Riku didn't hesitate to attack. A claymore met his Keyblade, pushing the Nobody back and causing the hood to fall. Kairi instantly recognized him as Saïx, Number VII and second in command. Saïx pulled up, shoving Riku.

Kairi summoned her blade, ready to attack the girl. The girl, Naminé, flattened herself against the wall. Was she not going to fight? Kairi rushed for her, only to be stopped by an arrow bullet that landed at her feet. Xigbar. Xigbar was back. As Naminé forced herself into a corner, out of the way, the Nobody warped in front of Kairi.

"Hey, Princess." He tapped his arrow gun on his shoulder. "Long time no see."

"What do you want this time?" Kairi demanded. "Still after my heart?"

Xigbar shook his head. "Nah. You can keep it. We're weapons shopping for Poppet over there." He nodded to the girl who shrunk as small as possible in her corner while Riku and Saïx had it out. "See… usually the weapon follows the Nobody. Buuuut, out newest member is having some trouble. We're giving her a hand."

"Oh, how kind of you."

"Ain't it?" he gave her a cheeky grin. "Is it just you and me this time, Princess? Or is your knight going to join us? Or did they send two of us to do the job of one?"

Kairi held her handle with both hands, yelling as she spun to gain momentum and whack him. He didn't seem to see it coming as it knocked him back. The fact that they believed so much that Riku and Kairi weren't a threat really ticked her off. Forget magic. Kairi lunged for the man, hitting him as hard as she could with her blade. She knocked him up, jumping to meet him to knock him back down.

He wasn't happy. The moment Kairi let up, he warped behind her, shooting. Kairi was caught once and quickly cast reflect to dispel the rest. His arrows hurt like no tomorrow, but Kairi raw resentment pushed it off. She wanted to prove to Xigbar she could take him on. She needed to with her own two hands and blade.

Kairi rushed him, jumping to him to knock him into the square. "The shop's that way." Kairi hit him towards the shop Huey, Dewey, and Louie ran.

Xigbar shot her in the shoulder, knocking her off her feet. Ow, that hurt! She grit her teeth, holding a hand over the wound. "They don't have the kind of weapon we're looking for," the Nobody shrugged. "Yours seems about right."

Kairi huffed. "What is it with you guys and trying to take things from me? First my heart, now my Keyblade? Go get your own!"

"Cute," Xigbar smirked. "Let's see what you got, Princess."

Kairi didn't like being called Princess. She never did, even her her and Riku were children. When he'd tease her by calling her Princess Kairi, she'd find some way to show her displeasure, whether it be stealing his snack or whacking him across the head. When she found out she actually was a Princess that made it even worse. Everyone started calling her Princess. Kairi never felt like royalty. She never wanted the title. Being born with a heart void of darkness was complicated, albeit useful from time to time.

Kairi was happy just being Kairi.

And when her enemies used the title, it sounded belittling. Like she wasn't fit for combat and wasn't much of a challenge. Kairi hated that more than anything. She growled, lunging for the man. She'd she him what she was made of.

Keeping low to the ground, she slid at him. He warped a few feet away, hanging upside-down, shooting his arrow bullets at her. She deflected them, flipping to get close fast. She feinted swinging up, allowing him to move to the left. She swung upward right, slamming her Keyblade to the left, right in his face.

Magic was convenient. She liked to use it because she was afraid to get up close and personal. Now… she wasn't afraid. She wanted Xigbar to feel just how offended she had been that he took her heart. She wanted to make sure he got the message, loud and clear. He wasn't going to walk away in one piece this time.

Kairi hadn't quite tried this sort of style. She didn't think her arms were powerful enough to hit hard enough and she was right. Yes, it caused some damage, but not enough. Kairi pushed her hand into Xigbar's face. "Light!"

A burst of light pushed him out of the air causing him to tumble back. Kairi was on him, never giving him an opening as she hit him relentlessly with her Keyblade. If he was going to try to take it, he needed to understand the fury it held. It would not leave Kairi without either putting up a fight. This was her blade and she wasn't going to let a bunch of Nobodies take it.

