairi was too paralyzed to notice to care as the animal rounded on them. It was a rush of everything. Here. This was it. It had to be. Nothing looked familiar, but everything just felt like it pointed to here.

"Whoah, whoah!" Riku held up his hands as a sign of good faith. "Calm down! We aren't here to hurt you!"

"Where's BELLE!?" The beast bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the caverns.

And there he stood, above them, looking down at the creature. Cloud. Kairi could tell just by looking at him that his heart had fallen even deeper.

"You're looking for your princess?" he asked quietly. The beast roared. "Tell me, Beast. How did you find yourself here without a vessel?"

"After Belle had been taken from me, I promised I would find her no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!"

Cloud pulled up his sword, gazing down at the beast. "Good luck."

Then, he leaped. The great Beast leapt from his place at Cloud. Kairi shook herself from her daze to make her way up to the platform. She had to stop him. They couldn't fight. As soon as her and Riku made it, the beast was tottering backward. He fell with a loud thump.

"Donald, help him." Kairi ordered as she rushed forward. "Cloud, what are you doing here?"

"Maleficent promised she would help me find her. No contracts. Only give and take." Cloud smirked, clenching his clawed hand. "I found her, Kairi. Tifa. Her heart has been suppressed and I'm trying to get it back. This is all for her."

"No, Cloud. There are other ways. Please listen—" he was gone.

They weren't friends. She didn't know him. She had met him once, but she knew he wasn't past saving. She supposed the reason she wanted to redeem him was because he reminded Kairi so much of Riku. She could see Riku, back when he was ignorant, leaning on the darkness to get what he wanted. Now, he fought only for the light. He knew what the darkness did to people and she trusted he never would consider it.

Kairi helped to heal the Beast. He joined them to look for the Princess from his world. As they made their way through the castle, they lost the Beast somewhere along the way. He just suddenly… ran off. They were forced to continue without him. This castle… it made Kairi's head fuzzy and she felt as if her heart was being pulled. She wasn't sure if they were connected, but everything came to a stop when they came to a library. That table. That window. She knew it. She remembered an old woman sitting there, telling her stories of how people fought over the light.

Riku noticed her pause.

Her eyes blurred. Clutching her chest, she turned to him with a watery smile. "Riku," her voice cracked. "It's here." She found herself laughing. "This world. It's where I come from."

After this long search, they'd found it destroyed beyond comprehension. No wonder she was thrown to Destiny Island. This must have been one of the first worlds to fall to the Heartless, which is why she was blasted across the multiverse.

A flood of memories rushed to her. An old woman… her grandmother had taken care of her. There was a man with a kind smile who told her of his discovers. A boy only a little older than her scrutinizing her with calculating eyes. Those eyes were so much older than he was…

"Kairi, Kairi," Riku put his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me. Okay? Keep your eyes on me." The sound of Donald and Goofy fighting began to sound more and more distant. "You know any other time, I'd be right here with you. I would. But you need to snap out of it. The Heartless are right on us and we don't have time for a freak out, alright?"

He was right. She shook herself out, clutching her weapon to cast a fire attack at the monster that tried to get the drop on Donald. These Heartless hoards were more powerful than the others they had faced. It was becoming exhausting.

They made their way through the castle, the pull against her chest only growing stronger. What was that? Where was her heart trying to take her? This did not bode well, she feared. Not like her heart was leading her, but rather that her heart was being dragged kicking and screaming.

When they reached the chapel that was when they finally met her. Maleficent. It was the first time they had met her, Kairi was sure. But something about her… those horns.

"Kairi," Riku said quietly as she approached them with a smirk on those red lips. "That's her." Kairi turned to Riku sharply. He knew who she was. She wasn't crazy. "That's the woman that took Sora."

He was right, now that he had said it. She recognized the green tint in her skin, the tall black horns, the staff in her hand, and the impossible height of the woman. Kairi had seen her Wanted posters around town for years before they vanished. Riku had kept one in his room. He explained he never wanted to forget the face of the woman that stole his best friend. Eventually, even that poster was taken down.

Kairi felt rage bubble within her. She was friends with the boy and had only known him for a year, but their hearts had connected. She was distraught when he was taken. It was so easy for children to fall into friendship. Kairi had felt at the time she had known him her whole life.

"What did you do to Sora?!" Kairi blurted out before she could stop herself.

