AN: All I gotta say for this chapter is...muhahahaha. xD Finally got here. :D

"Come on, get out here you worthless...little...piece of...shit! What, are you too good for me, is that it?! Are you too good for your master?! Answer me!"

Everyone stared as Elrena viciously swung an empty arm this way and that, in the middle of the throne room in early morning's light.

"If that's how you treated your Keyblade before, I fully understand why it's refusing to come to you now," Aqua said harshly, watching with arms crossed from up on the dais.

"She's just frustrated," Lauriam stated.

"Clearly," Aqua scoffed, shaking her head. "But that won't help the situation."

"Neither will this," Terra spoke evenly, stepping forward. "Elrena-"

"What?" The woman's head snapped around to glare daggers at him.

"Maybe you should take a break," Terra went on. "Getting yourself all worked up like this isn't doing you any favors."

Elrena continued to glare at him for nearly a minute before suddenly snapping out of it. "Suuure, yeaaah - a break! That'll help! Why not?" she said sarcastically. She stalked off to the side of the room, leaning against the railing and crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "By the way, do you know how hard it is to resist the urge to punch you in the face? Because it gets stronger with every passing second!" she hurled out at Terra.

Aqua looked furious - but Terra raised a hand to her in silence. Terra looked at Elrena, thoughtful.

"Are you saying I'm part of the problem here - I'm making it too hard for you to concentrate on summoning your Keyblade?" Terra said quietly.

Elrena's face showed surprise. Then confusion. "W-what...? I wasn't even- that wasn't...? No! You have no idea what you're talking about - don't go psycho-analyzing me!"

Terra simply smiled. "I'm not doing anything like that. I'm just trying to help you out. But if you'd rather I didn't..."

"Ugh - just - turn around or something, would you?" Elrena said lamely. "I seriously cannot look at you."

Terra raised his eyebrows. Then he grinned. "Well, if that would help, then okay." He promptly turned right around, putting his back to her and crossing his arms.

"Wh- wha..." Elrena blushed hard, her lips parting. She looked to Kairi in disbelief. "Is he always like this?"

"Pretty much," Kairi replied.

"Huh...Well..." Elrena looked away, then up to the high ceiling. "There's no way Xemnas came from a guy like this..." she muttered.

"Yeah, just like there's no way a guy like Roxas came from a guy like Sora," Ven laughed.

"Do you want help?" Aqua spoke again.

"Help?" Elrena snorted. "Help from someone younger than I am?"

"Hey, she might still look pretty young, but technically she's twenty-eight," Ven said quickly. "She got stuck in the Realm of Darkness for ten years...and I guess she didn't age there."

"Thank you, Ven," Aqua said dryly.

"Well, I'm actually twenty-six, and from where I'm standing, she looks eighteen," Elrena insisted. "So, I do not need you acting like my teacher, or trainer, or whatever - I'm not going to get lumped in with the kids here, 'kay? I'm not a student, I'm not a little baby Keyblader!"

"Of course," Terra said lightly. "But you should still be able to take advice from people who have more experience with Keyblades than yourself, owing to your lack of memories."

Elrena looked between him and Aqua. "All right. How can you help me?" she said finally.

"Well..." Aqua began. "Terra brings up an excellent point. I understand from Ven that your memories might not be the happiest...but what do you remember? If you could remember ever wielding your Keyblade, remember what it felt like, remember the others around you - fellow wielders, classmates?"

Elrena frowned intensely, looking down at the floor. She clasped her hands together, letting out a shaky breath. Suddenly, she looked a whole lot different. Almost like a totally different person, in Kairi's eyes...

"W-well, I...not much..." Elrena struggled, her eyebrows furrowing. "Xiki gave me back a fair bit of it, and a whole lot of stupid crap has been invading my dreams since then, but..." Even her voice was a lot different. Softer. Warmer. And...a lot more anxious and unsure. "Most of it's still hazy," she murmured on. "A-anyways, everyone bit the d-dust - who'd want to remember any more of that than they- h-have to...?"

"I understand that," Aqua said gently, her face softening. "I do. We lost our home to Xehanort - this very world. I myself...don't like to remember all the time I spent trapped in the Realm of Darkness. But, in those memories, there's also hope. Strength that you can take from it. If...you can see through the fog of darkness, and find the light again. You must have had friends - like Lauriam, and Ven, even - and there must have been countless fun, good times you had with people back in your world..."

"I- I partied up with a few people before, sure, but I never really had...friends," Elrena muttered. "I was usually off on my own...doing my own thing, you know what I mean?"

"I do," Ven said quietly, unexpected. "I was always...by myself, back then..." he carried on, his eyes glazing over with distant, struggling memory. A look Kairi imagined she'd had on her own face many times before, when recalling her own hazy past... "But I always wanted friends. And then I met-" He winced, reaching up to grasp his head. He looked at Lauriam, suddenly afraid.

"Yes," Lauriam spoke softly. "You met people who would become your friends - myself included." His gaze moved to Elrena as he added to her, "I know you feel like you don't deserve to have survived our world's destruction - but that's as far from the truth as you can get. Elrena...Ven and I are both overjoyed that you lived, that you came along with us. And...I think we're both hoping to be able to call you a true friend. And that you, in turn, might be able to come to call us the same."

Elrena stared at Lauriam. Then at Ven. Her eyes flickered from face to face, roaming over the rest of them. Almost panicked, fearful. "I wasn't anyone important; I just got lucky..." she mumbled, toneless.

"We all did," Lauriam replied. "Wouldn't you say?"

Elrena's lower lip quivered. Her green eyes began to shimmer. "N-no - s-screw this, I c-can't!" she exclaimed, choked. Then she turned and vaulted clean over the railing, sailing down to the lower level - down into the steep stairwell.

Well, that was one way to escape an overwhelming situation, Kairi thought, her Heart aching for the woman.

"I...should go and make sure she's all right," Lauriam said, giving a bow of his head to Aqua and Terra before striding off across the room. He took the long way down the stairs - the proper way.

Aqua and Terra shared similarly helpless looks for a moment, before getting their game faces back.

Ven was staring after his old friends, looking extremely troubled and upset.

"Ven...do you want to go spend some time with them?" Aqua said hesitantly. "They were your friends - they are," she amended quickly, flashing a smile.

"You guys are my friends," Ven said, just as quickly. "I don't even really...remember...it's mostly just feelings..." he trailed off.