Then, the gun was under her chin. The arrow glowed an angry red and Kairi flipped backward just as it shot. It definitely made some contact. Her teeth clacked together painfully and she felt warmth pool down her throat. Her skin seared with torn flesh. Ow, ow, ow. She really hoped that wouldn't scar. She held her hand over her chin, casting Cure to close the wound enough to not distract her.

Xigbar was a distance fighter. But Kairi wanted to be close. She used every opportunity she could to close the distance, succeeding only a handful of times. She didn't like his distance. It meant he had a better chance of hitting her. Even when she got close, he's use his power over space to launch a barrage of arrows at her. It was a struggle, trying to reflect them. When she didn't dodge, she'd try and block and throw them back at him. When she got close enough to make a hit, he'd warp elsewhere and they'd start again.

It was tedious and annoying. She was getting hit more times than she could handle. Her magic was running low as well as her stamina. She had to push through it. She had to win this time. She wasn't going to be the little princess everyone expected her to be.

She was distracted, though. So thoroughly distracted, she didn't notice when a claymore came swinging at her until it was too late. Kairi cried out in pain as the hard weapon struck her, knocking her across the ground. The people in the square had scattered during her fight with Xigbar. She didn't have to worry about them getting hurt. But two on one…. Where was Riku?

It took her a moment to get adjusted. She was seeing double two men approached her. She turned onto her front, trying to get a look around for Riku. Oh, man, she felt sick. There he was… beaten and bloody not even a ten feet away. Was he alive? Was he breathing? Oh, please, let him be okay.

"Riku…" Kairi reached for him as she tried to get to her knees. She had to get to him. She had to see that he was going to be okay.

"Ah, ah, ah." A heavy boot landed on her back, pushing her down. "You're tougher than you look, Princess. But, we came here for something." Xigbar moved his foot from her spine to her wrist, pressing down on her right hand and holding her blade in place.

"XIII," Saïx turned. The quivering girl scrambled to approach them. Saïx and Xigbar turned, allowing her to face Kairi. "Take what belongs to you."

The girl, Naminé, crouched down. Kairi couldn't see under her hood, but she could sense her apprehension. She had no reason to be afraid, Kairi thought. First of all, she couldn't feel fear. Second, the two head honchos were there to make sure the plan succeeded. If these two failed, the Organization was much more pathetic than Kairi previously believed.

She still wasn't going to just hand over her Keyblade. When the girl got close enough, Kairi rose as much as she could, swinging her left fist upward. Her knuckles met a jaw, knocking the Nobody back. Wow… she didn't even punch that hard.

"Ah!" Kairi cried as a claymore fell onto her back.

"Stay down," Saïx ordered.

That was when Kairi got her first look at the Nobody. Naminé's hood fell back, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulder. Her face. Oh, God, her face. She was paler, only by a few shades, but that face. That was Kairi's face!

Naminé scrambled, grabbing the Keyblade from Kairi's slackened grip. She stood up and took a few steps back, possibly in fear that Kairi was going to hit her again. Kairi was in too much shock. She should have known. She should have expected this. I mean… you did lose your heart!

"Good?" Xigbar asked, turning to the blonde.

Naminé looked from Xigbar to Saïx, a frown gracing her lips. She gazed down at the blade in her hand. Destiny's Embrace. It wasn't hers to hold. No, it was Kairi's. That was Kairi's Keyblade and that girl wasn't allowed to take it!

Xigbar's foot at let up as he approached their youngest member. Kairi's reached for the blade, the claymore still holding her down. She called for it. Come back to me!

In a shimmer of light, the Keyblade disappeared from Naminé's grip, appearing once more in the hand it belonged in. Kairi grinned at Xigbar as he turned back to her. She wasn't going to let up. This was something that belonged to her. And, damn it, if she was expected to act like royalty, she was going to. She held a strong claim to the weapon in her hand and she would start wars to protect it.

"It… It's rejecting me," Naminé said. Her voice was so quiet. So sweet. … Kairi understood. She was only doing as she was told. She didn't know anything else. She didn't want to mess up. This girl… with no memories to call her own knew only the Organization and was only aiming to please.

