Kairi opened her eyes to find herself in a seemingly familiar place. It was a dark and technological city that was illuminated with blue and orange lights. She ran up to look over the city after seeing she was wearing an outfit with glowing blue lines and a visor. "This looks like Tron's world but it can't be…"

Tron's world was back in the Realm of Light last time she'd checked. If something had happened to it before she'd entered the exam, her friends surely would've told her. And she doubted it could've fallen to darkness so quickly after she left, not with a strong program like Tron guarding it. But maybe she was wrong?

She heard a trill suddenly and turned to see Saki was warning her of the incoming Nightmares. She began to take them out as a large bridge-like ship suddenly approached them. "What's that…?"

Once she'd eliminated the Nightmares, the ship landed and opened up to reveal a pair of darkly clad programs with orange lines running down them.

"Identify." One said as they stopped in front of Kairi. "State your handle, program."

"Oh, I'm not a program." Kairi explained with a slight laugh. "I'm a… what did Tron call us… That's right, I'm a User!"

The programs exchanged a glance with each other before one clamped his hand on her shoulder. "All Users are assigned as fugitives. All fugitives must be brought before CLU."

"What're you talking about? Tron made this place safe for programs and users alike!" Kairi insisted as they tried to walk her into the ship. "There's got to be some kind of misunderstanding! Let me talk to Tron, we're friends, I'm sure-!"

"The program with the handle 'Tron' is out of commission, CLU made sure of that."

Out of commission? What's that mean?! Kairi thought before kicking the guard and running away. "What's the matter with this world?!"

She didn't get too far seeing as another guard was waiting for her. She slid to a stop as they pulled out two disks to fight with.

She summoned her keyblade and quickly blocked the a disk before reflecting the other back at the program.

The program flipped into the air before landing perfectly, catching the disk from behind him.

Those moves, they seem so familiar… Kairi thought to herself.

She watched the program deflect her blast with his disk and she had to dodge before it could hit her in the head. That's the exact same move he used against Stark, that's gotta be Tron!

Three people observed the battle from afar, interested how it would play out.

"Tron… he's alive." Flynn whispered in shock, recognizing the program as well. Beside him was a woman with short black hair and a young man who shared some similarities with the older one, his son.

"That weapon she's using, it's one of your programs, isn't it, Dad?" The young man asked.

Flynn was so focused on Kairi's weapon that he nearly didn't answer the question. "No, it's not one of mine, I don't know what it is…"

"Tron…" Kairi grimaced as she blocked against him. She didn't care whether this was a dream Tron or not, she didn't want to fight any version of him! "Why are you fighting me, Tron?!"

The program suddenly stopped as if recognizing her. He suddenly summoned his disks back before running off.

"Excuse me, may I see your weapon?"

Kairi turned to see three people, the first ones she'd seen that looked relatively human like her.

"What a program- the weapon and the wielder." The woman muttered, looking her over.

Kairi blushed at the compliment. "I'm not a program, actually. My name's Kairi. And this is a keyblade, it can open any lock."

"So you're a User, just like us." The young man smiled. "My name's Sam and this is my father, Kevin Flynn, and our friend Quorra."

"Call me Flynn, everyone does." The man told her. "So, Kairi, you know Tron?"

"That's right. I met him a while ago and we became good friends…" Kairi replied, realizing this man must be a friend of Tron's as well. "But it looks like he and this world has changed since I was last in Ansem the Wise's computer."

"Ansem the Wise?" Flynn asked in surprise. "That's a name I haven't heard in a while…"

"You know him?"

"Yeah. We met many years ago, got along great and agreed all programs should be made to benefit the people with no cost to them. So, I showed him this place. Seeing how great it was, Ansem asked if he could make a copy of it to protect his town. I let him, knowing he wouldn't abuse it for wealth or status like some others would." Flynn explained. "Kairi, I'm thinking the world you know was that copy."

"That makes sense, Tron did say something about it being a copy of some program that was destroyed." Kairi nodded, thinking back to their first meeting. "And that program, this place, fell to darkness and ended up sleeping like all the other worlds."

"Don't know what you mean by darkness and sleeping but it sounds like you got the point." Sam grinned.

"But wait, if that world is a copy, does that mean Tron used to be a good guy here like he is there?"

