A/N: You know, writing is becoming more of a pain now...for tech reasons. A few buttons on my laptop's keyboard are malfunctioning and won't work most of the time. Fortunately, my laptop has a tablet mode, so I can use that to write, but I'm not used to touchscreen typing like this. Like I said, it's a pain.

Anyway, here's what happened the night that kick-started Sora's journey... from other people's perspective.


Night of Fate


KAIRI: I never believed that things would turn out this...crazy.


Kairi sat on the boat dock with Sora as the sun was setting. Riku had just left for the main island.

The trio had just finished building their raft, gathering food for the trip, and Sora and Riku raced to decide the raft's name...and Riku won, naming it the Highwind.(1) They were pretty much ready to set sail, now it was just a matter of time before they head out. Riku seemed eager to leave as early as tomorrow morning, but Kairi was still unsure.

"You know, Riku has changed," Kairi said.

"What do you mean?" asked Sora.

"Well..." The redhead hummed in thought. She really didn't know how to explain the bad feelings she's been getting from their silver haired friend lately.

The spiky head noticed her hesitation. "You okay?"

After wracking her brain and coming up with nothing, Kairi decided to steer away from it with a joke. "Sora! Let's take the raft and go! Just the two of us!"

The boy was flabbergasted by that. "What?!"

The girl then giggled. "Just kidding!"

Sora couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What's gotten into you? You're the one that's changed Kairi."

"Maybe..." she then sighed. After a pause, she decided maybe she should express her thoughts to him a little. "I guess...I've had a lot on my mind lately. Dreams about the Creepy Doctor returned, I had a strange occur at the Secret Place the other day where I swear I saw huge Keyhole on that door only for it to disappear the moment I look away...no idea if that was real or just a hallucination...then there's that shouting voice we heard that sounded familiar to me, but we couldn't find who it belonged to...couldn't stop thinking about my forgotten love ones after that."

The brunette scratched his head in bewilderment. He was there for the voice bit, but this was the first time he heard about the other things. "Wow...that all sounds very stressful."

"And finally... I have to be honest... I'm really not sure about our raft plan. I mean...What if it doesn't work? What if we only get lost and stranded out there? What if we run out of food before we reach land? What if we get attacked by a shark or something? What if a storm hits us? I just don't know if this is a good idea."

"Well... When you put it like that, it does sound like a poorly thought out plan."

"I want to tell Riku about my thoughts, but...I'm worried he won't listen to me. He seems...obsessed with going to other worlds and I don't know why. He seems willing to do anything to see other worlds and I worry he's not thinking things through. I just...don't know what to do."

Sora thought for a moment before speaking. "I don't know about 'obsessed', I mean he seems pretty normal to me. But...maybe I've been distracted with my own weird thoughts these past couple days. There's that dream I had yesterday while I was napping on the beach, where I find myself in a dark world and fighting of shadowy creatures...creatures that remind me of one of your drawings now that I think about it."

Kairi couldn't help but think back to her own dream that included watching him fight off shadowy creatures...only to be overtaken. She didn't let it show, but this frightened her.

Sora continued, "And then just earlier today something really weird happened that I don't know if it was real or my imagination. I was in the Secret Place grabbing some mushrooms for our trip and..." He paused for a second, deciding to refrain from mentioning the addition he made to their old drawings of each other. "...and out of nowhere, this guy in a brown robe appears, saying he came to see the door to this world, that this world has been connected, tied to the darkness...he was really freaking me out. Then he tells me that I don't yet know what lies beyond the door and that I understand so little. I tell him that I'm gonna go out and learn what's out there, but he just tells me one who knows nothing can understand nothing. I look away for two seconds and he's gone."

Needless to say, the redhead was very disturbed by this. A lot of weird things have been happening lately and it's making her uneasy. Once again, she really hoped this wasn't another omen. She didn't want either of them dwelling on this though, so she tried to make up an excuse to change the subject. "Well, that does sound too freaky to be real."

"Yeah maybe..." The brunette paused for a moment. "So maybe the raft isn't such a good idea. Riku may be very eager to leave, but he's our friend. I'm sure if we explain your good points to him, he'll understand. I'm sure we'll find another...safer way to find other worlds."

Kairi looked down. "You sound so sure."

Sora pumped his fists. "Hey! Just because one idea doesn't work out, doesn't mean we should give up hope! One way or another we will see what's out there! And we will find out where you came from, and your lost loved ones!" He then raised one fist into the air as he gave the girl a bright grin. "That's a promise!"