That didn't mean Kairi was going to go easy on her if they were going to fight over the Keyblade.

"Then take it by force," Saïx demanded.

"Eh… bossman, I don't think you understand how Keyblades work," Xigbar pointed out. "You know… they're kind of picky and you kind of need a strong will to just take one. And Poppet here, well… we're working on those skills still, aren't we?"

Naminé bit her lip. Her eyes were glassy as she met Kairi's determined ones. There was no way her will was stronger than Kairi's. Right? Kairi could see she was just… like a puppy. Small, harmless, and follows whoever takes command. And Naminé certainly wasn't going to take command anytime soon.

Still, as the two higher-ups bickered, the blonde got to her knees before her, putting a hand over Kairi's. Kairi's grip on the Keyblade tightened. She would have to pry it from her corpse before she got a hold of it.

"I'm sorry," Naminé whispered.

"… Huh?"

Kairi winced as light burned into her retinas. A chain of light wrapped around Naminé's arm, snaking around her wrist and the handle of the Keyblade. Naminé wrenched upward and the Keyblade slipped from her grasp. Naminé crawled back as Kairi tried to lunge at her, despite the claymore that dug into her spine.

"No… NO!" Kairi screamed. "GIVE IT BACK!"

Xigbar helped Naminé to her feet. "We good this time, Poppet?"

"I… I think so." Naminé nodded.

Xigbar gave Kairi a sideways smirk. "Pleasure doing business with you, Princess. Thanks."

Kairi wriggled, trying to free herself from under Saïx's weapon. He only pushed down harder. Kairi's vision blurred as she watched the two leave through a Corridor of Darkness and she couldn't help but scream out like a child whose favorite toy was taken from them. No! They couldn't just do that! That was hers! She was found worthy of it! She had a job to do! She needed it!

When they were gone, Saïx let up. She tried to push herself up, only to be slammed across the lot once again. When she finally got her bearings enough to follow, he was gone.

Kairi hurt all over. Her head felt like it had cracked in two from hitting the pavement. Her body was sore and she wondered if her wrist was fractured. She was certain a rib or two were cracked. But none of the physical stuff hurt nearly as bad as her heart. She felt as if a piece had been torn out of her. Her throat squeezed tight as she choked on sobs. No… it was gone.

She heard a groan. Then she remembered… Riku! Kairi tried to get up. She slipped. Once. Twice. Five times before she decided it would be easier just to army crawl to him. Kairi rolled Riku onto his back. He was bruised and she could feet bones shift under her fingers… but he was alive. His raspy breathing was a sound of relief.

He was barely coming to when Kairi couldn't help but bury herself into his chest. She wailed and cried. She hadn't been nearly this upset when they lost their home, only because she knew they would get it back. Together. The two of them would fight the darkness and save their world. Now… she was useless. She couldn't do anything. She had lost.

"Kai…ri…" Riku's hand was on her head. "I'm alive… ish."

Kairi laughed her her sobs. "I know," she choked. She used the very last of her magic to cast Cure on Riku. It wasn't going to heal him completely, but… he might be able to stand. She certainly couldn't.

"They took it, Riku," she blubbered. "They took my Keyblade."

He was silent for a moment. "What was that?" he asked. "I think my concussion blew out my eardrums. They took your Keyblade?"

Kairi nodded into his chest. He bolted upright, as if he was given a shot of adrenaline. Kairi sat back on her feet, trying to rub the tears out of her eyes. Riku's eyes darted everywhere from her face to her hands to her wounds and her scrapped knees.

"Try and call it back," Riku ordered. "Right now. Give it everything you have."

Kairi sniffed, holding her hand on front of her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Her heart begged for the Keyblade to return. It pleaded. It demanded. She was its wielder. She was in command of it. She summoned all the power in her heart into calling her blade back to her.

She slumped, slowly opening her eyes. "It's… no use." Kairi said quietly. "She… she's using this… chain to keep it with her."

"She?"

"Naminé…" Kairi spoke softly. "Riku… she's… she's my Nobody."