The woman stopped abruptly for a moment before she laughed. "Is that your concern? You fear for a long-forgotten child?"

"No, but…." Kairi was shaking. She was angry and sad and wanted answers they had searched years for before giving up and forgetting. Riku grabbed the back of her shirt as she tried to run for the woman. She wanted to beat the answers out of her. That poor, poor child.

"Do not worry, he is long gone by now." Maleficent explained. "He was thrown into the Realm of Darkness where one with a light like his would never survive."

"Why…?" Kairi growled. "Why?!"

"There was a prophecy." She continued. "One that fortold of a boy with light in his heart and a Key in his hand. It told of the boy from the sky that would vanquish the darkness. The details do not concern you. I took it upon myself to… nip it in the bud before it blossomed."

"How do you know it was Sora?" Riku asked. Kairi could feel his anger swelling. "He was just a kid. And, as far as I know, he didn't have a 'Key.'"

"The details of the prophecy were very clear." Maleficent replied. "As I said, don't you have more pressing issues than that of a lost boy?"

He was gone. And she was right. They could not help the dead, but there were princesses ahead of them that were in need of their help. Maleficent was brutal to fight. She was relentless and more powerful than they imagined. They barely won that fight. Goofy passed out, Donald had used most of their potions trying to keep everyone afloat (god damn it, Donald! She had just healed, she didn't need a potion!). Riku's stamina was nearly depleted as they watched the woman limp off to the next room. They had to catch up to her. They couldn't let her get away.

Kairi used the last of her magic to heal Riku. Her own bruises throbbed and her cuts bled freely. They didn't have time to argue about whether or not they should take care of her wounds. Goofy was struggling to get back to his feet as the two of them took off to the next room.

"I told you to protect the princesses!" Maleficent's voice echoed though the cavernous room.

"You're usefulness has run out."

Kairi gasped. Cloud was… different. They hadn't seen him more than a few hours ago and there he was, covered in fabric that felt like it was made of darkness itself. His scarf stretched further, fluttering as if it were in water. He radiated darkness. Kairi new just by looking at him that he had fallen too deep. How? Why? Who pushed him over that edge?

In his hand, he held what looked like a Keyblade without a Keychain. The menacing blade struck fear into her heart. She learned too quickly that it wasn't without reason.

Maleficent opened her mouth just as Cloud plunged the blade into her chest. "Give in to the darkness," he commanded as he pulled the blade from her. He turned to Riku and Kairi, his scarf covering most of his face. His eyes were crazed. Then, like that, he was gone.

And Maleficent became a dragon.

"Seriously?!" Riku cried in exasperation. She was more powerful now? Ugh, fine! They didn't have much of a choice, did they? With the little energy and supplies they had left, they fought her. Riku was the only one able to make the finishing blow by the time they were done.

They just wanted to rest, all of them. They took the time to go back to the Moogle they had come across (what the heck was a Moogle doing there, anyway?! Were they selling potions to bad guys?!). They healed themselves and rejuvenated their magic before moving forward.

Something was seriously wrong with Cloud. They passed the Princesses in their cryo containers on their way to the Keyhole. The feeling in her chest was at it's strongest. It beat faster than a hummingbird's wings. This was wrong. She shouldn't be here. She backed up into Goofy's shield, wanting nothing more than to bolt. He asked if she was all right, that she looked pale. He assured he she didn't have anything to fear.

"Finally," Cloud peered over the group. "The final key is here. Thank you, Princess, for saving me the trouble of hunting you down." What was he talking about? "And now that the final Princess is here, the Keyhole can be completed."

Kairi scowled as Riku turned to her, his eyes wide with shock. Her? A Princess of Heart? That was funny. "You're not Cloud."

His scarf billowed behind him as a great black wing unfurled. She cried out as suddenly her heart pulsed erratically. It hurt. Riku grabbed her as she lurched forward.

"Your heart is responding to the Keyhole." As he drew closer, Riku pulled his Keyblade up defensively.

"Who are you?" Riku demanded stepping in front of the girl.

"It is I, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness." Riku lunged for him. With a flick of his wrist, Cloud sent Riku tumbling towards the stairs, into Donald and Goofy who had been blocked from the platform. Kairi was alone. Looking up, Cloud's darkness became all she saw. "Do not hold back, Princess. Release your power. Show me everlasting Darkness!"