Kairi couldn't help but blush as she stared at the boy with awe. She then gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Sora. You know I have to admit, with or without the raft plan, I was a little afraid at first going out to other worlds...with no idea what's out there. But, now I'm ready! No matter where I go or what I see, I know I can always come back here! Right?"

"Yeah! Of course!"

"That's good." She closed her eyes as she felt the urge to get part of her feelings off her chest. "Sora... I'm really glad I have you. You're the one person I know I can always count on to just...be there for me. Whether it's making me laugh, making me feel better,...making me feel safe..." She then decided that she said enough. "Just...don't ever change, okay?"

"Huh?" Sora found himself blushing at all that. Never did he ever think that she would say something like that to him. Did she really trust him that much?

Kairi noticed his blush and giggled before standing up and looking out at the sunset. "However the way we do go out to see other worlds, I just know it'll be great."

"Uh, yeah!" The boy then stood up too, before stretching his limbs. "Well I guess we should head home now."

"Yeah..." As the two turned to their canoes, Kairi felt the urge to do something that was bold even for her... She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "See you tomorrow Sora!" Without even waiting for a response, she then hopped into her boat and started rowing back to the main island. She looked back for a moment giving him a sweet smile, enjoying the stunned look he had on his face. A part of her can't believe she did that, but a stronger part felt great satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Sora subconsciously placed his hand on his cheek, right where she kissed him. He had to admit to himself that he had been crushing on Kairi for a long time. But everyone had always implied to his face that Riku was the better option for her. But with all the teasing she's done in the past, and now this? She couldn't actually be choosing him over the silverhead, could she? He couldn't help but think about the paopu fruit, how he added one to their old drawings of each other after being teased about it twice by Riku. Sora can only hope that drawing becomes reality someday.

It took a moment for him to snap out of his stunned trance. "Keep dreaming, Sora," he muttered to himself, believing he's overthinking this, before hopping into his own boat and rowing home.


Hiding in the treehouse, the cloaked Kai and Lucky watched the two teenagers, and with darkness enhanced hearing, they also heard the whole conversation even from this distance.

Lucky let out a romantic sigh. "Th-there so s-s-sweet t-together, d-don't you th-think?"

Kai let out a sigh of his own, but one laced with skepticism and maybe a hint of jealousy. "I honestly don't know what she sees in that Sora boy. He's lazy, naive, too carefree for my liking, and perhaps too optimistic for his own good. And here he is making a promise he's not likely able to keep. Can I really trust him with her happiness?"

"I-I think he h-has his ch-charm. He m-makes her l-l-laugh if n-nothing else. Th-they s-seem to c-c-care a lot f-for each other. I-I think you sh-should g-give him a ch-ch-chance."

The redhead grumbled before taking a deep breath. "I'll give him this at least... I would sooner accept him over that Riku punk. I can't trust that silverhead at all."

"Y-you don't th-think R-Riku is that b-b-bad, d-do you?"

"There's a darkness around that boy. He has the stench of someone who craves power. And you heard Kairi. Even she thinks he's obsessed with seeing other worlds, and willing to do anything to get off these small islands. Even going through something as dangerous and unreliable as this raft plan! Craving power, obsession, drive to do whatever it takes to achieve his goal, no regard for the dangers and possible consequences of his pursuit... I know from experience what those can lead to...pain, suffering, and possibly death for himself and for those around him. If he is anything like I was as a kid, then he is liable to bring those things onto Kairi. Their peers seem to treat him like some big shot, best guy in town, girls can always count on him, but he's pretty much the last person on these islands I'd trust her safety to! At least Sora, naive as he is, is open to other options when presented with valid points. But Riku...I get the sense it would take a serious ass-kicking to get the point across to him."

"I-I'm sure S-Sora and K-Kairi will b-be able to c-convince him t-to ch-change his m-mind."

"And if he doesn't, I swear I'll destroy that raft myself if that's what it takes to stop this foolishness."

Lucky then twiddled her thumbs for a moment. "Y-you know, I-I've been th-thinking...about r-returning D-D-Dawn to K-K-Kairi."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"L-Look, D-Dawn seems t-to enjoy my c-company, b-but she's s-still looks s-sad every n-now and th-then. I j-just don't think sh-she ever be t-truly h-h-happy until she r-reunites with her r-rightful owner."

"I don't know. A random cat appearing out of nowhere and being taken care of by the one person who came out of nowhere, people are likely gonna take notice, ask questions, maybe give them strange looks."

