A/N: Hello, all! I'm back! Thank you to those who expressed interest in me continuing this story. Your support means a lot to me.
Quick note before we begin: As you will see starting with this chapter, I will be writing all of the Princesses of Heart with actual depth, instead of the classic damsel-in-distress that the canon games have depicted them with. Not only am I doing this out of personal spite, but it will also make what happens to them all later a lot more impactful, because then they'll feel like actual people. The princes will be given names for the same reason.
This chapter documents Kairi's adventure fighting Snow White's nightmare, in the latter's heartscape modeled after the Dwarf Woodlands. As for the name of the prince, I chose Florian due it being allegedly used by Disney when they started the Disney Princess franchise.
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts in any, way, shape or form.
The following scenario is inspired by/based on the "Snow-White and Rose-Red" story, by the Brothers Grimm.
!~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~D~O~N~T~~W~A~K~E~~M~E~~U~P~!
Don't Wake Me Up
Chapter 2: Ataraxia
"A state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety."
Florian and Snow White were not married (yet), but they may as well have been. They were far past the honeymoon stage and currently deep in the comfortably-living-together stage, as if they had been married for years now.
Snow White's stepmother, the Evil Queen, had done quite a bit of damage in the wake of her vanity, so Snow and Florian (who was from a neighboring kingdom, though far from the first in line for that throne) were both waiting until all damage had been repaired before focusing on themselves. It was a vow they had taken together, and both working toward the same goal purely through kindness and wanting to do the right thing had greatly strengthened their relationship.
One or two things still needed to be fixed, but they were relatively small, so they could take care of it later. This was the first day the two could take for themselves, so they did, knowing that self-care was just as important as helping others.
So, here the two were, taking a romantic stroll through the woods surrounding the castle. It was simple in terms of a date, but both were simple people. It wasn't how elaborate and fancy things were that made them happy. It was the small things—obviously a leftover from her time as the scullery maid.
Snow found it strange, however. She was looking forward to this day ever since they planned it about a week ago, but before they left, she had passed out while getting dressed. When she woke up, she found that no time had passed whatsoever, but her body felt heavy and weary. For the next five minutes, she debated on whether or not to let Florian know, before ultimately deciding not to.
It was mostly likely stress from all the work she'd been doing trying to rebuild and repair the kingdom. It made sense because her body felt like it was exhausted.
Besides, all they were doing was walking. It would be different if they were doing something more physical than that, but they would be just fine. The trees gave plenty of shade, he had a dagger if they got into any trouble, and if she needed to rest, he would rest with her, no questions asked.
She trusted him with her life.
Florian asking her, "The gardeners are wondering which flower would complete the garden," brought Snow back to reality, away from her train of thought.
"Violets," she answered. "They mean 'modesty' or 'humility'." They meant the exact opposite of her stepmother's vanity, and it was important, she felt, in helping her kingdom move past their collective trauma under the woman's rule.
"Alright, then," he replied with a smile. "Violets it is." Of course, he understood. She knew he would.
Without warning, Snow White suddenly felt her world grow cold as a tsunami of fear washed over her. Frozen in place, she couldn't move a single inch in any direction as giant footsteps shook the ground behind her, amplifying as they got closer, with the shadow of whatever creature they belonged to also growing in size.
Her fear was only intensifying the closer this creature got to her. She couldn't even turn around to see what it looked like, or what was even attacking her.
That is, until she felt Florian tackle her to the ground right before a giant tentacle-like limb smashed the ground she was just standing on. It was only then that she got a good look at the creature that had attacked her.
It was a giant red apple with black tentacles for limbs and a sickly purple tint. It was frightening and it reminded her way too heavily of the poisoned apple that old woman—her stepmother, sorry—had made her eat.
She felt oddly disconnected from reality, as she muttered, "F-Flor–", but he cut her off.
"Don't talk," he told her, before handing her his dagger. "Just run. I'll catch up as soon as I can."
He sounded worried and somewhat scared, and that concerned her. He rarely let his fear show. If he did, it was a sign that something was wrong. The only other time she had seen him so frightened was when she was kidnapped by that man—Ansem, Seeker of Darkness.
She didn't think twice about it, immediately getting up and running away from the scene, her hand tightly gripping her only means of defense. Part of her what demanding that she go back, but her fear was too great. Her adrenaline keeping the fight-or-flight response active kept her from turning around, not even when she heard a faint cry of pain.
Snow only stopped when she ran into something that sent her tumbling to the ground, deep within the Deep Woods at that.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" a feminine voice sounded. "Are you alright?"
Snow White looked up to see a blonde-haired girl with a dark dress standing over her, hand stretched out to help her back to her feet, and wearing a concerned expression. The stranger seemed kind enough, but Snow paused.
This girl had the same face as Snow herself did.
This was too uncanny to believe. It was like looking into a mirror with reversed colors.
"Umm..." the stranger cut through Snow White's thoughts. "Can you hear me? Did you hit your head or something?"
Snow White shook her head, "My apologies. Don't worry, I'm fine." She ignored the helping hand and got to her feet on her own, as she tucked the dagger into her belt.
The stranger didn't do anything (yet), her heart was kind and gentle (it seemed), and she obviously wanted to help (or did she?), so why was Snow White feeling like this stranger couldn't be trusted?
"Thank goodness," the stranger replied. To her credit, she sounded genuinely relieved. "I was worried that I had hit you too hard." She then paused, as if realizing something, before adding, "I'm so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Rose Red. I was running because I heard someone cry for help."
"Snow White," Snow quietly introduced herself in kind. "I was running away from a monster."