Flynn nodded. "Not just a good guy, the best guy. After we saved it from the MCP, he helped me create this place. But Clu, a program made in my likeness to help us, staged a coup and turned Tron into the program you just met, Rinzler. That's the thing about programs, change the code just a little bit and their whole nature can change…"

"That's terrifying…" Kairi whispered. If she remembered right, Minnie had told her data had hearts just like people. "What about his heart? We can call out to his heart and… bring him back…"

The three of them turned with a look of confusion as if she'd said something weird.

"Programs don't have hearts, Kairi." Quorra whispered gently.

"Huh? Yes, they do!" Kairi insisted in slight anger for Tron and the data people she hadn't met yet. "If he didn't, Tron wouldn't be as loyal of a friend as he is!"

Flynn seemed to think it over before shaking his head. "Your logic tracks but we can't be sure. All we know is heart or not, Tron isn't connected to us. We can't rely on calling to something we don't know is there. Our best bet is restoring his source code."

"I guess it could help." Kairi agreed, she'd have a better time reaching him if he wasn't attacking her as Rinzler. "Where is it?"

"It would be with Clu. He would've made a backup just in case anything went wrong tampering with it, he's a program, after all. He's methodical like that."

"Well then let's go get it!"

"I don't know, it's dangerous to go after Clu." Flynn muttered softly in thought. "He's been trying to open the portal back to our world and he needs my disk to do it. My disk… or your keyblade if it can really open any door like you say."

"But dad, we can't let her go alone!" Sam cried.

When his son's persuasion didn't work, Quorra gave it a try. "You've always said Tron was a brilliant program, Flynn, one who helped you save the Grid and make it into this but most importantly, your friend. Isn't it worth the risk to get Tron back?"

After some thought, Flynn nodded then turned to the girl. "Kairi,"

The girl straightened. "Yes?"

"Let's go get our friend back."


While the four began their journey, Rinzler had sped back to his master to show him all he'd observed.

Clu paused the disk's memory's, leaving it frozen on Kairi's smiling face. "So it seems your friend's decided to come try and take you back. How very noble."

Rinzler was dealing with conflicting information, the code Clu installed and something else, something he couldn't recognize. He didn't answer the man.

"And Flynn's coming along to help her. It's the perfect opportunity to get his disk. Either that or that keyblade" Clu turned to Rinzler then, noticing he didn't seem to be paying attention. He came back into focus when Clu snapped his fingers. "Is there a problem, Rinzler? Don't tell me you believe what that girl said about you having a heart… about you being friends…"

"…" Rinzler didn't answer.

"Well, it doesn't matter because it isn't true. Now go, get me the key to the portal!"


The team snuck over the connecting parts of the solar sailers to reach the Throneship, Clu's commanding vessel.

They searched the code archives carefully but found no sign of Tron's source code.

"It isn't here." Quorra muttered.

Flynn nodded. "Clu must have it on him."

Sam exchanged a glance with Kairi before looking back at his dad. "How are we going to get it from him then?"

Before Flynn could answer, the door slid open, revealing Rinzler.

Sam and Quorra brandished their disks but Kairi stepped out in front of them. "Wait! Let me try and talk to him."

"Kairi-" Flynn tried but she was already walking up to the program.

She could feel his heart still in him, it was connected to both versions just like how all other data copies were connected to their original source. She just needed to reach it. "Tron, it's me, Kairi. Your friend, remember? You, me, Daisy, and Clarabelle, we save your world from Stark and the MCP… and you gave me a hug goodbye. It was a promise we'd meet again."

Tron's memories were beginning to resurface and call out to his heart. However, the code Clu had made fought hard against it, trying to get control back before it was too late.

He suddenly took a step forward before looking up at the girl.

Kairi couldn't see his face beneath the helmet. Had she gotten through to him. "Tron…?"

The program opened its arms as if to hug her.

"Tron!" Kairi cried happily, running to him.

"Kairi, wait!" Flynn yelled, seeing Rinzler's body suddenly tighten as he suddenly reverted back to his programming.

It was too late, Kairi was already in his arms, blissfully unaware of the change until Rinzler suddenly twisted her keyblade-wielding arm behind her back. "Tr- Agh!"

"Tron, stop it! Let her go!" Flynn yelled but Rinzler had already forced the girl onto his lightcycle.

He gave his old friend one last glance before speeding off.


"Tron… why can't I reach you?" Kairi whispered softly, huddled up in her cell. She could escape but she had no idea if Tron would follow her, if she could even get through to him at all.

"It's simple, really."

She glanced up to see the young man from before leaning against the wall. "You again…!"