"M-Maybe... B-but, I think i-it w-would mean a lot t-to K-Kairi if sh-she had just o-one thing f-from her p-past with her. S-something or s-someone she could t-touch. A-and who kn-know? M-maybe the r-return of her C-Cuddly K-Kitty will help d-delay their r-raft v-voyage?" She then gave him a pleading look. "P-p-please? I kn-know it'll m-make her h-happy. W-what h-harm c-could it d-d-do?"

Kai wanted to argue that an encounter with her old cat could lead to her remembering things better left forgotten. But the look in the bug girl's amethyst eyes, one that was begging him to do this her way for once, kept those words from leaving his mouth. Somehow, he just couldn't bring himself to say no to her this time. He grunted before saying, "Fine... We'll drop her off after dark."

Lucky looked surprised, not expecting him to agree so easily as he's usually more stubborn than that. But she smiled gratefully. "Th-thank y-y-you."

With that, the two opened a corridor. While Lucky walked through immediately, Kai stayed back for a moment... thinking about what Sora said about a guy in a brown robe, and the way said guy apparently talked. He could not dismiss it as some kid's imagination. He didn't sound like one of Maleficent's goons, but he definitely sounded like an interloper. And on top of hearing Kairi mention seeing a large keyhole, possibly the Keyhole to this world's heart, in the same place Sora saw this figure, he felt quite uneasy.

I've got a bad feeling about this, he thought before finally entering the portal.


That night, Kairi sat in her room, putting the finishing touches on her lucky charm, five thalassa shells strung together in a star shape, called a Wayfinder. Thalassa shells were said to have been worn by sailors in the old days to ensure a safe voyage, and she hoped that if they couldn't convince Riku to call off their plans, then this charm would protect them. She also heard Wayfinders being talismans of reunion, that if you make one for yourself and each of your closest friends then you'd always find your way back to one another. She wanted to make one for Sora and Riku, in case they ever got separated, but thalassa shells were not easy to come by and so far she only found enough for one.

On a whim, she decided to draw a happy face with spiky hair using a thin brown marker on the shell attached to a chain. She couldn't help but giggle at Sora's face on her lucky charm, she even glued a crown token like the one on the boy's necklace to the charm's center. Doing this just felt right to her, giving a charm for safety the face of someone she feels the safest around. Also, working on this thing gave her a strange sense of nostalgia, as if she had made something similar to this once before.

Her musings were interrupted by a sudden chill running down her spine, followed by an immense sense of dread that she couldn't explain. She looked out her window and saw what looked like lightning flashing over their hangout island.

"A storm?"

But she couldn't shake the ominous feeling that this was no ordinary storm. Normally she would've just stayed put, but... something was calling to her, drawing her to the island. She didn't know what it was, but she found it very difficult to ignore. Unable to resist the call, she climbed out her window without a second thought.

Not sticking around long enough to hear her mother call her for dinner.


As Kairi arrived, she couldn't help but notice what appeared to be a strange hole in the sky with dark clouds swirling inside.

"What is that?"

As she rowed her canoe to the dock, she realized that another boat was already docked. She wondered if that meant Sora or Riku were already here.

Once she stepped out of her boat however, she was almost immediately met with a startling sight: small black creatures with soul-piercing yellow eyes. She trembled in fear, it was the Shadowy Creatures from her dreams. How? How could this be possible?

The moment the monsters started approaching her, she did the only thing she could: She ran. She ran around the beach, narrowly avoiding a couple of those Shadows until she took refuge in the Secret Place.

She took a moment to catch her breath before spotting someone she didn't expect. "Riku?" Indeed, her silver haired friend was just standing there, staring at the mysterious door. She approached him before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"The door...has opened..." Riku said cryptically.

The redhead raised her eyebrow in confusion. What door? The one in front of them? It didn't look open to her. "What?"

The boy turned to her. "We don't need the raft anymore. Now we can go to the outside world."

"Wh-what are you talking about? There's a giant hole in the sky, those Shadowy Creatures from my dreams are running around, and all you're thinking about is other worlds? What's going on!?"

"Relax Kairi. Everything will be alright, I promise." His one track mind and seemingly no regard to the danger going on around them did nothing to comfort her. "This may be our only chance. We can't let fear of the darkness stop us." Riku then started walking past Kairi, heading out of the cave. "You just wait here. I'm gonna go find Sora.(2) I won't let him miss this either."

The girl could swear she saw dark aura around him for a split second, and it deeply worried her. She watched him leave before attempting to follow. "W-wait! Riku! This doesn't feel right! Maybe we should think harder about-"

Just as she moved to crawl through the cave entrance, she was met with not Riku, but more of those Shadows. They spotted her and started approaching her, causing her to recoil in fright back into the cave. Before the monsters could enter though, a bright light suddenly shined, and when it subsided a strange off-white door appeared just outside the entrance, blocking those creatures.