"No!" She slashed her Keyblade at him. Kairi hadn't fought Cloud before. Riku had. But, she'd seen his move sets. And if Ansem followed those at all…

He did, but didn't. Cloud was much more powerful than she anticipated. She pushed against him, keeping her heart strong. She wasn't going to let Ansem use her! It was a tough fight. She thought she would lose. The girl came out victorious. As the barrier fell, she barely had time to celebrate. Cloud had disappeared, leaving the strange blade behind.

That was when she noticed the woman propped up in the corner next to the Keyhole. She was tall, wearing a white crop top and a leather skirt. Her dark hair fell in front of her face as she slept. She must have been Tifa. Kairi could see the darkness that pressed against her. She was a fighter, though. Her light barely peeked through the darkness that tried to suppress it.

This darkness magic was familiar.

Kairi put a hand on her shoulder to see how she was doing as Riku attempted to lock the Keyhole. Goofy stood behind her. She turned to catch him from her peripherals. "This is Maleficent's magic." She told him. "She must have done this in order to control Cloud."

"Gawrsh… shouldn't the magic have lifted when we beat her?"

"I don't know…" Kairi looked up at Riku who jumped down from the platform. "But maybe we can reverse it."

"No use," Riku sighed. "The Keyhole isn't completed, so it can't be locked."

Kairi knew what she had to do. She didn't like it, not by any means. But maybe they could be quick about it. She hoped they would be quick enough. They didn't have much of a choice. It was severely unstable and if the world was going to have any chance of returning to normal, she had to do it now.

Kairi moved to the center of the platform. She felt as if her heart was dying to burst out of her chest. The raw power of light filled her up.

"Kairi, what are you doing?"

"We have to complete it. Be ready to lock it when I'm done, Riku."

"But—"

"Why do you always have to oppose everything I decide? Come on. Just trust me, Riku." She shook her head, laughing. "I trust you. Get ready." She turned to Donald and Goofy. "You guys go get the other Princesses."

Of course he didn't like the idea. If the news that Kairi was a Princess of Heart was as surprising to him as it was to her, she was sure his mind was blowing. She supposed she had a responsibility now. Not that she liked the idea, but at the same time… it kind of felt good to know she was a little important to the multiverse.

Riku took his position beside her as she clasped her hands together, as if praying. Donald and Goofy ran off to do as she instructed. Riku did a lot of the leading throughout their journey and it was kind of nice to take control. She thought about doing it more often.

Breathe in. As she exhaled, a light burst from her chest, thrusting her back. She stumbled before catching herself, watching the light reach the Keyhole. When it faded, she fell to a knee. "Riku, now!"

The boy aimed his Keyblade, light surrounding the tip as it readied to lock when he was lifted from his feet. He grunted, swinging back at the assailant. Kairi gasped. The man smiled at her.

"Thank you for your service, Princess." He tossed Riku, who was quick to scramble to his feet. "The Keyhole is now complete. You have served your purpose. But now it's over."

Kairi backed away from him, summoning her Keyblade. "Stay back!" she cried.

He stopped abruptly, struggling to move his body. "No… it cannot be."

Before him, a translucent figure appeared. His eyes desperate as she struggled to hold Ansem back. "Hurry! I can't hold him back for long."

"Cloud!" Kairi stepped towards him.

"No, stay back!" Cloud's form was already weakening. "Please. Take Tifa and get out of here." Kairi tried to protest. "Just go! And take that with you." He nodded towards the forgotten blade on the ground. "It's made of the Princesses hearts. Now hurry. The Heartless are coming!"

Kairi darted for the blade as Riku hauled Tifa onto his back. She was taller than him, so he struggled. Her feet dragged behind him as they ran down the stairs. When they reached the Princesses, Donald and Goofy had their containers opened, but the princesses weren't moving.

"They won't wake up!" Donald bawked.

Kairi felt the light within the blade in her hand. She could feel the pureness of their hearts meet with their own. Maybe… she had to try. And she had to hurry. Kairi held the blade in both hands, light radiating from her. It engulfed the blade, making it shake in her palms. It burst into a sparkle of lights, six hearts rising to meet their bodies.