"This isn't a sparring competition, Ven," Terra said lightly. "You can have as many friends as you want - and your old friends being around again doesn't have to mean casting aside all the others you've made since then. In fact, we want them to become our friends too, if they're open to it."

Ven struggled with himself, then he nodded. "Okay. Thanks, guys," he said gratefully, turning to follow after Lauriam, departing the throne room.

"Hey, Lauriam!"

Kairi smiled as she strode down to join the man, sitting down with him on the front steps of the castle.

"Hello," he murmured, nodding to her and turning toward her.

They sat in silence for a minute - a minute in which Kairi realized Lauriam was staring at her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Hm?" Lauriam startled. He blinked rapidly, then looked away quickly. His cheek held a pink tinge to them now. "My apologies..." he said, halting and awkward now.

"Come on, what was that look for?" Kairi pressed, leaning over to bump elbows with the man.

Lauriam laughed lightly. His hands folded together in his lap. He finally looked back at her again. "Nothing important," he said slowly. "You merely reminded me...of someone I once knew."

"I did? Who was it?"

Lauriam's gaze flickered up to her hat, then he shook his head. "I can't recall his name - but he, too, wore a hat. A fellow Keyblade wielder, and a friend. Lost, when we lost our world to darkness..."

"I'm sorry." Kairi hesitated, then reached up and pulled her hat off, setting it in her lap. Lauriam's eyes widened as he took in the full, unconcealed sight of her. "Is that better for you?"

"Is it...better for you?" Lauriam stammered. "I- wouldn't want to make this into a battle of discomforts."

"I can't be useless every time I lose my hat," Kairi said, trying for a grin. "I should really be getting used to being seen without it. It can't become some sort of crutch for me."

"Mmm...A wise way to look at things."

"Thanks. I try my best."

Lauriam shut his eyes, bowing his head.

"And, yesterday - during the battle - when you saved me from that- other Nobody..." Kairi went on gently. "You weren't seeing me, were you?"

"I apologize for that, as well..." Lauriam whispered. "In the heat of battle, of emotions, and for an instant when the fading sun caught your hair, I- I acted foolishly."

"Did you think I was Xikira?" Kairi said, smiling. "'Cause I'm more than okay with that. It's sweet."

"No," Lauriam replied softly. "Not her."

Oh. "Then...was it that- sister you've mentioned before? Do I look like her?"

Lauriam opened his eyes, looking her in the face. Dead on. "Not at all," he laughed, in a way that was both humorous and...just sad.

"Speaking of Xikira..." Kairi spoke again. "Could I ask you to tell me a little more about her? What she's like with you, what your friendship's been like - about her plans now? And that friend she wants to help, like Roxas wants to help his friend..."

Lauriam raised an eyebrow at that last part. "Roxas has someone in the Organization he...? Ah. Axel?"

"Right," Kairi nodded. "They had a fight recently, but we still have hope. It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to leave a death cult, is it?"

Lauriam's lips curved, and he chuckled loudly. "No, no it isn't. Especially for people like us, who already believe we're nothing more than echoes and remnants of real people. I no longer believe that, of course, but the others surely do..."

"And Xikira's friend? Can you tell me about them?"

Lauriam's smile faded, turning to a frown. "Speaking truthfully, that friendship...is something that's always made me uneasy. But, clearly, she's seen something in him that the rest of us haven't. And he, in turn, must have seen something in her..." He shook his head, raising a hand to brush at his long pink hair. "At any rate...He's ranked number two in the Organization, and his name is Xigbar."

"Xigbar," Kairi repeated quietly. She swore she felt something stir in her Heart just then. A sensation, a fleeting...recognition? "So, if we were to unscramble the obnoxiously edgy 'X' naming scheme, what would his real name be? His human name?"

"I've heard around the Organization that it was 'Braig,'" Lauriam supplied.

"Braig. Okay. And what is he like?"

Lauriam's frown intensified. He sighed. "He seems to present a front of indifference bordering on laziness - as if he's only here for the fun of it. But he isn't number two for no reason...and clearly there's more to him than I can understand, given his- relationship with Xikira."

"It's usually the people pretending to be indifferent or cool who are compensating majorly for something," Kairi reflected, thinking of Riku. "Insecurity, jealousy - whatever."

"True. Elrena is always doing something similar," Lauriam said quietly. "It's...a struggle to get her to a point where she'll honestly open up - to be vulnerable with anyone, with her emotions."

"So, this Xigbar guy - what does he look like? So I don't accidentally destroy him if I run into him somewhere," Kairi said, grinning. But she was also being partially serious about it. "And so I don't blow his or Xikira's cover," she added, fully serious now.

Lauriam sighed again, and described the man to her.

It felt almost like information that Kairi already knew.

After talking a bit more - about Xikira, and her time with Lauriam and Elrena - Kairi asked Lauriam another casual question.

"So, have you been having any luck with your Keyblade?"

Lauriam turned his hand over in his lap, gazing down at his open palm. He curled his fingers...then let them relax again. "I'm afraid not - but I'm sure it will come back to me when I'm worthy of it."

"I think you're already pretty worthy of it," Kairi replied.

Lauriam gave a light smile, his blue eyes glistening at her. "Thank you, Kairi, for being so kind...but I believe it's still highly debatable."

Well, Kairi didn't want to argue - so she continued to sit with the man, on the steps, in a comfortable and open silence now. Then, an idea struck her. Smiling, she raised a hand to summon her Keyblade - then she flipped it around and passed it over to Lauriam. "Here - this might help."

Lauriam stared at it in surprise. He smiled warmly, nodding to her as he took it in hand. "It's a beautiful weapon," he said.

"Thanks."

Lauriam suddenly laughed, catching her eye. "I'm honestly feeling envious of its design. I do remember what my own looked like, now - and yours outshines it by far. Truly, in comparison, mine seems...rather plain."

Kairi laughed too, sitting back with hands in her lap. "What did yours look like?"

Lauriam gazed down on Destiny's Embrace, turning it over in hand - caressing its golden blade, the flowers on the end of it. "Mine...had green leaves above the handle. The guard was comprised of many different colors. There were vines reaching up along the blade, from the leaves. And at the end, there were two, large roses. The blade itself was purple."

"That sounds really pretty!"

"Thank you - I once thought so, too."

"So, are you like really into flowers?" Kairi responded, peering at him intently. "Your Keyblade, those rose petals whenever you summon your scythe, and your hair..."