"Well, that would explain the dagger," Rose Red—the stranger—muttered.
Snow considered herself quiet and shy, and she preferred spending her time indoors, by doing housework or reading. Rose Red here was quite clearly the opposite: outspoken, lively, and cheerful, and obviously preferred outdoor activities, judging by her clothes.
Snow tried to calm her nerves, advising Rose, "Don't go towards the danger. That monster looked very lethal. Go hide somewhere and I will find someone who can destroy it." In the very least, she cared about this stranger's well-being.
Rose was a little too cheerful when replying, "Okay. Good luck, and be safe. Remember that you have that dagger for a reason," before running in the direction she came from.
As Snow White ran in another direction, away from Rose, using her light to call for someone with a keyblade, she felt heartbroken. She wanted to trust Rose Red. Rose's heart was honest and trustworthy, and her actions amplified what her heart was feeling, but Snow couldn't avoid going back to that poisoned apple.
She trusted that old woman, trusted the apple the woman gave her, only for that woman to be her stepmother in disguise, and that apple to be poisoned.
After waking up, she swore to herself that she would exercise caution from that point forward.
But now, she was asking herself if exercising caution should really come before possibly making a new friend...
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Why?, Kairi asked herself as she slowly began coming to. Why did the other five Princesses feel so far away from her, but Snow White remain clear as day? She could only hope that helping Snow here would somehow open up a path towards the others. Hopefully...
There was also the mystery of why faded memories of her childhood were returning now of all times. They started coming back after meeting that old man...
Come on, focus, Kairi! Your friend needs your help! You can focus on that creep later!
The memory of Snow White crying out for help remained seared into her mind, her soul, her heart. The redhead promptly used it to force herself back to reality. It was incredibly difficult, and she was groggy by the time she managed to open her eyes, but the exhaustion began decreasing the longer time she spent awake.
She surveyed her surroundings as she sat up. While its appearance was the Flower Glade of the Dwarf Woodlands, Kairi knew that this was actually Snow White's heart, and thus a physical representation of the place she felt the most at home. Allowing someone else within her heart was a great gesture of trust from Snow. After all, the wrong person could easily do some damage while in here.
Kairi got to her feet, focusing her mind and energy solely on why Snow needed saving, why she was calling out for help. She had no idea what to do now; she was new to this whole 'saving people' thing, unlike Sora. But Snow White knew, so...
"Okay," the redhead muttered to herself as she got to her feet, "first course of action is to find Snow White."
Just as she took a deep breath and was about to call out her friend's name, there was rustling in the nearby woods. She turned to face that direction just in time to see a black-haired woman in a blue and yellow dress, and red cap, enter the Flower Glade through a clearing in the trees.
"Snow!" Kairi called out.
"Kairi!" Snow White smiled in relief as she stopped in front of the teen. "Thank goodness! I need help!"
"I know," Kairi said, as Snow breathed heavily, out of breath from all the running. "You called out to the rest of us because you felt you were in danger, and I heard you. I'm here to help, however I can."
By this time, Snow had managed to catch her breath, and she smiled, "I'm glad," before it then faded, "but I can't shake the feeling that I'm not the only one of us who's in danger. My connections to the others were quite hazy, except for yours, and I'm not sure why."
So Kairi wasn't the only one who felt it? That was oddly relieving, as it was validation that she hadn't gone crazy. "I felt it too. I don't know either, but it almost seemed like someone was interfering..."
It was probably that old man's doing. He had somehow messed with her connections to Sora and Riku as well, as well as with anyone else who could help her. But right now, she was all alone. She'd have to do this by herself.
"So it's not just me," Snow commented. "While relieving to know, it's also very concerning. Being cut off from our bonds is dangerous, as it causes us to become washed away in uncertainty and anxiety, thus making it more likely that we won't be able to use our power when the time comes. And if it's happening to us, then it's more likely that the others are experiencing the same cut-off. This could be bad..."
Kairi tried her best to shake off her anxiety. "All the more important that we find out what's going on as soon as possible. The more we know, the better prepared we'll be."
"Right," Snow White agreed, unable to dispute the redhead's words. "If we stick together, I'm sure we'll be alright. I just hope all seven of us can make it out of this in one piece."
"We will," Kairi vowed. She had a keyblade now, after all, and she planned on making the most of it while she could. She then changed the subject, sort of, "Now, what's wrong?"
Snow's smile fell into a frown of fear as she recalled what she just went through, what she just ran away from. But she forced herself to explain, "There's a creature here that reminds me of that apple. Florian and I were just on a walk, but the moment it appeared, I couldn't move. It snuck up from behind, but I felt paralysed with fear. Florian gave me his dagger and told me to run."
"Where is he now?"
"I don't know," Snow breathed, her trembling voice a testament to how stressed she was. "He said he'd catch up, but as I ran, I thought I heard him cry out in pain."
"I see," Kairi said, already thinking. A creature that reminded Snow of that deadly apple? Sounded like the young woman's nightmare come true. (She thus decided to call this creature the 'Nightmare'; it was fitting.) She wasn't sure what it was exactly—probably a type of creature similar to a Heartless—but she had a feeling that in order to free Snow, this Nightmare had to be destroyed.
And as a new keyblade wielder, that task immediately fell on Kairi to complete.
"Let's go find Florian," Kairi suggested. "If he did indeed cry out in pain, it could be that he must've gotten hurt. And if he did, he needs our help."
Snow White nodded, her face steeled up in determination, as she reached into her belt and pulled out her beloved's dagger. "Let's go."