It wasn't long until they had been found by Aerith. She was their go-to for healing magic and Kairi was sure she heard about the ruckus in the First District. The two friends were silent as Aerith worked on them, mending broken bones and disinfecting open wounds. Slowly, the District filled up again with people. They were used to curious bystanders, watching as they were patched up after a fight. The two were known to come back battered and beaten, so it wasn't anything new, but it was still a spectacle to see. People were drawn by the drama it seemed.

Aerith rarely asked too many questions, especially when it seemed like neither wanted to talk. She asked if it was the Organization, to which they replied, specifying which members. She would ask questions about their injuries, about what hurt, and what was bleeding. Aerith was a very thorough healer, which the two were grateful for.

"Do you two want to wait until tomorrow to give a report?" Aerith asked.

"No," Riku stood up, stretching his now mended ankle. "We need to talk to Aqua."

"She's still in the base, I think." Aerith tapped her chin. "Her and the boys were getting pretty heated when I left…"

Kairi almost wanted to know about what, but she was sure she'd hear about it from one of them. She was much more concerned about the missing hole in her chest. The piece that had been ripped from her ached so terribly. It was a wound even Aerith couldn't heal.

Aerith and Kairi helped support Riku as they walked back to the Third District. How had Sora not noticed the Nobody presence? He should have felt them. He should have come running. Where was he? And what had Aqua talked about with them that could have distracted him enough not to notice?

When they returned, Aqua and Ventus were in a very heated argument. Aerith and Kairi helped Riku into a chair at the table as they looked to each other for answers. None of them seemed to know what exactly they were fighting about. Sora stood next to Ven, his stance suggesting he was part of it. What were the three of them fighting about?

"Hey!" Riku shouted over their voices. The three of them were silenced, quickly turning to Riku, Kairi, and Aerith. "We got a problem."

It seemed almost instantly that Sora was at Kairi's side. His frustration was taken over with concern as the girl dropped herself into a chair. He took her face to examine the injury that had become a light scratch, thanks to Aerith. It might not scar too terribly.

"What happened?" Sora asked as Kairi pulled away from him. She didn't want to be touched. She just wanted her Keyblade back.

"The Organization showed up…" Kairi said quietly.

"I…" Sora looked from Kairi to Aqua and back. "I'm sorry. I should have been there. I didn't even detect them… I guess I was too… distracted. But you guys are okay, right?"

"They took her Keyblade," Riku informed them, his voice ringing much stronger than hers. "I guess because Naminé doesn't have her own… They just helped her take Kairi's."

"No way," Ven breathed. "That's not possible."

"She's… she's my Nobody," Kairi looked from Aqua to Riku. "She should have inherited my mark, right?"

"We don't know that she—" Aqua started. Kairi quickly cut her off.

"I saw her face." Kairi felt her voice growing stronger. "She has my face. She's… She's a part of me. She has… this power. There was this chain that held on to the Keyblade. She couldn't use it herself. But that chain… it kept it in her hands."

Aqua crossed over, gently pulling Sora back so Aqua could properly face Riku and Kairi. She asked what happened, to which the two complied. Riku had been out for most of Kairi's ordeal, so he wasn't much help. It only made it harder for Kairi to talk when it came to the theft. She clutched at her chest, feeling the hole widen with every word. How could Naminé do that? How could the Nobody of someone like Kairi even think about hurting another like she had?

What could they do? They couldn't very well storm into The World That Never Was to take back what was stolen. And now… Kairi couldn't do anything to help. She was useless without her Keyblade.

There was a clattering on the table next to her. Kairi jumped, seeing Sora pouring Keychains onto the table. They would appear in his hands, and he'd dump the next batch beside her. Before she knew it, there was a pile of Keychains tangled up in one another that Sora began to spread out.

"Pick one. Any one. You can use one of mine." Sora plucked out a silver one with a charm that looked oddly like Mickey's head. Kingdom Key. "Except this one. But any of them—it's all yours."

Kairi smiled jokingly. "Aw, but I wanted that one most." The alarm in Sora's face actually caused her to laugh. He believed a dumb joke like that? Kairi stood up to sift through the Keychains. Riku, still seated, helped her find some she might be able to work with. When requested, Sora would summon it and she would examine the blade to see if it was something she could use. Touching the Keychain, Kairi could feel the name. She was always amazed at how these weapons named themselves.