Lauriam shifted where he sat, laughing again. "I take it from your vivacity that you are 'really into flowers?' That, and your Keyblade..."

"I used to be, when I was little - then, not so much, growing up," Kairi replied. "But, lately I've been getting back into it. It helps to have a friend who's also big into flowers. Oh - we really need to get together with Aerith. The three of us. We could be an unstoppable flower power triad!"

Lauriam raised his eyebrow. "Aerith? That would be the woman from Traverse Town - brown hair, green eyes?"

"Yeah! That's her. She's amazing - and it would be so much more amazing to all get together and go nuts over flowers!"

"Well, I'm not opposed to the idea," Lauriam responded lightly. "Finding people who can appreciate beauty in nature the way I do...it's been - let's say a challenge."

"I bet it has," Kairi agreed. "Elrena doesn't seem like the flowery type. At all."

"She isn't," Lauriam confirmed simply. "And that would be the understatement of the decade," he added with amusement.

"Oh yeah, for sure."

They laughed together, and then Lauriam handed Kairi her Keyblade back, thanking her for letting her hold it.

And he told her...

That it had helped.

Kairi was pleased.

After a while longer, Ven and Elrena came up from the winding path into the castle's courtyard. They didn't stop to chat - they just went up the steps together past Kairi and Lauriam.

But at least they looked to be in good spirits - Elrena, in particular, looked a lot more relaxed than earlier. It was notable in its own right, really...

And Kairi was glad for it.

A minute more and Lauriam suggested they head back inside as well.

They walked down the entrance hallway together, then made their way up into the throne room again.

"There you are," Aqua spoke, raising a hand to them and giving a small smile. "We were just about to send someone down to get you."

"Why?" Kairi asked. "Is something going on?"

"Nothing different from the usual," Terra stated. "We were just about to get prepared for another mission. Aqua and I have both sensed something going on out there, and we can't risk ignoring it."

"I haven't sensed anything..." Kairi said, frowning and concentrating. She breathed, letting herself become attuned to her Heart... Oh... "Okay, I'll take that one back - I guess I just wasn't paying attention..." she amended, embarrassed.

"It's understandable," Aqua said lightly. "You're still young - and you have some big distractions around today."

Kairi stared at her Master, trying to determine if she was taking a shot at her, or if she was being serious and innocent. She settled on serious and innocent - a safe bet, considering that was the woman's default in ninety-nine percent of all situations.

Still...

She consciously distanced herself from and avoided looking anywhere in Lauriam's direction. Just for safety's sake... She didn't need go giving the woman any ideas!

At any rate, with everyone already assembled, Aqua and Terra herded them all out of the castle and onto the Purple Pestilence. Including Lauriam and Elrena. The two latest additions to the team were, at first, hesitant about being included at all - but Kairi and the others managed to convince them to come along. Even without Keyblades, they could still do good work, helping and protecting people in need. And maybe their own Keyblades would come back to them for it, a trigger to reawaken them by doing what they'd once done before in life.

"Okay...yeaaaah...saving lives, protecting worlds...that's the stuff a Keyblade wielder does. That's- the kind of stuff...a girl named Elrena would have done..." Elrena muttered under her breath, forcing a smile as she leaned against the ship's railing, as it lifted off and headed for the giant Lanes Between portal the Masters had generated. "Time to- go be a...a hero. Never thought I'd put that one down on my resume, but okay - I can work with it!"

"Just put all of your Heart into it, and your Keyblade has to come back to you," Kairi told her warmly.

Elrena looked at her like she was about to say something typical of her - something snarky and/or rude, in the name of avoiding feelings - but then... "Thanks for the vote of confidence, kiddo," she said lightly, with a small, genuine smile. "Because god knows mine is still sitting somewhere near rock bottom."

"You can have mine too," Sora spoke firmly, stepping up beside her. He put a hand to his Heart, gazing at Elrena with a grin. "Kairi's right: you just have to believe."

"Just believe, huh?" The woman raised her eyebrows at him.

"Yeah. Why not?" Sora replied. "Nothing else is working for you, is it? So how about you give it a shot?" he added.

Elrena narrowed her eyes at him. Then she rolled them and turned away. "What do I have to lose, I suppose. Thanks, kid - now, run along! Go on, shoo!" She turned back long enough to make a definitive shooing motion with her hands.

Kairi patted Sora's arm, laughing to herself as she turned to leave Elrena be. Sora followed after her quickly, a flush to his face that made Kairi happy to see.

But Aqua's advice was still snug in her Heart: was this all she wanted it to be? Was this all she'd let it be? How long would she let it be...? What if she waited so long that she missed her chance? Sure, Sora hadn't really shown any interest in girls besides Kairi herself, but what if he got sick of waiting and one day just up and went for someone else? Not that there were too many candidates there, but...the possibility existed. And it was a possibility that Kairi couldn't abide!

Not for much longer, anyways...

But, long enough.

She held herself back, stamped on those feelings, and engaged in conversation with Sora and friends as usual - as normal.

The world they entered was one that might have been beautiful - if it wasn't mired in turmoil.

The ship struggled as it descended through dark clouds and furious winds; crackling bolts of purple electricity streaked across bow and stern.

This world, and all its people, were very close to being lost!

Kairi could feel it (if it wasn't obvious from sight alone).

A sight that looked far too familiar: it was how the Islands had looked the night it had fallen into darkness.

The night Kairi had failed to stop it from doing so. Unable to hold back the darkness, to protect the world's Heart being consumed, behind that door in the Secret Place...

She wouldn't fail another world like that - not this time!

This time, they were going to make it.

Kairi focused on sensing for the Keyhole without even being prompted - but she felt all eyes on her. Fortunately, it was incredibly easy to locate: it was calling out to her. The world itself, its living Heart, sensing her in turn...and reaching back for her in pleading.

Kairi gave Aqua the right directions, and the ship flew over a mountainous landscape with deep chasms, connected by long, hanging wooden bridges swinging on their ropes by the furious storms ravaging the lands. They flew over many small villages with little wooden houses. They flew over hillsides, passing over farmland, and over still more towns. Then, they reached an area of high mountains and spires, with waterfalls and rivers all around. Greenery. At the base of a steep hill was a city. A city of tightly clustered red buildings and pathways, and trees of red and orange. At the top of that hill, atop a long, long stone staircase, was a grand palace structure. On a mid-level, between the city and the palace, was what looked like a courtyard area, walled off, with a big gate for an entrance.