Getting them all out of there was the hard part. They had been asleep for a long time and were confused when they were being told to run, Heartless right on their tails. There wasn't much else to do other than usher them towards the exit. Promises of explanations would be had and when they met paths with the Beast, it became easier to get them to go along. Kairi and Donald brought up the front, Riku, Goofy, and the Beast the rear. Thankfully, Beast had offered to carry Tifa.

The ship was cramped. They all made it back to Traverse Town in one piece, though.

They shouldn't have run. Looking back, Riku knew that they could have taken Ansem on in that moment. He knew they were strong enough and he was weak enough. Their hasty departure was the pivotal point in their story that turned for the worse.

When they went back to try and seal the Keyhole, they found the world in pieces. The ones surrounding it, obliterated. All that was left was a vortex of darkness that seemed to suck in all the light around it. Kairi felt weaker just looking at it.

How could they fail? Everything they'd done… they'd always come out on top. Through all the trials and tribulations, they'd make it through. No matter how much darkness, they'd make the light shine brighter. They were supposed to be the heroes, right? They'd failed. And because of their failure, their universe could be doomed.

Trying to get close to the vortex proved useless. They fought to pull away from its powerful gravity. They didn't know what was beyond it. They didn't know if it would kill them. They were too scared to find out.

At a safe distance, they noticed something orbiting the vortex. It looked like… a ship. Made of organic material.

"It's a Heartless." Riku realized. "Ansem became too powerful, too fast."

"Do you think he's opened the Door?" Kairi asked, chewing her nails.

"I think that is the Door." Riku nodded to the vortex. "How are we going to close it? I don't think our Keyblades are powerful enough to reach that far into the Darkness."

"I think it might require more than just Keyblades."

"What do we do?"

Riku turned to her. He was asking her. Why now? He held most of the control throughout their journey and now that she was suddenly a Princess, she apparently knew what to do? She was just as clueless as him. What could she say?

"We can't just stand here!" Donald shook himself out in anger. There was a lot of that in that tiny body of his.

"We missed our chance," Riku pounded the controls. "We blew it!"

"What can we do?" Goofy asked.

"Make sure the worlds stay intact." Kairi suggested. "We need to protect them. This… thing is eating whatever comes close to it. The best we can do for now is make sure their light stays sealed to protect them."

Riku looked out at the pathways between worlds. "We might need some help."

"We should find the King," Kairi folded her arms. "He might know what to do. He seems one step ahead of us. Just out of reach. Maybe he can help us."

They continued their search. After six months of searching came a year of trying to protect the worlds. Traverse Town seemed to have a constant influx of refugees anymore that Cid, Aerith, Leon, and Yuffie took on to help. They had come across the King several times. He would cryptically lead them in the right direction before disappearing. It happened way too often for Riku to find any comfort.

When Atlantica fell, they began to fear Traverse Town would be close behind it. They really needed the King. He finally showed himself after eight months. He had exhausted all of his resources and finally conceded he needed help.

He explained that he had been undercover in the darkness this whole time. He found out things were much worse than they thought. Ansem was not working alone. He never had been. There were a group of villains who called themselves Organization XIII. They were Nobodies.

"Well, they don't seem like nobodies," Kairi smiled weakly in a failed effort to make a joke.

"Nobodies malevolent creatures like the Heartless." Mickey explained. "They were the empty husks left behind when a person becomes a Heartless."

That would explain those strange creatures they'd seen in Port Royal. And that weird guy with the spears. Kairi believed that had their hands full enough with the Heartless, now they had to deal with Nobodies?

Worst yet, the Nobody of Ansem had teamed up with his Heartless. Their goal was to reach Kingdom Hearts and spread darkness throughout the multiverse. One uber powerful Heartless with an untouchable vortex and one Organization with twelve members. From the sound of their name, they were looking for a thirteenth.

"We're in a lot of trouble," Kairi whined quietly.

"Which is why I came to you guys," Mickey said. "I've been trying for years, but I need help finding someone. Another Keyblade Master. She may be our last hope."

"Any idea where she could be?" Kairi asked.

He shook his head. "She disappeared eleven years ago. The more eyes looking for her, the better."

Riku shrugged. "We're constantly looking for someone who we believe knows the answers. What if she doesn't have any?"

It was yet another question Mickey could not answer. Whether or not they found her, they would keep trying. This savior might be what they wanted, but Kairi hoped it wasn't what they needed.

As promised, uber long chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter~