Hi! Long time no write! I am finally back again with another chapter of Sora's Daybreak! Yeah, this took so long to come back to write, like a few months of creating other ideas before I felt like I couldn't write anymore. I've had the chapter's idea sitting there for a good time, but how I've been writing just didn't feel right for some reason. But now I'm back!

This time, we're continuing where we left Sora. He's now making his way through the corridors and is off to Radiant Garden. Let's see what he will find over there on his little trip!

Oh, before you go, I updated several of the chapters. It's nothing really major, just fixing some spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, etc. I also added the Chapter Titles on top now. There may be some additional sentences here and there, but the core remains the same. All right, now here you go! Enjoy the new chapter!

*NOTE/SPOILER WARNING: It takes place AFTER KHIII*

NOTE 2: Lots of retelling of the experience of "Player" in KHχ[Chi] but in Sora's View

NOTE 3: Sora is NOT Player, he's just got similar experiences. Player exists somewhere doing the main story, but they don't cross paths... I Think...

NOTE 4: If you hadn't seen it yet, sometime back I rewrote Chapter 14: Remember Me, so if you read it before the change, feel free to check it out again to see what changed.

DATE: September 1, 2023

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Chapter 17: The Illusions In Our Reunions

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Tiny lines of static painted the air as if there were tangible walls unseen in the endlessness. Glitches caused colors to invert or become a glowing array of hues before normalizing. The sight in this Corridor of Light created an air of wrongness in this once comfortable destination to and from worlds. Sora couldn't help but be unsettled by the walk as he made his way towards his destination, the data version of Radiant Garden. According to the Master, this was an area specifically blocked off and left unreachable in order to keep prying eyes from causing harm to the future. Just what would he find here, in the world of Kairi's birth and origin? The parting words of the Data Master of Masters did say that this would be different from what he knew. So what would change?

If his times in the other data worlds have taught him anything, it's that scenarios can either play out similarly or vastly different from what he knew, especially if you consider the differences in who or what interfered in the first place. Knowing this he wondered, would he see a world in which Kairi was always a resident of Radiant Garden? Would he see a grown up Kairi who never knew him, Riku, and of the Destiny Islands? Or, would he see Kairi as she is now, one who's probably searching for him after his sudden disappearance for paying the price? There were just so many ways that this could go, not enough clues and clearly too many speculations. Well, he was definitely going to get his answer now since he was coming upon the exit, which also took on a different appearance than normal. The glitches and static lines were still present, but the color of the exit was a glowing baby pink, instead of the sky blue he grew accustomed to seeing. Stepping into the portal to a new world is always a little disorienting for the first time, especially since it causes a brief moment of blindness. Once he blinked his eyes and his view adjusted to the new world, he could finally take in the sight of where he ended up.

The area was both a welcoming and unfamiliar sight all in one. This place was part of Radiant Garden's East District, where Merlin's house resided. This caused a wave of nostalgia and a sense of comforting relief to swell within him as he saw something he still knew. But what he didn't recognize was the area itself, it seemed almost brighter, more vibrant, and well lived in. Over on the opposite side of Merlin's house were a couple of houses which replaced the stairway up the barrier walls that use to be there… will be there? There was also one shop that was more recognizable, the Moogle store, which he remembered being in a completely different area. Then again, this most likely was a different Radiant Garden, one that wasn't destroyed when the worlds fell, or it was the current rebuilt one, after the restoration committee finished everything. He still wasn't sure whether this was the present or past, but he was still prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

As Sora explored the world of Radiant Garden, he noticed some strange things about the area itself. The first, not necessarily as strange but more so an odd coincidence, is that Radiant Garden felt like Daybreak Town. From the purple themes of the houses, to the way the castle felt similarly structured to the bell tower, to even the waterway system that was an above ground version of Daybreak Town's sewer system, the town felt either inspired or some weird echo of it. It could be coincidence, or maybe the Dandelions had something to do with this town? Maybe when they escaped, they found this town and started life here? He could only guess.