"You have some… strange Keyblades," Riku pointed out. "How did you manage to get your hands on something called 'Glimpse of Darkness' and 'Darker than Dark'? That seems… very un-Sora-like."

Sora shrugged. "I don't know. They just… come to me, I guess. Hey, how about this one? Dream's Lullaby." Sora summoned the blade to his hand. "It's really good with magic."

Kairi hummed thoughtfully. "Hm… no. I want… I want something with a lot of strength."

The boys stared at her, not quite getting it. She knew it was something she wasn't used to. She'd usually stand back and throw magic. But now… that fight with Xigbar… it felt good to use her hands. It felt natural to stand with both feet solidly on the ground. She wanted to explore that and see if it would work for her.

"Then… uh…" Sora pushed through the Keychains until he found what he was looking for. He pulled apart a few, shaking the Keychain free. "This one." The Keyblade appeared in his hand. "Total Eclipse. It's kind of devastating when it comes to strength-based attacks. But really sucks at magic."

Kairi took the blade from him, smiling. It was heavier than she expected, but not unwieldy. There was a perfect balance to it, which she knew would come in handy for practicing a new fighting style.

"Just, uh, don't dismiss it." Sora suggested. "It'll probably come back to me if you do."

"Thank you," Kairi beamed at him. It was genuine, but difficult to do. She wanted her Keyblade back. He grinned back, making it easier to widen her smile. His was just so infectious… she wished it were a disease that could be spread. A disease happiness.

Kairi turned back to Riku. "Ready to go home?" Light shimmered from the table as the Keychains began to vanish.

"Are you sure you want that thing?" Riku asked, exasperated. "I feel like I landed in bizarro-land looking at you with that thing."

"I think we should all go back," Aqua suggested.

"We're not done talking, Aqua." Ven huffed, crossing his arms.

Aqua sighed. It seemed whatever they were fighting about would be a long and arduous battle for Aqua. Her two boys were most certainly not going to let it go just because of what happened. "We can finish discussing this at the apartment."

"Darn right we are."

Kairi looked to Riku for answers, which he clearly had none. The two were completely out of the loop and nothing either of them said made any sense.

"I'll… help you guys up," Sora volunteered. Sora and Kairi hooked an arm around Riku who shifted his weight to his good foot. They had more elixirs in the apartment, so Kairi figured he would be almost one hundred percent by tomorrow. Kairi supported Riku with one arm, carrying her new heavy and borrowed Keyblade in the other.

In the apartment, the two set Riku onto the couch. The boy didn't even bother to get dressed. He kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, and grabbed his blanket. He was more than drained and Kairi couldn't blame him.

"So," Riku yawned, "What were you guys fighting about? Not that it's any of my business, but… if you're going to go back at it, I want to know if my sleep is going to be interrupted."

Sora frowned, shuffling between his feet. Kairi chewed her lip. It was something big enough to distract him from detecting the Nobodies, which could not have been good.

"She's… um… She's going off to fight Ansem. On her own."

So, my original idea was for Kairi to have the Keyblade that was revealed for Kingdom Hearts III, because, fffyeah, dual guns. But we don't know enough about it and I hate assuming things because I go WAY OFF THE MARK (like at one point, I assumed Vanitas was going to be named Ignus and what even) so, yeah, as cool as that would have been to explore, I decided it was safer to stay away from KHIII territory.

I also came across some pretty cool head canons people have for Kairi's fighting style and have adopted them for my own, so I'm assimilating them into the story. Like, Sora's kind of full of light and flighty, like Ven and Riku's got a lot of magic attacks (even if they are darkness based) like Aqua. So, what does that leave Kairi with? The heavy hitter. The tank. Terra.

Oh, and some of the Keyblades mentioned are Roxas's. In fact, the one Kairi takes is one of Roxas's. I didn't feel like trying to make up any because I fail at weaponry creativity. But that's the beauty of fanfiction. You don't have to make shit up.