"We store our memories deep, deep in ourselves, keeping them safe and hidden. You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Kairi? And it isn't just memories you've been hiding…"

Kairi placed a hand over her heart in worry, as if trying to guard those who rested within it. "You mean Naminé?"

The man smirked, not answering her. "You know, it's fascinating how easily your friend was changed. Without a heart, all one had to do was meddle with his code and his original self was gone forever..."

"That's not true!" Kairi growled, standing up. She was about to insist Tron and all programs had a heart but the man was quick to reply.

"Oh but it is. And it only takes a bit more effort to do the same to a person. All their memories, their appearance, even their very nature, everything is gone when the new fully engulfs the old."

The girl felt her body grow cold in fear, what was he talking about? How could all those things change so drastically? All she could think of was the heart, surely nothing was stronger than that.

"You'll learn soon enough." The man answered with a knowing smile as he disappeared into a dark corridor. "You were chosen for it, after all…"

"Chosen? Chosen for what?" Kairi wondered aloud, staring at the spot the man once was.

Suddenly, the cell door opened. A guard walked in before grabbing her roughly.


Kairi was shoved out into some sort of arena that had programs watching from the stands.

"Combatant 13 versus Rinzler!" Someone announced, causing a cheer to erupt from the crowd.

Then, two men appeared before her, one was Rinzler and the other…

"You must be Clu." Kairi inferred, seeing as he looked like a 20 years younger version of Flynn. "I've heard about you."

"And I you, Kairi." Clu smiled, walking forward. "You and your keyblade… How about a trade? Hand over the keyblade and I'll change Rinzler back into your friend."

"What…?" Kairi whispered. She summoned her keyblade, looking at it with concern. She wanted Tron back more than anything in that moment but… "No! You'll use it to open the portal and take over Sam and Flynn's home! Besides, the keyblade is what I use to protect the people I love, there's no way I'll give it to you!"

"Then I'll take it by force." Clu snarled, gesturing to Rinzler.

The program sprang into the air at the moment, throwing his disks at the girl.

"I'm not fighting you!" Kairi quickly blocked them. She couldn't fight her friend, even when he was like this.

The girl sprinted across the arena to avoid the program. "Tron, I know you can hear me! Please, stop this! You're my friend, I know you'd never want to hurt me, not the true you!"

She blocked with her keyblade before gritting her teeth, looking at him through the helmet. "Tron, please…"

Tron shook wildly. He heard her but couldn't stop thanks to the program's control.

Kairi remembered the last time they were together and how all of Tron's code was embedded in his identity disk. She glanced between the two before figuring it didn't matter which one she chose. "Saki, help me out!"

Saki separated the two of them with a bright blast of light, causing Rinzler to drop his weapons.

Kairi snatched up a disk before placing her keyblade to it. It glowed with light as she prayed for Tron's code to be fixed.

A few moments later, Tron fell to his knees.

Kairi walked up cautiously. "Tron?"

The program slowly took off his helmet, revealing Tron's smiling face. "I'm here, Kairi."

The girl gasped in delight before embracing her friend. "Tron!"

"No…" Clu growled, watching the two reunited at last, both the keyblade and his loyal soldier now far beyond his reach. "No, no, no!"

He threw his disk at the girl, aiming directly for her throat. Tron saw this and shoved Kairi away before reflecting the disk. "Look out, my friend!"

The disk hit a tile beneath Tron, causing it to glitch out.

"Tron!" Kairi yelled, seeing he was holding on but only barely. She ran to him but was suddenly jerked back.

She looked up to see the keyhole of the world shining down at her. Tears came to her eyes as the beam shot into it and began pulling her into the next world. "No, no, not now! Please, please not now!"

"I'll be alright, Kairi, please don't cry..." Tron called to her as his fingers slipped. "I won't let anything stop me from helping the Users and my fellow programs anymore."

Kairi knew in her heart he was telling the truth. He really would be alright. She just had to believe in him. She sniffled as she faded into the keyhole. "Alright…"

"Take care till we meet again, Kairi…"

She vanished into light.


Hello everyone, first author note in this series ever! I just thought it would be fun to interact with everyone and share my thoughts, especially about this chapter in particular! Tron's world is one of my favorites to write simply because Tron himself is such a fun and interesting character and he fits perfectly in KH. Yes, we confirmed that data has hearts in Coded but I think everyone had a sneaking suspicion since KH2, Tron included.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to respond to any questions or comments you guys have as the series goes on! (Except if they're from rude people I've already said I won't reply to)