Needless to say, Kairi was extremely confused as to where this door came from. However she couldn't dwell on that as she felt a pull back into the Secret Place, the same feeling that drew her to the island in the first place. She walked into the chamber to see that mysterious wooden door again, but that large keyhole was back. She was so mesmerized by it that she couldn't focus on anything else, not even the old drawing she and Sora did together. But then she was struck with an ominous sensation. She didn't know how, but she felt like a great darkness was threatening to break out of that door. And yet somehow she also felt as though her mere presence was holding back whatever was trying to come out. How could this be? She didn't know. But she felt a warm light coming from within herself. Because of this, she just felt compelled to stay right there and hold the darkness back.

There was just one major problem: Kairi was just one girl...who had no idea what she was doing. As a result, it didn't take long for her to feel herself getting weaker and weaker by the second. She was tired and could barely keep her eyes open. It was a wonder how she was still standing upright. It got to the point where... she could feel herself... slipping from her own body.

She felt as though she couldn't hold on any longer when she heard a familiar voice from behind, calling her name. She turned around to see the boy she trusted most. "Sora..." she said weakly. Her body instinctively reached out to him, moving slowly, almost zombie-like.

Suddenly, the eternally closed door just burst open, letting out an intense wind of darkness. This strong wind blew the girl off her feet as she was sent flying towards her crush. The last thing Kairi saw was Sora opening his arms to catch her... before she completely blacked out.


Moments earlier:

Kai and Lucky walked out of a Corridor of Darkness beside the mayor's house. It was dark out, but the lights were still on.

Lucky whispered to the basket she was carrying, "I-it's okay, D-Dawn. Y-you're gonna s-see K-K-Kairi again s-soon."

Kai noticed how it was awfully windy tonight. "Alright, just set her down at the front door, knock on the door, and then get clear."

"Th-thank you f-for letting m-me do this. R-really."

"Let's just get this over with before we're... What the hell?!" The redhead's gaze had drifted upwards until it caught the startling sight of a steadily growing black hole in the sky.

The pinkette followed his gaze and was frightened so much that her previously drooped and concealed wings instinctively rose back up and passed through her cloaked. "Wh-wh-what is th-that!?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good."

"I-is this wh-wh-what h-happens when a w-world f-f-falls to d-d-darkness?" The two never stuck around long enough to see how a world gets consumed, so they wouldn't know.

A banging sound caught their attention. They peaked around the corner to find a brown-haired woman knocking frantically at the mayor's front door. From previous observations, this was Sora's mother, Ayame. The mayor answered and Ayame quickly cut to the chase. "Hitomi, have you seen Sora!? I can't find him anywhere in the house!"

"N-no!" Hitomi answered. "In fact I can't find Kairi anywhere either!"

"Ichigo went to check Genma's but...if Riku's missing too."

"What could they be doing out this late at night? And in the middle of this...strange storm?"

"I'm very worried! We should go look for them!"

"I know!"

With that, both mothers took off.

"K-K-Kairi and her f-f-friends are m-m-missing!?" Lucky said frantically.

Kai had his eyes closed and his hand on his heart. "I can sense her light." He then looked out the sea toward the hangout island, where the black hole was over. "She's back over at that island... right in the middle of this phenomenon."

"W-we need to f-find her! Sh-she could b-be in d-d-danger!"

Before any decision could be made, a deep, sinister voice cut in, "Now now... Let's not be hasty." The two turned to see a figure in a brown robe. "The pieces are where they're meant to be. Let's not interfere."

"You..." Kai growled, sensing a very familiar darkness around this guy. "Xehanort!?"

"I abandoned that name years ago. I would prefer it if you'd call me...Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness."

"A-Ansem?" Lucky asked as she moved behind Kai.

The redhead clenched his fist. "And just where do you get off taking the name of your teacher?"

"I took the research he conducted on the workings of the heart, and I went further than he ever dared. As far as I'm concerned, I may as well be the true Ansem around here."

"Some nerve pretending to be someone you're not! Tell me! Is that black hole in the sky your doing?!"

"So what if it is?"

"Then I guess I'll just end it here and now..." Kai then summoned his Muramasa. "By cutting you down!" He then leapt to 'Ansem' and swung at him... only for the blade to pass right through him like he was a ghost. "Wh-what?!"