Just then, several dark portals appeared in the sky, and from them emerged several creatures. They all varied in size, but all of them had dark color palettes, red eyes that were round and lacked pupils, and on each of their bodies were some kind of ragged heart-cross sigil.
Beside her, Snow White began trembling in fear. "No, no, no, no, no," she mumbled. "Not Heartless. Not now!"
They weren't Heartless. Kairi wasn't aware how she knew that; they just felt different. "I don't think they're Heartless, but something tells me that they're just as dangerous." If she focused enough, she could feel the inklings of bad dreams surrounding them.
It was time to summon her keyblade. This wasn't her first fight with it, but this was her first time fighting alone. Last time, she fought off Heartless alongside Riku, but now, she only had a friend who didn't exactly know how to fight either. But she had to try.
She stretched out her hand, calling out to that part of her heart. On cue, Destiny's Embrace flashed into her hand, and the creatures all began to back away from it, as if afraid of it.
"Woah!" Snow White was understandably awed. "How did you get your hands on that?"
Kairi smiled, "A friend gave it to me." She turned back to their enemies. "Now, let's focus!"
Snow obeyed, "Right!" She held up her dagger before charging in.
Meanwhile, Kairi assumed a fighting position that felt right, one that reminded her of that woman in blue. She then charged in, trying to hastily remember what all she remembered from watching Sora and Riku's spars in the past, as well as their fight against Xemnas.
Destiny's Embrace chimed whenever she hit something, and the hit stars were accompanied by flower petals. The petals actually made it difficult for the incoming enemies to see her. She didn't feel comfortable using magic yet, so she resorted to physical attacks and dodging for now.
There were a few flubs, more than Kairi would have liked to have happened, but all of these creatures (she chose to call them Nightmares too; again, it was fitting to how she felt around them) went down in one to two hits.
Snow remained at her side the entire time, taking out a few with her dagger (wielded in a back-handed grip), yet getting hit more often than Kairi did. Thank goodness these Nightmares dropped orbs that restored health and a few dropped hi-potions to save for later.
Once the last Nightmare fell, Kairi turned to Snow White and said, "C'mon! We can't stay here!"
The elder proceeded to lead the way, headed back towards the Deep Woods. She led Kairi through the forest of creepy-looking, dead trees towards where she last saw Florian.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
After running into more Nightmares on the way, Snow White's directions led the duo back to the castle. When they got to the exact place that she and Florian split up—the gardens just outside the castle—she was unnerved to find out that no one was there, not even hiding behind a nearby tree or a pillar.
"Florian?" Snow gently called out, trying to coax him out of hiding. "Are you there? I have a friend who can help us defeat that monster."
Nothing but silence.
"Search your heart," Kairi softly advised her. "If you two are as close as you say you are, then you will find him." If her connections to Sora and Riku hadn't been messed with, then her two boys would already be by her side by now.
Snow White followed that advice, and it led the duo back to the castle's courtyard. She smiled, knowing that this was a safe place, and she ran forward, towards the center of the area, only to be stopped when she heard Kairi cry out a warning.
"Snow, watch out!"
Once again, the elder was tackled out of the way just in time to avoid something slamming into the ground where she was just standing.
"You okay?" she heard Kairi ask. Snow nodded, before Kairi turned to get a look at what had just attacked them. "Woah, what is that?"
Snow White followed Kairi's line of sight, and saw it. It was back—the thing that scared her so much, it had paralyzed her.
Kairi saw a red apple-like creature, with long black tendrils for limbs and tinted with a sickly purple. At first glance, she knew that this was the creature her friend was referencing a few minutes prior.
"Snow," Kairi asked, "is that what you were talking about earlier? That creature?" Unlike the elder, the teen still had her voice.
"Y-Yes..." Snow's voice was soft and quiet, and filled to the brim with fear.
The redhead then noticed the emblem on top of the thing's head. The same emblem as the other, smaller creatures, those that she had decided to dub the Nightmares just for simplicity.
This thing was a Nightmare, just as Kairi had suspected.
Kairi was grateful that she hadn't froze up the way Snow White had. Though to be fair, there was a reason for that. If this was indeed Snow White's heart (and Kairi knew for certain that it was), this Poison Apple Nightmare was the embodiment of Snow's fears and insecurities. Kairi could never be able to understand the depth of what this Nightmare stood for in Snow White's eyes.
(Kairi then briefly wondered what her own Nightmare looked like, but she quickly turned her mind to something else.)
However, she did understand the feeling of freezing up. It was the feeling she got whenever she felt a strong presence of darkness, like Ansem, Seeker of Darkness and Xemnas, for example.
"Stay here," Kairi told Snow, "and hide as soon as you can move."
Snow White nodded, before Kairi got to her feet, summoning Destiny's Embrace in order to fight this thing. It would be an arduous fight, but if she got rid of this Nightmare, then Snow White would likely be safe. Either way, it was a threat to her friend.
However, before she could attack it, out of nowhere, an animal pounced on the Nightmare.
The prescence of the animal seemed to give Snow White her mobility back, "Is that...a bear?"
"Yeah," Kairi replied, both of them watching as the beast began clawing at the Nightmare without mercy. Despite her surprise, she remained in a defensive position, ready to attack in case she had to. She had to help somehow.
"He's buying us time to run," Snow White suddenly said, and it caught Kairi's attention.
"What? How do you know that?" was the redhead's biggest question.
"I don't know," Snow replied. "But I know I can trust it."
Kairi stood there, however, debating on whether or not to help the bear. As someone with access to a keyblade, the onus was on her to defeat the Nightmare, especially since she had a feeling that defeating it would free Snow from the darkness plaguing her.