Now the other thing he thought was strange was that everything seemed like the world was alive with the streaming waters, the buildings aglow with lights, and the gardens blooming with life. But, where were all the people? The streets felt almost empty, as if not a single soul disturbed the area whatsoever. Really odd, but he guessed that the glitches could be the problem, that it took away all the residents to interact with and left only the world. Well, at least it made his job easier, which was most likely to find the keyhole and lock away the world from the rest of the Daybreak Town wielders.

When he made it to the main plaza, the connecting grounds between the castle and the outer walls, he was surprised to hear a voice pierce through, steady but with a hint of worry. Sora looks at the one who's speaking, he was shocked to find that person is none other than the former Organization member and fellow scientist under Ansem the Wise, Even.

"Ienzo, where are you? Where has that boy run off to now?" Even looks up and notices him, "You there."

"Who? Me?" Sora looks around, making sure that he isn't talking to anyone else. But then again, it's only been him here up until now.

"Yes you. Have you seen a young boy around here? Light blue hair that is often mistaken for grey, height just a little under your shoulders, wearing a pristine white lab coat?" Sora shakes his head apologizing as Evan clicks his tongue, clearly not pleased that there was still no sign of their youngest apprentice, pupil, and guardianship.

"If I do see him, uh, Ienzo, right?" Evan confirms as Sora replies, "If I see him, I can bring him back here."

"Much appreciation to you, for now I shall go to the west district. If you can, please check the Outer Gardens. They can be reached by following this road. Should you find him, I ask that you bring him and wait for me here."

"Sure thing! Well, see you, uh, what was your name again?" Sora definitely knew his name, but he didn't want to make any mistakes. World order and all that, like Donald often reminded.

"Even, a pleasure…" He extends his hand toward him.

"Sora. Nice to meet you too, Even." The two shook hands before parting ways.

Sora went to the place Even instructed, but as he walked down, the scientist turned back to get a good look at the boy. "Sora, such an ordinary boy, but his heart, such an extraordinarily astounding light that radiates from it. Quite childlike, yet…" The scientist's thoughts stopped there, pondering on the odd feeling he got from the boy, as if he didn't belong here at all, and yet does. Soon, he turned away and focused on the task at hand.

As Even walked away, Sora was now entering into the garden that was mentioned. It was such a strange, yet beautiful mix of man made structure and flora that lived here. Around him are the spring waters flowing in the canals and tubes that encamped the garden, with the floors following a similar stone patterning as the plaza. The shape of this place itself felt almost like Daybreak Town's park, with the almost star-like shapes and design in the gate and fountain. Walking around, taking in the sight, he really admired how big and beautiful it felt. Kairi's home really was something special, he thought.

"Umm, excuse me." Sora looked around not seeing anyone. He knows he heard someone. Finally, looking down, he finds who called and nearly did a double take. There in front of him, it was, "Excuse me, mister. Are you lost?"

"Huh?" Kairi? Not adult Kairi, but little child Kairi. One who's look reminded him of the days she first came to Destiny Islands, outfit and all. So this really confirmed it, he was in Kairi's past. I mean, Even searching for little Ienzo probably should have tipped him off earlier, but yeah. Still, which past was this?

"Are you lost?" Little Kairi looked at him puzzled, eyes filled with curiosity.

"Uh, sorry. No, I'm not lost, just here helping a friend."

"Oh, okay! That's good you aren't lost."

Sora chuckles at that, but deep inside he really wished that were the case. If anything, he was more than just lost, he was displaced, in a world that he shouldn't be but is in anyway, in a time he shouldn't even be alive in, and yet, here he was.

"What are you helping your friend do?" Kairi asked.

"Well, we're looking for a little boy named Ienzo. He apparently isn't with Even right now."

"I know Ienzo! He's shy, but he's my friend. He told me to wait here because he's buying us Sea-Salt Ice Cream. That's his favorite flavor because he likes to share it with Mister Master Ansem the Wise."

"So he's coming back here?"