Down below, in those streets, there were people running around in obvious distress - fear and a panic. People who looked like, well, animals, but with two legs and two arms. It seemed similar to a previous world they'd visited - the one with that Robin Hood person, and Maid Marian, both of whom had been fox people (not that any of that mattered!).

"This world looks a lot like home," spoke Ven, with worry on his face.

"Well, it's somebody's home," Terra said, gazing out at the city ahead. "And they need us - so keep focused, okay?"

"Yeah, got it!" Ven said quickly, his expression turning serious and determined. "We're not gonna let anything happen to this place."

"Kairi - can you get a more accurate sense for the Keyhole yet?" Aqua called out.

Kairi gazed at the distant city, her eyes sweeping up and down the mountains - the waterfalls. Her eyes roamed the rivers and small lakes surrounding it...and then rose to zero in on the palace atop the steep rocky hill's peak. And she knew.

"It's there," she stated, raising an arm to point.

Aqua nodded, and began to take the ship up higher again - until they were above the storm clouds themselves. With shimmering magic surrounding the ship, they sped up and zoomed across the rumbling, flashing ocean of clouds beneath them.

"Okay, stop!" Kairi declared suddenly, after a minute of this high speed boosting. "We're there. We should be above it."

Aqua halted the ship, hovering in place now. She activated her armor and leaped down to mid deck with a heavy thud of her boots and a rippling cape. Even her helmet was on this time.

She looked to Terra and Ven - both of them followed her lead, armoring up. Helmets and all, as well.

"We really have to learn how to do that too!" Sora remarked.

Kairi agreed, but she didn't voice it.

"What's the plan?" Kairi said instead, looking to her Master.

"Simple: all of us will fly down to the palace together, where you'll find the Keyhole, and we'll lock it," Aqua stated.

"What if the people who live there aren't a fan of us just barging in?" said Riku. "What if they think it's an attack or something?"

"We'll explain the situation if we have to," Terra said simply. "But getting to that Keyhole has to be our focus - even if it causes any misunderstandings."

"Yeah, they can thank us after we save their world," Ven added.

"You know what - I think I might actually come to like you," Elrena told Ven, with a small smile.

Ven looked shocked, then just embarrassed, rubbing his neck and grinning back at her. "Heh, thanks."

"FOCUS!" Aqua's voice came, cracking like a whip. "Everyone - we move now."

Putting word to action, she strode for the side of the ship, vaulted the railing, and disappeared, falling into the storm clouds.

"You heard her - let's move!" Terra spoke, in a loud and commanding voice. A serious one, with a tense edge to it. A rare thing from the man, in all Kairi's time with him so far. He followed after Aqua in leaping off the ship to fall into the clouds below - and then so did Ven, doing a dive and throwing out his Keyblade as he did (his glider twirled and dove after him).

Kairi looked to Sora and Xion, gave a short nod, then ran and jumped from the ship herself. She held arms and legs tight at her sides, falling into darkness and whipping winds, punctuated by occasional flashes of purple light and great booming sounds.

She hurtled down, down...and then emerged out of it all. Below it all. Aiming for the rooftop of the palace on the top of the great big hill.

Sora came down after her, and then so did Xion. The pair joined Kairi, speeding up to keep pace with her, falling beside her.

Kairi saw Aqua, Terra and Ven landed well before Kairi, Sora and Xion did. The latter three soared down onto the steps right at the entrance to the palace - which looked even more grand up close! The veranda had these ornate pillars supporting the extending roof, and the colors were just-

No, she didn't have time to admire it!

Kairi turned as she saw a dark portal appear to the left, off the path leading up to the palace's large front doors. Out of it came Roxas, Riku, and Elrena and Lauriam.

Aqua had turned, too, her body tensing, even in armor - but then she turned away and marched up the steps to the palace doors. The others followed after her quickly.

"Kairi!" Aqua said, loudly over the storm.

Kairi hurried out ahead of Aqua, hand to her Heart, her eyes searching left and right. She sighed. "It's inside, for sure."

"Then we'll have to go in," Aqua stated evenly - though with a hint of reluctance, herself.

Kairi nodded, and stepped across the stone toward the large doors, reaching out for them.

She suddenly stopped as an overwhelming sense of cold rushed in around her, as the storm intensified, and a bolt of purple lighting flew down to strike very near to the palace.

Dark shapes began to rise up all around them, out of the shadows themselves - the Heartless!

Neoshadows, Large Bodies, those annoying flying magic ones of all types, and even these new ones that were huge spiked spheres with two smaller, spikey spheres for arms (weird, but very dangerous-looking). There were other types too, some familiar, and some not...

"Kairi - NOW!" Aqua shouted. "Go!"

Kairi startled, then set her jaw, drew back her fist, and blasted wind magic out to strike the large double doors: they blew open with an echoing bang, revealing a large chamber with pillars all around it. There were shimmering, blue flamed torches and candles all around the outer edges of the room, beyond the pillars. At the far side of the great big room was a pool of water that looked to be...glowing, with a bluish-green light.

Kairi ran across the polished floor, straight down the length of the room.

A dark shape moved - one of those spheroid Heartless came twirling its way into her path!

Kairi jumped up and flipped over it, landing and racing on ahead still.

This wasn't about fighting - it was about saving a world so dangerously close to falling.

Neoshadows rose up in front of her, immediately leaping at her and slashing.

Kairi ducked under one, twirled and kicked another in the chest to send it flying against a pillar. She raised a hand to blast another with a Fira spell - and the last two, she hit with a Stopra, freezing them in place.

She reached the pool of strange, glowing water - then stopped to look back at the others.

They were fighting their way forward through a swarm of Heartless, slashing and pushing. Flashes of magic and slashing swords of energy lighting up the dark palace chamber.

The Neoshadows came back for Kairi, and she resigned herself to having to actually destroy them.

She engaged them, but as she did, still more Heartless appeared around her.

They'd zeroed in on the Princess of Heart, for sure now! Which was annoying and dangerous.

Kairi fought on, waiting for the others - hoping for them to get here already!

As if answering her silent pleas, Sora suddenly rose up into the air and soared forward, landing in front of her and slashing through a Neoshadow, destroying it. Xion came next to join them, teaming up with Sora to fight off two other Heartless.

Across the room, Kairi saw a flash of pink light and a burst of swirling rose petals, and then a half-moon of pink energy tore through the Heartless like cutting down weeds, clearing them out substantially. And then came a great flash of yellow lightning, and dozens of powerful thunderbolts came raining down all around the palace, blasting the Heartless in all directions and destroying them in droves.

The others were visible again now!

Lauriam and Elrena, Aqua and Terra and Ven, Roxas and Riku - standing in a tight group, moving forward together still.

Aqua swirled her keyblade around her as it glowed orange, and then chains erupted from it, a cyclone to surround them all, expanding and slicing through the Heartless to give them even more room to breathe.

"Kairi - is the Keyhole here?" Sora asked, tearing her attention away from the others.

"It's here, it's just not showing itself," Kairi said loudly, whirling away from the sight of the others. She looked down at the glowing water, placing her hand to her Heart and raising her Keyblade. "Come on, I know you're in trouble here, but you have to let us help you, okay?!"

"Maybe it's not here...?" Xion suggested, raising her blade to block a Large Body's swing - then quickly darting forward and twisting around it to hit it in the back with a blast of Blizzaga. A huge mass of ice erupted from the floor, knocking the Heartless away and freezing over the ones that weren't destroyed outright. Encasing them in big blocks of ice!

"It has to be here!" Kairi refuted, giving a frustrated slash at a trio of twirling Soldier Heartless that had slipped past Sora on her right. "I just- I don't know why-"

"Where's the Keyhole?" Aqua's voice came, as she and the others finally reunited with Kairi, Sora and Xion.

"I have no idea!" Kairi exclaimed, growling. "It feels like it should be right here, but it's not showing itself!"

Aqua gave a gasp from behind her visor. Kairi wished she could see the woman's face under that helmet right then.

"What?" Kairi demanded. "Do you know what's wrong?"

"Kairi, I think-" Aqua began.

A half dozen Heartless closed in on them, materializing from the floor.

Aqua quickly turned, raising a hand. "BACK OFF!" she yelled out.

A blue light flashed in her palm, and then a powerful, huge barrier formed in front of them. It stretched from floor to ceiling, from left wall to right wall. It separated them from most of the Heartless in the vast hall; they ineffectively threw themselves at it, or blasted magic spells at it, trying to break through. But nothing did. They left little scratches and scorch marks on the barrier, and that was all.

"What do you think is happening here?" Kairi pressed, her Heart being squeezed in her chest...

"I think it's already gone," Aqua's voice came, flat and emotionless. "I think...that we're too late."

"WHAT?! NO! No, I can sense it, I can- it's here, it's here!" Kairi yelled, whipping back to jab a finger at the water. "How can I sense it if it's already gone?!"

"It still exists - it's just been claimed by the darkness," Terra spoke quietly. "Just like mine was - like any Heart of a person's is. And just like people's Hearts, that doesn't mean you can't still reach them, somewhere in there. I think it wanted saving, but...it was already dragged down into the abyss."

"NO!" Kairi shouted, stalking forward with her weapon shaking. Her free hand a fist at her side. "We're not too late, we're not - we got here in time, we're here, we-"

"Kairi-" Sora started.

"You're the optimist - where's any of that now? Tell me we're not too late!" Kairi rounded on him. "Sora, tell me!"

Sora gazed at her with uncertainty and conflict, a deep frown on his face. Then he looked down. Away...

"We can't save this world - but we can still save some of its people," Terra said firmly. "We need to get down to the city."

Kairi stared at him - at his reflective visor - then back at the pool of water. She raised her Keyblade one last time, holding it in both hands, willing with all her might...

But nothing happened.

Nothing at all.

All she felt...was this awful ripping sensation in her Heart. Tearing at it. Pulling on it. Wanting to rip it in two out of sheer, clinging desperation...

Kairi let her weapon fall, let a breath go, and she let her connection to the lost world's Heart go.

"Okay - let's go," Kairi said finally.

Terra nodded, then raised a hand to the high ceiling. Darkness gathered there, coating his entire arm...and then it let loose in a huge beam, striking the ceiling and causing a massive explosion to rock the palace. Shrapnel fell around them. There was a great big hole in the ceiling now.

They all either flew or high jumped straight up out of that hole, onto the rooftop of the palace.

Out into the raging storm again.

But something was different now from when they'd arrived: a huge, orange orb of energy hanging in the sky, the dark clouds swirling around it like a vortex.

Just the same...as that night...

They didn't have much time at all.

"Roxas - portal up to the ship, then bring it down here," Aqua addressed the boy firmly. "I don't care how terrible the landing is - just get it done."

Roxas stared at her, then hastened to obey, turning and conjuring a dark corridor. He ran through it immediately, and it disappeared behind him.

The rest of them ran down the long, long steps to that mid-level courtyard. Then, through the large doors and down still more steps, until they reached the city streets proper.

It was panic and chaos down here, exactly as seen from above.

People hiding, sheltering in buildings, families...

But none of that was going to save them...

Not from this.

Purple lightning split the sky again, and Kairi looked up to see the Pestilence descending wildly toward the city. Roxas had definitely taken Aqua's words to Heart about not caring how terrible he was at it. Kairi didn't care either, in that moment. Well, she'd care if he actually damaged it badly enough that it couldn't get off the ground again. The ship spiraled and rocked its way down, almost just falling straight down, until it slammed into the grass and trees just outside the city's edge, behind a row of buildings.

"Okay," Aqua said, to herself more than to them. Then she strode forward, pulling off her helmet and letting it vanish in a flash of light and drifting particles on the wind. "ATTENTION, EVERYONE - PLEASE!" she shouted down the street. "WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IS AN-"

She suddenly stopped, mid sentence.

"Aqua?" Terra spoke, stepping closer to her. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I just saw..." Aqua trailed off. Then she suddenly lifted a foot and flew forward down the street, Keyblade raised, letting out a cold snarling noise.

"AQUA?!" Ven exclaimed, not even having time to react.

No one did!

Aqua blew past several civilians, her weapon coming down on-

On a person in a black coat!

A person who whirled around at the last second, whose face from even this distance showed pure shock - and then he was vanishing in a swirl of air. It wasn't like using darkness to teleport from one point to another, he just...it was like the air itself displaced him. From one place to another. One second he was there, about to be cleaved in two by Aqua, and the next, he was somewhere off to the left, next to an overturned fruit stall.

The man raised his arms, and twin flashes of purple light lit up the world - and then he was aiming two strange, glowing guns with long pulsing crystals sticking out of them...at Aqua.