However, her top priority was Snow White's safety, something this bear was also trying to secure as well.
"Alright," Kairi said, choosing to take Snow White's word for it. "Then, let's make sure its sacrifice is not in vain. We need to go."
"Where?" Snow asked.
"Somewhere you feel safe," Kairi replied, making sure Snow ran ahead of her. She kept her keyblade in hand, just in case.
Kairi did not feel comfortable one bit in leaving that bear behind to face that Nightmare alone. But, she did need to make sure Snow White would be out of danger first before Kairi placed herself in it. After all, there was a reason Snow always froze up in the presence of that Poison Apple Nightmare, and freezing up with a dangerous enemy nearby would not help matters at all.
As the two ran away from the castle, back through the Deep Woods, Snow asked, "Where are we going?"
"I told you, somewhere you feel safe," Kairi replied, as more Nightmares appeared on that path. . "I need to destroy that monster, but before I do, I need to make sure you're in a safe place with protectors you can trust."
"I know the perfect place," was the elder's response.
"That's exactly where I'm heading," Kairi called back, as she promptly slashed through any of those creatures that dared to cross them.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The two were indeed thinking of the same place: the Dwarves' Cottage. This was the place Snow White used to hide from her evil stepmother, with people who kept her safe and avenged her after she ate that apple (because they thought she was dead).
Snow White's home away from home.
"I'll be back," Kairi was explaining to Snow as the two walked up to the cottage door. Destiny's Embrace had been dismissed. "I just need you to stay here until that monster is gone."
"Why can't I fight with you?" Snow asked.
That was a question that Kairi was hoping she wouldn't ask, because she was afraid of hurting Snow White's feelings. Suddenly, she knew how Sora felt when Kairi had once asked him the same question.
Hence why she was hesitant when answering, "Because freezing up in the midst of any type of danger could lead to things going south real quick. I'm sorry, Snow, but it's best if you stay here, away from danger." Kairi knocked on the cottage door, hoping the dwarves were home and understanding of the situation. "But don't worry, your friends will protect you in case any more of those monsters appear."
Snow White sighed, but she nodded, "I understand. And I deeply apologize for all of this trouble."
Knowing the feeling of being a burden all too well, Kairi offered a smile in hopes of cheering up the elder of the two, "It's alright. I know you would do the same for me, for any of us."
Snow returned the smile with one of her own, a genuine one, knowing that was true. The seven of them were unique beings in the vast universe, due to their hearts of pure light and inability to hold any type of darkness, and they went through things that only the seven of them would understand. They were sisters-in-arms.
(Kairi, however, was different from the other six in two ways: one, she had a keyblade, and two, she also had a Nobody.)
The door opened to reveal one of the dwarves. Snow's smile got even wider, "Doc!"
"Snow White, my dear!" Doc warmly greeted her. As soon as he said her name, the other six dwarves immediately showed their faces.
Kairi could feel Snow White's heart beat in the warmth of familiarity. The feeling was all around her, which made sense judging by where they were. It was because of this that Kairi also knew the names of all of the dwarves without evening having to ask. Snow White knew, and Kairi could feel it.
The redhead smiled as the other six dwarves' faces immediately broke out into smiles, even Grumpy.
Kairi contently watched as the seven dwarves all wrapped Snow White in one giant group hug. She could feel how warm and safe Snow White felt with these guys, and to be honest, that's all that mattered.
(It reminded Kairi of how safe she always felt with Riku and Sora.)
"And who is your friend?" Happy asked, referring to the redheaded teen at the woman's side.
"Oh, hello," Kairi introduced herself. "My name is Kairi. Listen, I need to ask you all a favor. There's a monster out there that's after Snow. Is it alright if she stayed here until I defeat that monster?"
She knew, judging by how warm Snow felt, that the dwarves would agree, but she knew it was better to ask first.
"Of course," Sneezy said, before sneezing. "Achoo!"
"She's always welcome," Grumpy took over. "What sort of monster is this?"
"A dangerous one," Kairi admitted. She appreciated them being alert and cautious; it meant they were already taking this job seriously. "You guys cannot come with me. I have to face it alone. Besides, you all can better protect Snow if you stay here with her."
Admitting that caused the teen's heart to beat in slight pain. It was just a reminder that Sora and Riku couldn't help her this time.
"She has a point," Bashful shyly pointed out.
"Very true," Doc said. "Very well, Miss Kairi. We will leave it to you."
"Thank you," Kairi replied, grateful that they understood.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from upstairs, before they got louder as they descended the stairs. An unfamiliar face popped out and asked, "Who's at the door?"
"An old friend," Happy replied.
The stranger—a blonde-haired woman with a dark-colored dress—showed more of herself, and Kairi immediately felt Snow's heart (all around her) suddenly tense up and grow cold in distrust. It was surprising; she'd never felt this sort of thing from her friend before.
"Oh, hello," the stranger said. "It's Snow White! And you?"
It took Kairi a second to realize that the stranger was addressing her. "Oh, I'm Kairi. I'm a friend of Snow's. And who are you, if I may ask?"
"It's nice to meet another one of Snow's friends!" the stranger replied, crossing over to shake Kairi's hand. As she did so, she continued, "I'm–"
"–Rose Red," came Snow White's voice. It was then that Kairi realized the state the woman's heart was really in.
It was cracked, fractured. So that was the old man's game. Breaking the hearts of the seven Princesses of Heart, thus breaking down the one sure-fire barrier for the worlds against everlasting darkness.