'Ansem' chuckled, "My apologies. But I am lacking a physical form at the moment. I'm afraid you cannot harm me as I am now." As if trying to prove him wrong, Kai swung at him again and again, but to no avail. "Useful, is it not? Though not without its drawbacks." He then started moving toward the island where the black hole was. "I cannot truly focus my power in this state. And the longer I go on without a vessel the more at risk I am of losing my consciousness, my individuality, and I'd become no different from the other Heartless.(3)"

"You s-say that as if, y-you're a H-H-Heartless yourself," Lucky said.

The robed figure stopped moving, gazing at the black hole. "I did use the power of darkness to willingly cast aside my body. I'm little more than a wandering heart shrouded in shadow. So yes, in a sense I am a Heartless."

The redhead growled. "Just what kind of game are you playing here? You take my sister away from me, make me believe she was dead, and for what!? Why send her to this place?"

"I didn't send her here specifically. I merely sent her out into the Lanes Between, hoping she would lead me to a Key Bearer."

The bug girl widened her eyes. "K-Key B-Bearer? B-but how c-could K-K-Kairi help you f-find one?"

"You see, I had this theory that the Seven Pure Lights have a connection of some kind to the legendary Keyblade. A connection that perhaps could draw one to the other. So I thought that maybe if I sent a Princess of Heart out into the ocean of stars, she could lead me to one of the Keyblade's chosen wielders. And that journey brought her here."

Suddenly, a pillar of light shined from that distant island. "What's that?" asked Kai.

'Ansem' chuckled. "As I predicted: A brand new Keyblade wielder has awakened at last! And thus my experiment is finally complete!"

The werewolf growled again. "Everything's just a goddamn experiment to you, isn't it!?"

"Oh believe me this is more than just an experiment. It is a stepping stone to my ambition. Gotta be prepared for any potential threats to the opening of the Door to Darkness."

"D-Door to D-D-Darkness!?" exclaimed Lucky.

The cloaked Heartless turned to them. "Yes! And I must say, you two have done an excellent job gathering three of the seven keys to that door for us. A shame that you appear to be deserters now."

"Us?" asked Kai. "Wait! Are you saying you're working for Maleficent!?"

"We'll... It'd be more accurate to say that she and I struck a deal. As a matter of fact, it was I who gave her the knowledge to carry out her universe wide scheme in the first place."

Kai's eyes widened in realization as he clenched his fist harder. "That old hag never intended to help me get my revenge, did she!? She wasn't just neglecting to keep her word, she straight up lied to my face!"

"You catch on quick, Lycan. In fact, I specifically asked her to keep an eye on you, my favorite experiment, in case your beast ever evolved again. Funny how it only happened out of her sight. And yet, I don't believe it has reached its peak just yet."

"Ugh! What exactly is your special interest in me anyways!?"

'Ansem' chuckled once again. "The answer to that question is fascinating, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I'll have to cut this conversation short. I'm afraid this world's time is up. But thank you for wasting time speaking with me." He said that last part with a smug tone.

Suddenly, both Kai and Lucky felt a very intense darkness. They looked back over to the other island to find a huge wave of darkness burst from it and quickly spread across the ocean until it reached the main island. The two cried out in terror as a dark wind blew around them. They struggled to stand their ground, but it was no use.

Kai and Lucky were lifted off the ground, carried by the darkness...

...before they both blacked out.


KAI: Why can't things just go the way I want them to for once?


A/N: I hope you like my take on how that night happened from Kairi's perspective.

I also hope you like my version of the sunset scene with Sora and Kairi. I realized that I needed one good moment between these two before Sora's journey began. A moment where Kairi lets Sora know how much she trusts him, making what happens to her heart at the start of the journey all the more meaningful. And since this chapter focuses on that night, I thought I might as well make alterations to the sunset scene to serve that purpose. And of course, I just couldn't help but include Kairi giving Sora a peck on the cheek, my favorite ship of all time.

Footnotes:

(1) Given that the outcome of the race determines the name of the default Gummiship(If Riku wins it's Highwind and if Sora wins it's either Excalibur by default or whatever the player chooses.), and the fact that the default ship is named the Highwind in later games no matter what, it's pretty much implied that Riku winning the race is the canon outcome.

(2) This is based on what I heard was in the Chain of Memories manga, where it's revealed that Riku told Kairi to wait in the Secret Place while he looked for Sora that fateful night. I've never seen that part of the manga myself though, so I improvised.

(3) Got this idea from Union Cross. It's what the whole deal was with the 13 True Darknesses. So I figured the same logic would apply to Xehanort's Heartless in his robe form, hence why he possessed Riku, using him as a vessel.