Kairi and the others raced forward - and the man turned to look at them all, looking even more shocked.

Up close now, Kairi could make out his features.

He was tall, lanky, almost. He had long, greying dark hair in a ponytail. And he had an eyepatch. A single golden eye glowed out at them in the dark. And though it was barely visible, Kairi saw the long, jagged scar on the side of his face. Almost like her own now, come to think of it...

But Kairi couldn't think of it.

Because all she could think about was that she knew exactly who this was.

Not because of the information given to her earlier that very same day by Lauriam - but because of the sensations currently flooding her Heart.

"Not sure if you people have noticed, but we're all running a little short on time at the moment!" The man called out, casting out an arm to generally gesture to the world around them, as the winds billowed at his cloak and hair. "Not the time or place to get into a scuffle here! So, I'll just see you around-"

Kairi blinked forward, fast as light, a ball of light itself, rematerializing behind the man. She sprang up onto his backside and wrapped an arm around his neck - summoning her Keyblade to press it to his throat.

"Agh- wha-" The man tensed, then relaxed, as if he didn't care about his situation. "Heh...Fast little thing, aren't you, Princess of Heart?" he chuckled out.

Again, Kairi felt her Heart react. It was a fluttering in her stomach, it was a warmth to fill her up - it was a jolt that made her want to just put her weapon away and...

She shook her head and set her jaw, pressing her weapon more firmly to the man's skin.

Those are wonderful feelings, Xikira - but they're yours, not mine. I don't even have any right to be feeling them; they just don't belong to me.

"What are you doing here?" Kairi demanded. "Did you do this? Did you set these Heartless on this whole world? All these people?"

"Hey, they were here when I got here," the man replied casually. He gave a shrug that shifted Kairi on his back. He was acting like she wasn't even there! "Now if you'd get off of me, I should really be going now...unless your plan is to have us all go down with the ship - err, world?"

Kairi froze. Right. This world had such little time left. Time she couldn't spend on...on what, even? Trying to help Xikira with her plans from this side? Trying to- what was she even doing right now? She didn't...she...

Not my feelings, she reminded herself firmly.

Kairi lifted her weapon free, let the man go, and dropped down to the ground again behind him.

"Appreciate it," the man said casually, not turning to face her. Not even to look at her. But she heard amusement in his voice. "Ciao."

"Xigbar - Braig - whoever you are-" Kairi said quickly.

The man lowered one arm - one gun, letting it vanish. He turned to her, gazing down at her now with a wide eye and a grin plastered on his face. His hand came up again, a finger raised to her. "Ah ah ah - keep that nose of yours where it belongs...princess. Xikira, Kairi - I know that's hard for you - but you should try it...for once."

Kairi felt an overwhelming sense of affection at his words. At his use of the name Xikira. Even to address her, Kairi. It was...it was so paradoxical and strange and even maddening. Her head wanted to spin. Her Heart did flips again. "Whatever - just get lost, old man! We don't have time for you right now!"

"Heh...Is that right? Well...how about we make a little time, you and I?"

"Braig-" Aqua's voice rang out harshly.

"It's Xigbar now, actually," the Organization member responded, cutting across her in that easy tone of his. He seemed totally unconcerned with the situation, even still.

"I don't care what you call yourself - just the same as I do not care what Xehanort wants to call himself now!" Aqua snapped out, stepping up and brandishing her weapon at the man. "Even after all this time, you're still working with him - trying to help him obtain Kingdom Hearts!"

Braig, no, Xigbar - he spread his arms at her, leaning forward with another wide grin. His gaze slid away from her, over to Terra - and then to Ventus...And then back to Aqua. "Hey, we all have our roles to play...I'm just following the big boss's orders," he responded absently.

"Following orders isn't an excuse," Kairi said, pulling out her best glare. "We all make our own choices in life."

Xigbar's glanced back at her. And in that moment, his face changed, something in his eyes - but only for an instant. Then it was gone. He lowered his arms - set free hand on hip, gestured grandly with his weapon. "Listen, Keyblade heroine-"

"No, you listen!" Kairi snapped, something coming over her. "I-"

Xigbar suddenly began to laugh. Loudly. "Whatever you're about to say - doesn't matter. Kairi, Xikira! You're not the same girl - and I'm not the biggest fan of nepotism; you think you get something just by association? Hah - as if! Guess the new Keykid on the block still needs to learn a few things, doesn't she? Well, I'll be the one to teach you!"

"Leave her alone, Xigbar!"

Xigbar glanced over his shoulder, surprised.

Roxas had stepped forward, aiming his Keyblade at Xigbar, just like Aqua. His face was hard, his eyes brimmed with anger.

"That's right - we've got all the traitors and heroes in one place tonight, don't we? My bad - didn't mean to ignore you!" Xigbar chuckled out. "Looking lively, Roxas-"

"Shut up," Roxas snapped. "We don't need to deal with you too. We have important stuff to do."

"Hey, it's okay - you don't have to."

The air suddenly rippled strangely again - not just around Xigbar, but around Kairi too. Both of them. And, suddenly, the area looked totally different!

It wasn't a city street anymore, not exactly. It was...it was like the ground had been stretched out tenfold, and the buildings had been mashed together and bent into a ring around them, and there was an oppressive darkness overhead. It was like...some strange Frankenstein version of a big battle arena?

"What are you doing?" Kairi shouted, stepping forward and raising her weapon. "Take us back, put me back, I need to-"

"What you need is to get ready for a fight." The man raised his weapon to rest it on his shoulder, gazing down at her in silence. His face now...expressionless. "Come on now, let's see what you're made of - how far you've come."

"This isn't the time for a fucking test!" Kairi yelled, getting right up in his face as best she could. "Either you put me back, or-"

"Or what, hmm? What're you going to do?"

"How the fuck are you even worth saving?" Kairi snarled.

The man's eye narrowed, his teeth clenched...then it all fell away again. He turned and began striding away from her, summoning his other gun to hand again as he did. And then he laughed. "Like Somebody, like Nobody, I see. Yep, I can definitely see where she gets it all from. And, to answer your question: I'm not." He stopped a good distance from her, finally turning back - and aiming his gun at her. "I'm exactly where I want to be..."

Kairi stared at him for a long time, into that golden eye. Then, she set her jaw and fell into her combat stance. "Fine," she spat, with all the venom she could muster. "I'll save my breath for all the laughter I'll be doing once I've beaten your ass into the ground! I'll have you under my boot, at my mercy - except I don't really do mercy against terrible people like you! I just destroy them!"