"Yep!" Kairi smiled at Sora before her eyes went wide, "Want to help me while we wait? I'm making bouquets and flower crowns for Ienzo and Grandma. She likes the flowers that grow here. The star shaped flowers are her favorite." She pointed at the purple and blue flowers shaped like stars.

Sora smiled, Kairi often made arts and crafts out of things back on Destiny Islands. Her hands were just more delicate for creating finer works, such as keychains and jewelry. He was glad to see that she had this hobby of hers even before she arrived. "Sure! I'll help you, only if you teach me how to make them too."

"Okay! OH," Kairi realized, "I forgot, I never told you my name. I'm Kairi!"

"Nice to meet you Kairi, I'm Sora!"

"So-ra," the name lingered on her lips and she repeated it a few times, testing out how it sounded as she spoke it in different tones. A wide smile grew on her face and for a few seconds, the world glitches a little. In that moment, Sora briefly sees the time when they first met on Destiny Islands. Then it glitches again, and he sees an older Kairi again, the same sweet smile and the tears rolling down her face as she spoke her words on the tree. Then, everything was back to normal, and little Kairi was smiling sweetly at him again.

The two then started her project, Kairi pointed at the places where they were allowed to pluck the flowers. With Sora's help, they were able to gather a good bunch and he started learning from the little redhead how to make the crowns. Sora picked it up pretty easily, choosing white, purple, and pink flowers to make his first flower crown. Meanwhile, Kairi nearly completed hers, creating it out of sky blue and white flowers. When she finished, she placed it onto Sora's head. Sora blinked before placing the little crown he made onto her head immediately.

"I now crown you, Princess Kairi!"

She giggled, "And you're crowned Prince Sora!"

They both smiled at each other, laughing happily. Sora's heart filled with joy. It had felt like so long since he just stopped and played, enjoying something that felt like something out of his childhood days. Adding young Kairi, the nostalgia factor only increased those blissful feelings. This interaction, this moment, even if this wasn't the Kairi he knew yet, it just left him feeling a little more lighter than before.

"G-get Away! These ice cream bars are ours!" They heard another voice scream in the distance as they saw an older child running with a white fabric shopping bag toward them.

"Ienzo!" Kairi yelled as Sora saw what was causing the boy to make such noise. Behind him were the heartless, the small ant ones, shadows. He dashed immediately past Ienzo and got to work fighting them off. There were a surprisingly a large amount of them, but eventually, he was able to fight them all off.

Ienzo, who was cowering, but also keeping Kairi close and behind him, finally relaxed a little. He didn't say much when Sora came back to them, just a quiet thank you for saving them.

"No problem Ienzo."

The boy's eyes went wide before becoming a little guarded, while also trying to protect Kairi.

"It's okay, I know your name because Kairi called out to you. But I also knew it because Even is looking for you. I agreed to bring you back if I found you." Ienzo nodded before digging into his little white shopping bag, pulling out a wrapped ice cream bar. He offered it to Sora, who said his thanks and took it. He repeated the action and gave one to Kairi too, before taking another out and started eating. It looked like there were two more inside the bag.

"Were you planning on finishing all these bars?"

Ienzo shook his head as Kairi answered for him, "He's probably going to give them to Mister Even and Mister Master Ansem the Wise." Ienzo nodded, though he looked away while seeming a little guilty.

Sora noticed that and had a feeling that Ienzo was actually going to eat more than one bar, but he chose to remain silent, not wanting to make the boy feel embarrassed.

"After we finished these, let's head back to the Plaza. I'm sure Even will want to know you're okay."

"Alright."

When all was said and done, the boys helped Kairi with her flowers, not after she placed a crown on Ienzo's head, and together they headed back up to the main plaza to wait for Even's arrival. When they arrived, they saw an elderly lady dressed in a long purple dress. She looked their way and called out, "Kairi!"

"Grandma!" Kairi's face lit up with delight as she ran over to her, lightly tackling her in a sweet hug.

"There you are, did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I did! Oh," Kairi ran back and held Sora's hand, pulling him to follow, "Grandma, this is Sora! He saved me and Ienzo from the monsters."

