Author's Note: Holy shit lol it's like 3 AM and a new idea sprang into my brain and I couldn't let it go! I have NO IDEA why I didn't think of it LIKE A YEAR AGO, HONESTLY, EVER SINCE MELODY OF MEMORIES CAME OUT! It's so damn obvious in terms of amazing potential for story ripples and shit as a plot AU starter point! One that main baddie Xehanort even SAID was a real possibility! So I have canonical backing from Xehanort lol! xD
Sooo yeah, had to get this one out of my head, get it started! :D Unfortunately I don't think i can have two different Kairi focused stories going on without confusing the two of them (Warrior Princess Kairi and now this new Kairi in AU-land) sooo...yeah gonna have to come back to it. xD Bookmark it!
End of AN!
"This world will be engulfed in darkness - everything you care about, and everyone you love. If you truly possess the power of a Princess of Heart, your heart will resonate with a Keyblade wielder's, and I believe you can lead me to that wielder's world. That is the only possible way to save ours. You see, this is more than an experiment: it's hope. Like most, you probably believe that nothing exists outside of this world you live in. And yet, there are countless other worlds. You can see them sparkle brilliantly in the night sky. Through that sea of stars, fate will guide your ship to where you are meant to be."
The girl heard the voice faintly, muffled, distant...
She blinked blearily, seeing the man step forward...
A metal hatch came down in front of her, trapping her inside the small space.
But she couldn't even be scared...she could barely keep her eyes open...
The voice suddenly came to her, crystal clear, as the world began to tremble, and a loud noise reverberated around her.
"However, if you arrive in a world that's neither of light nor darkness, but somewhere on the other side, your task will be far from easy. If that happens, you must abandon your search - we have failed."
The girl's eyes closed, as sleep took her, and a bright light flashed all around her...
A loud shrieking noise and the world spinning caused the girl to startle awake again what seemed like a second later!
The metal box she was trapped in twisted and turned until it finally stopped.
The girl lay on her side against the side of the box. She moved her arms and legs - then gasped in pain! She held her arm, trying not to cry.
She couldn't cry - she had better things to do. She had to GET OUT OF THIS BOX!
She twisted around (whimpering as she banged her arm on the box again) and pulled her knees in. Then she kicked at the big glass window of the hatch, staring out at the world desperately.
She could see darkness, and a wall that stretched out on either side further than she could see.
She kicked and kicked at the glass for what seemed like forever - but it didn't break!
She started to get really scared now. Scared and angry and lonely and she wanted her home and grandma and-
-and she wished for that blue-haired lady to come and save her again, like she had last year, with that pretty sword that had felt so warm and nice when she'd put her hand on it-
Suddenly the blue pendant on her necklace started glowing brightly!
The girl shielded her eyes from it, crying out with shock and confusion. There was a loud BOOM and a crash!
When the light faded, the girl saw the box was open now.
The door was twisted and burned, set against that huge, dark wall.
The girl crawled out of the pod and onto the ground with relief.
The ground was cold, and hard, though.
It didn't seem much better to her.
But she was FREE!
She could...find someone to help her now.
The girl turned, her gaze traveling along the wall - to an opening of bright light. She was in an alleyway. A dirty, long alley.
She crooked her arm and held it to her body as she stumbled her way forward.
She emerged out of the alley - and stared all around her in shock and confusion. This...wasn't home. It wasn't Radiant Garden.
It was full of lights and vehicles moving left and right, huge signs that glowed, and there were the tallest buildings in the world EVERYWHERE she looked. The girl also saw lots of PEOPLE, though - that was good...
She just had to ask for help.
The girl looked all around her at the people walking up and down the streets. She bit her quivering lip and ran up to the nearest passing person! She misjudged it, or the person wasn't expecting her to run out like that, because she ran right into the woman's legs!
"OOF-" the girl gasped, stumbling back. Trying to not cry as her arm burned with pain again.
"Oh - I'm sorry - I didn't see you there," the woman started, staring down at her. She blinked, her eyes moving over the girl closely now. Then her eyes went wide, her mouth opening. "Are you alright...?"
The girl shook her head fiercely! "NO!" she exclaimed. "I WANT TO GO HOME, I WANT GRANDMA, I- I don't know where I am..." she trailed off, quavering. She clenched her free hand at her side. But she was crying anyways now.
The woman lowered herself to the ground, flicking a hand through long hair of bright pink. She frowned, raising a hand slowly and pointing at the girl's arm. "Your arm - are you hurt?"
The girl nodded, pressing her lips together.
"Okay. Listen, sweetie, my name is Nina - what's yours?" the woman said, clear and slow.
The girl looked into the woman's face. Her pink lips and pink eyes that matched her hair. She sucked in a breath, and spoke.
"I'm Kairi..."
"Kairi...what a beautiful name. Okay, Kairi, why don't you come with me - I can take you to a hospital. We can get that arm looked at. Make it all better."
Kairi stared at the woman still. She looked all around her, quivering. Then she nodded and thrust her arm out, fingers of her hand splayed.
Nina took her hand and stood up again. She smiled down at her, then pointed out across the street. "Alright, the closest hospital is a few blocks that way. We'll have to walk a bit - but if you can't, just tell me, and I'll carry you, okay?"
Kairi just nodded, looking down at her feet. She breathed, then looked ahead as they started to move.