Feeling the need to take action, Kairi immediately asked, "So you know each other already? Was it a good meeting?"
"Yes, how did you two meet?" Grumpy asked. Kairi couldn't tell if he had the same concerns about Snow that she did.
"We ran into each other in the woods," Rose Red replied. "I heard someone cry out in pain, and so I was running over to help. Snow was running away to find help. Am I correct in guessing that you," Rose Red was addressing Kairi here, "are that help?"
Kairi nodded, "Yes."
"Yes, she is," Snow confirmed, her voice soft with distrust. "What are you doing here, Rose Red?"
"She lives here now," Sleepy answered.
"W-What?" Snow asked, not believing that.
"She ran away from home and needed a place to stay," Doc explained. "So we opened our home to her."
Kairi could feel Snow White's heart begin to tremble in anxiety and insecurity. Snow would never voice this aloud, but Kairi noted how the elder of the two was worrying about not being good enough for her oldest friends. Did they find Rose Red better than Snow White? More loving, more compassionate, nicer to be around? Snow's heart was fracturing more and more the longer she dwelled on this.
Again, Kairi could never understand the depth of Snow White's trauma, so she didn't really understand why Snow was so distrusting of Rose Red. All she understood was that as long as Rose Red was around, Snow White did not feel safe.
She had to fix this. She had to prevent Snow White's heart from fracturing even more than it already had.
Dopey tugged on the hem of Snow's dress, the expression on his face clearly asking if she was okay. Snow White answered with a surprisingly honest, "No, I am not okay. How can I be okay when someone who has the same face as me is following me wherever I go?"
Kairi knew that wasn't the reason for all the distrust. Well, it was true, but Snow was just saying this to avoid revealing her traumas.
Because the seven Princesses of Heart were supposed to be perfect. They were all weak damsels who didn't have any problems and relied on other people to save them. They weren't supposed to have negative emotions, or any thoughts that might compromise their light—their source of power, the only thing protecting the worlds from absolute darkness.
(The people who foolishly believed this were clearly the true weak ones.)
Snow White's sudden observation made Kairi snap back to attention, "And now that I think about it, you and that apple monster have the same color scheme. Are you two connected? Are those monsters here because of you?"
Rose Red was trying her best to defend herself, and Kairi could feel in her own heart that she was innocent, being falsely accused by Snow White, who was obviously feeling very threatened.
"The monsters are not here because of Rose Red, Snow," Kairi quickly cut in, making everyone turn to her. "They may be here because of me. I don't know for sure." After all, she was only here because she had reached out to Sora, thus making her run into that old man. Regardless, she just needed to prevent her friend's heart from breaking more, as well as prevent Snow from panicking over the reality of her situation. "But don't worry, I know how to destroy them."
Surprisingly, no one commented on her guilt.
Instead, Doc asked, "In that case, won't we be safer at the castle?"
"That's true," Happy said. "The knights there will protect us, right?"
"No," Kairi was quick to reply. "The safest place for all of us is where Snow White herself feels the safest, because that feeling will strengthen her light."
She knew it was an odd and cryptic answer, but the dwarves seem to understand, and it allowed Kairi to realize that they all knew Snow White was special the moment they laid eyes on her. That's why none of them objected to taking her in. Snow White's light came from her innocence and optimism. Kairi knew that, and the dwarves did too (they always had). And right now, they too were worried.
Meanwhile, Kairi was also analyzing Snow's deepest thoughts and feelings. She was confused. She felt the safest in this cottage, but since Rose Red was here too, Snow was left with conflicting feelings.
Kairi paused upon remembering the Poison Apple Nightmare, and what it most likely stood for, what it probably reminded Snow White of. So she calmly cut in, "Snow, trust me, none of this is Rose Red's fault, and none of this is your fault either. It's just a misunderstanding, and maybe if you explained yourself and got it all off your chest, then things would get better."
Snow paused, digesting those words. However, she hesitated, "But we seven are not allowed to have problems, remember?"
"Never listen to anyone who says that," Kairi immediately replied. "We seven are people too."
Snow offered Kairi a small, grateful smile before turning to Rose Red with a genuinely apologetic expression on her face. "I'm sorry, Rose. I really am. I want to trust you, I really do. But the last time I trusted someone, I was poisoned by their gift."
Of course. Trust issues. No one could blame her for that. It was a justifiable effect of the traumatic cause.
Snow continued, "I know that you are a kind and compassionate person, and I would love for us to be friends, but I don't know if you'll betray me like that old woman—my own stepmother—did. I want to trust you, but the past won't let me."
Rose Red was quiet throughout this. Once Snow was done, Rose was still quiet, probably preparing her response. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and sympathetic. "I'm sorry, as well. I never meant to cause so much trouble for anyone. I would love for us to be friends as well, but I would not object to us following your pace."
So Rose Red wasn't a bad person. She just wasn't aware of what Snow White's trauma was. Sometimes, the solution was to simply be honest with people.
"Neither would I," Snow smiled, and with that, the cottage felt a lot safer than it did before this heart-to-heart.
But the moment was ruined by the world around suddenly shaking as if caught in an earthquake, and Kairi immediately rushed out the front door.
The ground shook again thanks to an explosion from a Nightmare. Not just any Nightmare.
The Poison Apple Nightmare.
It was back, and Kairi didn't know how it found them. Probably because this was Snow White's heart, and it was quite literally a nightmare plaguing her...
Kairi was already rushing towards her. She called back to the others, "Get back inside!", before summoning Destiny's Embrace.