Her grandmother's eyes glanced at Sora, they lingered as she inspected him. Whatever she was looking for, she eventually stopped and gave a sweet, kindly smile, "Thank you, Sora. I hope my little Kairi wasn't a bother."

"Not bother at all, mam."

"Good," she immediately turned to Kairi, "Come now, we need to get going. It's almost time for dinner."

Kairi agreed, quickly taking the bouquets and flower crown she made for her grandma from the boys. They waved goodbye and the two watched as they walked off together. Ienzo took this opportunity to remove his crown, placing it in the bag. Sora was a little sad to see her go, but he relished the short time that he got to spend with Kairi again.

At the same time, they saw Even walked back and came for Ienzo.

"There you are Ienzo, weren't you warned not to wander off, child?" The Ienzo looked down and away from his caretaker, presenting the shopping bag. "Ah, you went out for ice cream, though it seems the two remaining bars have melted." He decided not to talk about the flowers as the boy nods. Even then turns to Sora, "I see we owe you our thanks."

"Happy to help!"

Even nodded, "Now come Ienzo, let's stop by the store and pick up some new bars for everyone." The boy quickly looked up at his caretaker, eyes bright and determined as a small smile grew upon his face.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Sora."

"You too!"

"You know, something tells me that our paths may cross again someday." Sora stiffened at his parting words as they left him alone. He really hoped that would be the case, given the last time they really saw each other was when they were restoring Naminé's heart into a replica.

Would he ever truly find a way back?

A buzzing noise interrupts Sora from his thoughts. As he looks around, he notices some strange heartless that look like red and black boxy, bug things. Their appearance reminded Sora of something he was told before. He just couldn't remember right now. But the fact that these were a new type of heartless, he couldn't leave it unchecked. So fight and away he did, battling the weird glitchy heartless.

As Sora fought, he started to noticed how the new types were affecting the plaza as well as the surrounding area. The sky that had been in its evening phase with its bright lavender hue, soon transitioned seamlessly from color to color, as if gently turning a color wheel. He saw how it went in cycles from day to night as he continued to fight. The sky filled with the sun and clouds one moment and moon and stars the next, the static lines made their reappearance as they flashed like lightning for a fraction of a second before disappearing. He saw as the area too slowly changed. Like the moment on the play island, faint echoes of people walked through the plaza, moving rapidly as they passed through or around him and the creatures as they fought. It could have been his imagination, but he thought he caught glimpses of some familiar faces; those being Terra, Aqua, Ventus, as well as a younger Axel and Saïx. The flowers that grew in the flower patches before were now replaced with different kinds, the trees and greenery that were once a light shade of green were now more darker emerald tones, and even the plaza's color seemed to shift as the cycle of day and night passed.

When the fight was over and the new glitching box bug heartless gone, he was now standing in the plaza bathed in the early morning light. The world somehow felt different, possibly the lighting or the time of day, but something felt different. Quiet, it was too quiet.

"Aaah!" A little girl's screams pierced through the eerie silence. Sora immediately recognizes who it is.

"Kairi!"

TBC

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Sora had a nice little trip to Radiant Garden. Seeing Even and Ienzo was a bit surprising, but the best of it was his quality time with Data Kairi. But now, some trouble is brewing. From a simple fight with the Flappy Bug heartless to the world glitching just like Destiny Islands was, what in this world is happening? Well, one things for sure, Sora's definitely going to find out soon.

Now for story progress! It's going to probably take a few turns backwards after this mini adventure is finished. I have a few ideas for chapters coming up taking place in Chi days. One will revolve around Chirithy and her social life, another I hope to make will revolve around befriending Ventus, and another hopefully with Sora, [Insert Name Here], Ellie, and Ventus actually having a proper hangout day together. Though, we'll see where this takes me, given I just write whatever comes natural to write in the moment. But yeah, just saying it here now as a fair warning, so you know we're going backwards in the timeline.

Okay, other than that, there's nothing much else for updates. If you have any ideas, suggestions, questions, or any comments for this story, feel free to let me know. Thanks for your patience with this and thanks for reading everybody! :D