Xigbar laughed again. "Hey now, if you're so worried about the people of this world, don't be. Or don't you have faith in your friends to do the job without you? To do their duty and all that jazz?"

"Of course I have faith in them to do it without me," Kairi retorted viciously. "That still doesn't make me any less pissed off at you for keeping me from helping them at it!"

"Well then, the sooner you lose to me, the sooner you get back to them!" Xigbar replied, his grin widening.

"I'm not going to lose!" Kairi turned herself into pure light in an instant, flying forward as a glistening speck, re-materializing behind and to the right of Xigbar. She turned and swung her blade, lengthening it threefold with a sudden burst of golden light-

Xigbar vanished before her attack could connect!

"Not bad!" the man's voice echoed around Kairi. "Real clever! But let's see just how clever you are..."

Kairi felt a tingle on her spine, saw a brief flash of light up high and to her left - almost behind her completely. Xigbar: hovering in the air near the edge of this great big battle arena. Kairi saw, still from the corner of her eye, as the man aimed his weapon down for her, its barrel crackling with purple electricity. He'd combined the two guns into one big rifle. And now he was about to...

With a thought and a quick draw on her Light magic, she materialized a lightblade and hurled it at the man at the speed of light - without turning around, without even looking. Not a single movement to give herself away.

"Wha-?!" the man hardly got out, before her lightblade pierced him through the right side of his abdomen. Not a graze, but not the dead-on strike she'd wanted it to be. But she'd take it!

Kairi turned her head now, a grin fixed to her face. She met his gaze across the distance, looking up at him. "So, where do I rate in terms of cleverness, do you think?" she called out, relishing. "'Cause I'd say I rate pretty damn high. At least, compared to a gun-toting thug like you!"

Xigbar vanished again - but he reappeared out in front of Kairi immediately. He had a hand clasped to his side, a look of pain on his scarred face. "So you've got tricks and grit - good on you! No damsels waiting in high towers here, eh?"

"Hell no!" Kairi said firmly. "This Princess can save herself!"

"You're definitely well on your way to being a hero," Xigbar responded, letting a breath go and releasing his wound. Kairi saw it was healed up now - no more dark particles drifting off of it. "But do you really think you're ready for everything that's to come for you?"

"Are you ready for the ass-whooping I'm about to unleash on you?"

"Hah. Love the fire- woah!"

Kairi blinked in and out of existence, reappearing and sliding past the man, slashing at his legs. He jumped up and flipped back through the air, firing at her as he went. A stream of over a dozen projectiles. Kairi conjured a dome shield around her to block and send them all flying right back their owner...with twice the speed and her own magical power infused into them.

Xigbar gasped as his own bullets pummeled him, wobbling in the air and falling down to the ground, clutching his chest. He raised a gun and fired off at her almost off-the-cuff, off-hand.

Kairi waited for the three projectiles to streak across the distance, then she slashed her weapon to block and destroy them - two of them, anyway. She gave a push of her magic to send the final one flying up to the ceiling of pure shifting darkness.

Xigbar's gaze raised to follow it.

Good! Keep your eye on that ball for me!

Kairi drew on her power, hand to her chest, and she stretched out an arm for the man.

His head came down and he looked at her, tilting his head in confusion. "Huh? Having troubles now...?" He trailed off as the floor beneath him burst with golden light, and then a massive pillar of light energy slammed down on him from above. "Arrrgghhh!" she heard him yell out. But she couldn't see him - her own power was too blinding, that thick pillar way too strong.

Kairi heard a noise behind her, whipping around and then ducking as a pink crystal projectile flew over her head.

Xigbar stood there, heaving a breath as darkness wafted from his body in multiple places. His face was contorted with pain - real deep pain.

"Still love the fire now?" she called out, mocking. "How are those burns?"

Xigbar's face flashed with anger, then it vanished, and he grinned. He breathed in, and stood tall, his wounds vanishing. "Not as bad as you're probably imagining. If you think you struck some fatal blow against me...think again, Princess. That heat of yours just helped to get me all warmed up!"

"You know you're a fast talker - not so fast a fighter," Kairi retorted.

"Hah! Let's change that!"

Xigbar began to teleport around the room, and then two swirling portal things appeared to Kairi's left and right - and bullets began streaming out of them.

Kairi did a backflip, laughing incredulously. "Is that really all you had for me? Oooh, scary! I'm so impressed- EEK!"

A huge blue energy bolt flew for her from above.

She rolled, it hit the ground - and bounced!

And then another, and a third, a fourth, fifth, a sixth, seventh, eighth - four more, all fired off at once by Xigbar to round them off! And then a final one, a burning yellow one with tendrils of darkness around it, to make thirteen.

"Thirteen? Really?" Kairi laughed, her eyes tracking the large, fast-moving projectiles. "Is that corporate mandate or something? Like you all having X-themed anagrams of your names?"

Three of the blue projectiles ricocheted off the arena's edge and came back for her - along with two others at an angle from above and behind her.

Kairi leapt back, dodged left, rolled forward - then twisted and jumped straight up, spinning and twirling as she activated her Keyblade transformation for the first time in a real fight.

She flipped upright and hovered in the air, holding her great big fans before her.

"Hey, how many cute little tricks have you got in that grab-bag of yours?" Xigbar called out to her from seemingly nowhere. Or everywhere at once.

"Why don't you show your twisted face again and I'll show you!"

"Well, if you want..."

Kairi spun, swinging her fans and knocking a huge projectile toward Xigbar immediately after he reappeared behind her. Another one came at her, and then four more passed her by. She intercepted them and smacked them at Xigbar too!

Xigbar reappeared to hover above her, aiming down at her and firing at her.

Kairi dodged aside and flew straight up for him, forming a barrier to block all his incoming shots! He teleported just before she reached him.

She twisted and planted her feet on the dark ceiling - scanning the entire arena now from above.

"Your weapons suck, you know!" Kairi called out, laughing high and uncaring as she kicked off from the ceiling and flew down to land on the ground again. "It must be tough to find competent, hired help in the Evil Department, huh? I bet Xehanort's pretty annoyed with you people! You just can't do anything right, any of you! It's laughable - literally!"

"Yeah, yeah - real cute!" the man's voice echoed back. "You done trying to psyche me out now, Princess?"