However, before she could attack it, the same bear from earlier bounced on the Nightmare, sending it tumbling to the ground. The bear growled at it, as she halted in her tracks. Kairi was surprised when the Nightmare actually backed away, seemingly in fear of the bear.
The bear pounced again, this time missing its target. The Nightmare ran away from the cottage, and the bear was quick to follow.
"Is everything okay?" she heard Doc ask.
"I need to chase after it," she replied. "You guys stay here!"
She moved to chase after the Nightmare and the bear, but before Kairi could take a single step, Snow White stopped her by grabbing her wrist, the one holding her keyblade.
Kairi turned to face Snow, saying, "Sorry, Snow, but you have to stay here. It's too dangerous."
"I know," Snow White replied, tense determination in her eyes, "but I think I know who that bear is. If I'm right, then I have to help him."
'Who'? 'Him'? Snow's choice of words made Kairi raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Trust me. This is a fight I have to participate in," Snow said, and Kairi noticed then that the elder was brandishing Florian's dagger again.
The teen was getting the feeling that her friend wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. The redhead knew that feeling all too well, so she sighed, not really having a choice.
"Okay," she replied. "Let's go."
Snow turned back towards the cottage, where Rose Red and the seven dwarves were, "Rose, I trust you to keep my friends safe."
Rose smiled warmly and nodded, determined to not let her new possible friend down.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
The duo were running in the direction that the Nightmare escaped in, with the bear hot on its heels. A few of the smaller Nightmares attempted to block their path, but they were quickly struck down by a simple swing of Kairi's keyblade.
Upon reaching the same Flower Glade where the two first ran into each other, Snow White once again stopped Kairi by grabbing her wrist.
"What's wrong?" Kairi asked, on edge due to thinking that the elder had seen something that the teen hadn't yet. But the following three seconds were silent, and the redhead began to receive the feeling that this next moment was crucial. "Are you okay?"
The world suddenly went dark, as if the sun just went down to signal the start of the night, as a light began to shine from Snow White's chest. Her hands cupped the light that emerged from her. Kairi watched as the light formed into a yellow-colored, crystal-like flower petal.
It was bright. Anyone with darkness in their heart would've immediately covered their eyes, but Kairi was able to withstand the brightness, due to her heart also being light itself.
Kairi blinked, "A heart fragment..." And not just any heart fragment. "B-But, Snow, this is your–..."
"My χ-blade fragment, yes. I'm giving it to you."
Kairi didn't know why the Princesses of Heart existed until the Fairy Godmother explained to her the history behind the Keyblade War, back when she was waiting for Sora in Traverse Town after he had saved her. She explained that the χ-blade had shattered into twenty pieces—seven pieces of light and thirteen shards of darkness. The seven pieces of light became the hearts of seven pure maidens, the Princesses of Heart.
"B-But...you can't live without this," Kairi protested. If Snow White gave up that fragment, then she would, for sure, die.
"Technically, I haven't given it up just yet," Snow said. "All of this is happening inside of my own heart, after all."
Kairi blinked. It took a moment for her to process what Snow White just said. "What...?"
"The two of us have to be asleep," the woman explained. "This is my own personal nightmare, one that I fear happening but am reassured would never happen in real life. Afraid of trusting the wrong person, worrying that I've been forgotten, freezing up in the presence of danger—it's too perfect. What are those creatures called?"
Kairi swallowed, hoping to get rid of the dryness in her mouth, "I don't know, but I've dubbed them 'Nightmares', because of the aura surrounding them being the ideas of bad dreams..." It didn't work. "So the two of us are actually asleep?" Snow White nodded in confirmation.
Well, that would explain how she left Destiny Islands so fast—she didn't leave at all. Her body was still there, collapsed onto the sand. It was her heart that was jumping between others. Going from this angle, everything that was happening to her made so much more sense.
But why? And why did it feel so real?
"When did you figure it out?" the redhead softly asked.
"In the cottage," Snow White replied. "You seemed to understand what I was feeling and thinking perfectly, even though I didn't say a word to you. The only way that would be possible is if you were inside my heart and feeling my emotions for yourself. This morning, I suddenly passed out, despite feeling fine before that. When I woke up, I felt incredibly exhausted without knowing the reason why. Has that happened to you?"
Kairi's stomach promptly plummeted in fear as she recalled what happened on the Islands right after meeting that old man. "Y-Yeah..." Her body had felt heavy, and she wasn't aware that she had passed out until she woke up in the abyss.
"Listen to me, Kairi," Snow continued. "I know my heart is broken, and there is no way it can be fixed now, and it must be if I am to continue in my current role. Our only hope is entrusting my χ-blade fragment to you and making sure you escape. Once I die, my χ-blade fragment will find someone else to lend its power to. But in order to do that, you must also wake up."
Kairi sighed, "I know...but I have no idea how..."
And that was a problem. Especially when no one even knew that she was asleep in the first place. She was all alone on the Islands and both of her boys were unreachable (and likely in danger), so there was a chance that she would stay asleep until the end of time. Her only hope was if the King or Donald and Goofy just randomly decided to check up on her.
"I don't know either," Snow White confessed, "but you have to try. All seven of us are asleep and at the complete mercy of whoever put us there. The real me is in the prescence of people who don't understand what's happening and can't do anything to help if things go wrong. But you are friends with the keyblade wielder." She meant Sora. "You have a better chance than the rest of us."
She was right. That is, if Sora wasn't also in danger. Kairi was only in this mess because she had instinctively reached out to Sora in the first place and ran into the old man instead.
"Yeah..." Kairi tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat before whispering, "But I can't just leave the six of you behind..."
"I know. We know," Snow said, correcting herself. She then remembered, looking at the flowery weapon still in Kairi's hands. "But you have a keyblade too, right? Before you leave, just use it on me. It will keep me alive and wake me up; my χ-blade fragment will just be transferred to someone else."
"So you'll become...normal?" Kairi was hopeful.
"Yes. My role as Princess of Heart will be given to someone else." A pause. "I'm sorry this is how it has to be, but if all seven pieces of light fall into the wrong hands, all of the worlds are in danger. We all know that."
"Okay." Kairi's eyes stung with unshed tears as she took the fragment from Snow and accepted it into her own heart.
Once that was done, Snow seemed to cheer up, "Now, let's go defeat that Nightmare."
Why? Wouldn't it be better if Kairi just left? What was the point in defeating the Nightmare if Snow knew she would either die or become normal no matter what happened to that monster?
A happy ending.
It's what Snow White deserved. She wanted to be surrounded by her friends, both old and new, and her beloved. And if that's what Snow wanted, then that's what Kairi would give her.
So Kairi smiled softly and nodded.
And the duo was off again, running towards the danger, the sky still dark.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
They found the Poison Apple Nightmare in the castle courtyard, arriving just in time to witness it slashing at the bear with one of its black tendrils. The bear lay on its side, whimpering in pain.
There was a twinge in her heart, and upon instinct, Kairi called out, "Heal!"
A green flower promptly appeared over the bear and bloomed, spreading green light over the animal's body, and healing it.
Kairi's first use of Cure, and first attempt at any sort of magic spell. She did it. Good to know that she was able to do magic in general. Sora and Riku had both learned through experience, right? So she would be no different.
The redhead saw Snow White's worried expression, and reassured her, "Don't worry. The bear's fine now. Focus on your opponent."
Swallowing down the fear she felt upon seeing this Nightmare—her Nightmare—again, Snow wielded her beloved's dagger in a reverse grip, "Right."
Destiny's Embrace in hand, Kairi charged towards the monster at full force, with Snow White at her side.
No one and nothing could stop her from destroying this thing. She had been interrupted from doing so twice, so her anger and frustration had been built up. Now, there was the added determination to give Snow White, one of her sisters, the happy ending she so desperately deserved. She would not fail now.
Kairi let that anger fuel her in the fight. Furthermore, she had also learned to dodge, after being hit once and taking quite a bit of damage from it. Her dodge, however, was more of her teleporting to a few feet away in a flash of light. Every so often, she also glanced over at Snow White, observing how she was fairing.
She was pleased at how well her sister-in-arms was holding her own. Snow's hits were not all that powerful, but her surprising speed made her good at dodging. Her strongest attack was using Faith with the dagger, which blinded the Poison Apple Nightmare long enough for Kairi to get a few, much stronger hits in.
It took a couple of minutes and it was tough, but they won. They were both breathless and exhausted by the time the Nightmare was defeated, but Kairi had also felt more proud of herself than she'd been before. Snow was walking away from only a small cut on her cheek, while the worst injury Kairi had was a shallow cut on her arm.
As the Poison Apple Nightmare disappated into the void of the darkness, finally defeated, Snow turned towards the bear, who began to glow. Kairi followed Snow White's gaze, and blinked in surprise as the light morphed the bear into a man.
A man whom Snow White recognized, apparently, judging by how she immediately ran up to him and enveloped him in a hug, dropping the dagger in the grass on the way.
Kairi dismissed her keyblade and picked up the dagger, wearing a gentle smile, before she slowly approached the two lovebirds.
"I was so worried about you!" Snow exclaimed.
"Worry no more, love," the man said. "I am here, alive and well."
Kairi smiled before calmly cutting in, holding out the dagger towards him, "You must be Florian." There was no other option on who it could be.
The man, Florian, smiled and took his dagger back, "I am. Thank you for keeping Snow safe, Miss, uh...?"
"Kairi. And thank you for keeping that monster away from us as long as possible," Kairi returned, remembering what all the bear had done for them.
"Yes, thank you," Snow added, "but that was dangerous! What happened to you?"
"That monster turned me into a bear," Florian explained. "It was not a painless transformation, and the entire time, it hurt me to just to use my eyes to look around. Despite that, I knew I had to protect you, Snow, from that monster, because I knew it would come after you if it wasn't already focused on me."
Snow softly smiled in admiration and affection, while Kairi said, "Mission accomplished. I could tell that it had become scared of you." Which she had to admit was an impressive feat, considering it was a Nightmare, rather than a normal animal.
That, and he was in pain the entire time.
Kairi then turned to Snow, "When did you figure it out?" She had remembering Snow saying she had a feeling as to who the bear was, even going so far as calling it a 'he'.
"When he scared it off at the Cottage," Snow replied. "Every time Florian showed up, I never once felt threatened by his bear form, but seeing him actually scaring the Nightmare away is what made me realize what had happened to him."
It did make sense. The bear never once harmed Snow White, not even by a simple growl at her. So she was right in the fact that he wasn't someone to be feared.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
Back at the Cottage, Kairi watched as Snow White and Florian reunited with Rose Red and the dwarves. She noted how Snow was now completely open to being friends with Rose, and Kairi knew that it was because Snow had accepted her fate, so even if Rose betrayed her now, it wouldn't make a difference. They looked like one big happy family. Snow White was now at peace, and Kairi knew it was time to move on. After all, the other five Princess were still in danger.
She and Snow locked eyes one last time, and Snow nodded, sad at needing to pass her role on to someone else, but understanding.