"Depends - is it working? Sounds to me like it just might be!" Kairi responded fiercely.

"As...if."

Xigbar reappeared in the center of the arena, and then he was surrounded by light. He aimed his weapons up into the air, and a huge stream of projectiles was unleashed. Hundreds, no, maybe even thousands of them! Some of them were pink, some were white, some blue, and others were yellow and even purple! They flew up toward the high, dark ceiling, and then curved and began to pelt the arena floor, spreading outward in all directions. A literal wall of bullets, ever expanding!

Kairi created a barrier dome and hunkered down, gritting her teeth as her magical dome was assailed by those projectiles! Her barrier cracked and flaked under the barrage, rapidly deteriorating! But the wave passed over her quickly, leaving it intact. But just barely. Kairi let it fall with relief, and she set her gaze on Xigbar from across the distance.

Then, she let her hand fall and gripped her weapon firmly at her side. She visualized in her mind...

And twin, sleek, purple glowing energy blasters appeared to replace her Keyblade.

Xigbar's stared back at her, his jaw dropping. His own arrowgun weapons fell to his sides. "Alright, how many weapons do you have, princess?" he said in disbelief.

"Don't worry about that - worry about what I'm going to do with the ones I have now!" Kairi shouted out. She raised her blasters in an instant, and fired repeatedly and unhesitatingly. She squeezed for solid, burning purple beams that stretched from the barrel to the far arena edge to scorch it. Then she squeezed briefly to fire off bursts of multiple energy bolts, volleys that went zipping across the arena almost faster than the eye could track.

Xigbar vanished, reappearing behind her. He was running, strafing - firing at her.

Kairi ducked and spun around, firing her own blasters as she did - returning fire.

Xigbar vanished, reappearing over her head again. He aimed his weapons straight down, firing.

Kairi threw herself forward and twisted around, skidding backwards in the dirt and shooting twin beams at him. They connected, and the man staggered in the air before disappearing once more.

Kairi jumped to her feet, weapons pointed left and right, her eyes scanning all around herself.

She heard a noise and turned-

She gasped as a black boot collided with her face from the other direction, sending her flying. She hit hard and sprawled there on the ground, her twin purple energy blasters clattering around her; both weapons vanished, reforming into her Keyblade - which de-materialized immediately.

Kairi reached up to press a hand to her jaw as she struggled to rise. Her side suddenly exploded with burning pain! Her hand smacked to her side, her gaze falling to her ribs. Her clothes had been burned through. So had her body. There was a purple crystal sticking out of her, crackling and pulsing...and then it exploded, causing her to cry out again and fall to the ground. She cast Cure on herself, gasping in relief as the green light flared on her wound. Slowly, the pain bled away, and she was able to get up again. She re-summoned her blasters, aiming forward as she quickly ran to put her back to the edge of the arena.

Xigbar reappeared - directly in front of her.

Kairi fired instantly - and honestly more out of being startled than anything else.

The man's body glowed again, and her bullets seemed to just glance off of him. He teleported forward in a flicker, and his hands seized her wrists and yanked them up over her head, pinning them to the distorted wall behind her.

"You've got tricks, princess - and a Heart that just doesn't quit - I'll give you that...but, you know, I think this is one of those times where you should really consider making an exception-"

Kairi raised her knee and drove it into his gut. She threw herself forward, tackling him full-on and with magical strength - taking him to the ground. She let out a yell and raised her gun, swiftly striking the man across the face with it! Then she shoved it under his chin and leaned forward atop him, putting them eyes to...eye.

She breathed harshly in his face, her body shaking. Every muscle, every single part of her she had.

"Send me back, or I'll melt your face off and get out of here that way! You have two seconds!" Kairi hissed out.

The man looked genuinely caught off-guard. And even, for a moment, fearful. Then-

The man vanished with a swirl of distorted air.

Immediately after he'd gone, the area around her warped and warbled, translucent tendrils of air swirling around her...

And then it all finally changed back.

Those walls vanished, the void above cleared.

And the city in chaos was back.

And Aqua and the others were back, too, standing a few feet away from Kairi, looking shocked. Well, Aqua, Sora, and Xion were there. Terra, Roxas and Ven, Riku, and Lauriam and Elrena were nowhere to be seen.

"Kairi!" Aqua cried, racing forward and casting a Cure on her (probably out of sheer reflex). "Are you okay? Where's Braig-"

Kairi flashed a grin as she rose to her feet. "He ran away like a scared little doggy."

"You- you won?" Aqua stared.

"What? Is that really that hard to believe?" Kairi said hotly.

"N-no! Good - very good! Yes. Now, let's go and help the others!" Aqua said quickly. "We don't have much time left."

"Right," Kairi said, nodding.

"Kairi-" Sora started, stepping toward her with relief and joy on his face.

"We don't have time," Kairi reminded him firmly. Maybe too firmly?

"Right," he echoed, nodding seriously and turning away to race off down the street. "Come on!"

"Mm. I'm right behind you," Kairi told him, giving a small smile she hoped would reassure him. Smooth over any damages.

But she lingered where she was...

"Kairi?" Xion spoke.

Kairi blinked. She shook her head, brushing at her hair and adjusting her hat on her head. "Let's go. We have work to do."

Xion looked at her, hesitant. Then she stepped forward and quickly hugged her. It was a one second hug, catch and release. "I'm glad you're okay," she said, just as quickly.

But it made Kairi smile more fully, more truly. "Thanks, sis," she said warmly.

But I'm not okay at all.

Was that really how that man was...or was that all just to maintain his cover? How much of him was an act and how much of it was even real?

Was Kairi's Nobody of a daughter just delusional - seeing things - like Lauriam had heavily implied (if not outright stated) before? Was there nothing there, or...?

And how did Aqua know the man? She'd said he was working with Xehanort ten years ago, even?

Had Kairi been wrong to let Xikira go, back then, in Castle Oblivion?

Had Lauriam and Elrena been right all along?

Was Xikira wrong? Was she acting on naïve, foolish feelings for someone she really didn't know...? And, moreover, for someone who didn't even deserve her passionate efforts? Were her claims of friendship false, based on a skewed perception, from a girl who'd only lived a month and some change by this point?

Or...like Kairi herself, could she see things no one else could? Was there something there...that only Xikira knew? Saw as worthy of trying to draw out? To save?

Kairi had no idea.

All she had...

Were these feelings in her Heart...that still seemed to contradict everything going on in her head right then.