Snow White had accepted her fate, and now she wanted Kairi to leave so the others would get a chance to give Kairi their χ-blade fragments too.
Kairi nodded back before summoning Destiny's Embrace again. She pointed it at the sky, where a bright lock appeared. A light shot from the tip of her keyblade and straight at the lock, engulfing it in light.
The sky turned back into day, though the sunshine was not as bright as it was before. Darkness was beginning to enter Snow White's heart, filling in the fractures that had appeared thanks to the Nightmare. The world was also fading due to Snow finally waking up.
Kairi made no move to stop it, knowing that this had to happen. Instead, she let the light from the keyhole envelop and take her back to the void between hearts.
It was time to save the others.
This time, Aurora's image appeared, flickering before it turned into her heart station. Kairi promptly dove right in...
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
~Destiny Islands, 10 Years Ago~
By the time Kairi was officially in the Islands' system, her injuries had mostly healed, aside from a couple of lacerations on her right leg that took a bit longer. During the week of waiting to be officially enrolled at school, no one came forward to claim her, as her adoptive mother had warned.
However, she did get a lot of care packages from her new neighbors, meant to help her settle in. Every single adult had already become very protective of her, and Kairi was eleven years old when she finally realized why.
They thought she was abused where she came from, and the Destiny Islanders as a whole did not believe in that kind of thing.
The kids, however, were a different story. Since they were young, they generally didn't fully understand why their parents were becoming protective of a little girl they just met. Despite that, most of them were kind, albeit curious as to where she came from, while those that were mean weren't being intentionally so; they just lacked tact.
(Save for one boy...)
The only exceptions were Sora and Riku. Now that Kairi thought about it, as the two who found her, it was only natural that they'd be just as protective of her as the adults were. Probably even more so.
Kairi's first day of school came, and she had quickly discovered that she didn't like it. Not really. It was mostly introductions that kids and teachers already knew, as well as lots of kids talking about her being the 'new kid' behind her back. Both of these reasons were making her close herself off and weren't doing any favors for her continued silence. All she could do was make gestures with her head and hands to answer simple questions.
By the time lunch hour rolled around, Kairi already wanted to leave, since she hated being alone, as she had quickly found out. She couldn't, though, as the housekeeper would only arrive to pick her up when school was over, so she had to stay and endure this for at least three more hours.
When the bell first rang, signaling the start of the lunch hour, Kairi was slow to pick out her lunch from her bag and exit the classroom. Because all around her, she could see clearly what she did not have. She was grateful that the mayor had agreed to adopt her on the very first day she was here, and that the housekeeper was very kind and like a second mother. But neither of them could give her what she craved the most.
Friends.
She was the last to leave the classroom, her lovingly packed lunch clutched tightly in her hands. She looked around the courtyard, seeing a few people eat in groups of three or four. Most people went straight to the cafeteria.
Kairi chose the courtyard. It was outside, so it would give her room to breathe. Eight years later, Kairi would recognize the emotion she felt then as anxiety.
However, the moment she sat down on the nearest planter, a spikey, brunette haired boy her age skipped up to her, his own lunch in hand.
"Hey there!" the boy greeted her with a smile. He and his smile were both familiar. "You may not remember me, but my name is Sora. My friend and I were the ones who found you that night."
Kairi actually didn't remember much about the moments right after her arrival, and while the memory was a bit faded, she did remember two boys waking her up, with one rushing to get someone and the other comforting her. His smile was familiar to her because it was the same one he had offered her in that moment.
She was finally meeting him, and she conveyed this happiness by shyly smiling at him. If only she could actually speak. She had so much she wanted to say to him...
His face lit up, "You do remember me?" She nodded. In response, his smile got brighter, which she didn't think was possible. "That's great! Riku and I were hoping that you'd like to have lunch with us."
Sora's smile was infectious, as she was quickly learning. She had never smiled so much before.
But she hesitated at his accepting his offer. Sora and Riku were best friends, right? What if she drove a wedge between them? What if she broke them apart? What if she ruined their friendship forever?
If only she could speak...
"And don't worry about intruding," he added, seeing her face fall with reluctance. "It was Riku's idea. He said you could use a friend or two, and I was super fast to agree. What do ya say?"
Even though she was still afraid to come between them, since she was new and they'd probably been best friends for a while now, Kairi accepted his invitation with a nod.
And fifteen-year-old Kairi was glad that she did. it was the invitation to something so much bigger.
!~~~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~~!
To Be Continued...
!~K~I~N~G~D~O~M~~H~E~A~R~T~S~~D~O~N~T~~W~A~K~E~~M~E~~U~P~!
A/N: So, Snow White has given up her role as a Princess of Heart. I wonder if something will rise up from that.
Chapter Notes:
-The opening scene serves a prologue of sorts, as it sets up the themes of the rest of the chapter, mostly a view into what Snow White's nightmare is, which is "trusting the wrong person". She gets trapped in the nightmare and that causes her heart to fracture. Things only start going right once Snow White makes the choice to fight back.
-Kairi's offensive pose is different in this AU. Here, it's reminiscent of Aqua's, with her Keyblade somewhat behind her back and her left hand raised in a defensive position (some of you may have seen it in canon KH3 and Youtube KH3 Mod videos), and her fighting style will eventually grow by the end into her Re:Mind abilities.
-Remember, Destiny's Embrace (as described in BBS) is "a Keyblade that makes it easier to land critical hits". I headcanon that this is why Kairi is able to destroy the Heartless in as little as one hit in KH2.
-Snow White wields and fights with the dagger the same way Ventus fights with his keyblade, a fun little nod to who saved her all those years ago.