rlm@0: Author’s note: This is a story I wrote after finishing Squaresoft’s
rlm@0: beautiful game, Kingdom Hearts. This may or may not become a series,
rlm@0: so please, please tell me what you think. ^-^ This is only a one shot
rlm@0: right now, but if I get a positive enough response or if I just feel
rlm@0: crazy enough to actually write a series about this, I just might do
rlm@0: it. This is shortly after the end of the game. So you might not want
rlm@0: to read if you don’t like spoilers. ^^;; 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Prism Hearts
rlm@0: by Amazoness Duo
rlm@0: amazonessduo@hotmail.com
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Thinking of you, wherever you are.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: We pray for our sorrows to end,
rlm@0: And hope that our hearts will blend.
rlm@0: Now I will step forward to realize this wish.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: And who knows: 
rlm@0: Starting a new journey may not be so hard.
rlm@0: Or maybe it has already begun.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: There are many worlds,
rlm@0: But they share the same sky;
rlm@0: One sky, one destiny.’
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sitting on the end of a small pier, Kairi looked off into the
rlm@0: sunset. The beautiful colors that descended to the earth looked like
rlm@0: a painter’s most vivid dream. The sea reflected them, shifting
rlm@0: recklessly as if it was jealous of the attention the sky was
rlm@0: garnering for itself. But it wasn’t the sky that Kairi was interested
rlm@0: in. She was trying to look past it, for something brighter than even
rlm@0: the most beautiful sunset. She had done this often recently, so much
rlm@0: so that the others on the island had finally stopped questioning her
rlm@0: about it. They may think she was crazy or just daydreaming, but she
rlm@0: was busy searching. All she needed was the tiniest hint. And the
rlm@0: skies would stare back, teasing her with half-glimpses and images in
rlm@0: the cotton candy clouds. But she would not let that deter her. She
rlm@0: would keep searching forever if she had to.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I’ll be waiting for you. If you come here, you’ll find me. I
rlm@0: promise,” she whispered, her voice carried off by the wind to
rlm@0: destinations unknown. “Even if your ears can’t hear me, I know your
rlm@0: heart can.” Her hand rested on her chest, feeling the beat of her own
rlm@0: heart. When she closed her eyes, she could almost feel their rhythm,
rlm@0: all beating in unison. It didn’t matter how far apart they were.
rlm@0: Their hearts would always be one. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: When she blinked her eyes open, he was there. Just as if he had
rlm@0: never left. His silver hair moved about in the light breeze. His eyes
rlm@0: were shining and determined. He was reaching out for her, just as he
rlm@0: always did. He was always reaching out for her, as if he could pull
rlm@0: her along with him, to some place far away. Her hand left her chest,
rlm@0: reaching out slowly for him. But before she could take his hand, he
rlm@0: was gone. With a weak sigh, her hand fell into her lap. So close, yet
rlm@0: always so far. It was like he was perpetually just out of reach. If
rlm@0: she could just reach a little further, they could be together again.
rlm@0: She knew Riku was far away, but she swore she could feel him
rlm@0: sometimes, as if he were right behind her. That’s why she kept
rlm@0: looking. Because she knew eventually they would be together again.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: A laugh reached her ears from the beach. It was laced with memories
rlm@0: and feelings. “Sora!” She whirled about on the pier, her back aching
rlm@0: from twisting so suddenly. Her hands lay on the deck as she gazed for
rlm@0: the source of the boy’s laughter. Her heart sank when she saw that it
rlm@0: was only Tidus, laughing at something Wakka had done. Shoulders
rlm@0: slumped, the young girl turned back to the empty sea. The vast
rlm@0: expanses that surrounded her encaged her as surely as any prison. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: It was ironic that this had all began as an attempt to escape with
rlm@0: her best friends from this island, to taste the freedom and the
rlm@0: excitement of other worlds, to see all the beauty they had to offer.
rlm@0: And now she was trapped on that same island, her friends somewhere
rlm@0: far off. They were now distant stars to her, lost somewhere in the
rlm@0: heavens. She would sit up at night, peering into the moonlit sky,
rlm@0: striving for any glimpse of the two boys that held her heart up.
rlm@0: Sometimes she would mistake a falling star for one of them, hoping
rlm@0: they were returning to her. But her hopes were always dashed when she
rlm@0: didn’t find them running to her on their beach. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Her memories were still clouded, distant things that seemed to come
rlm@0: from another lifetime. She knew that she was a princess, but of where
rlm@0: she wasn’t certain. But those memories didn’t matter to her. The
rlm@0: memories that she cherished, that she held onto with all the strength
rlm@0: in her heart were of her days with Riku and Sora on the island, of
rlm@0: all of their moments together. Those were things she would never
rlm@0: allow herself to forget, no matter how painful they could be or how
rlm@0: lonely they might make her feel. They were her treasures, her little
rlm@0: gems that she would sneak looks at whenever she could. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The pier creaked behind Kairi, but she didn’t turn around
rlm@0: immediately. For the first few days she had turned at every sound,
rlm@0: every whisper that came her way, hoping that she would see the two
rlm@0: boys again. But now she wouldn’t let herself be distracted about such
rlm@0: things. She was trying to focus past all of the surface noise and
rlm@0: images, to see where the two were out there. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Kairi?” A voice asked tentatively. Selphie waited for a moment, not
rlm@0: quite expecting an answer. With how out of it Kairi had been lately,
rlm@0: she wouldn’t be at all surprised. But she could understand. Love did
rlm@0: that sort of thing to you. Especially when your love was very far
rlm@0: away. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi slowly turned, her legs still slowly kicking away from the
rlm@0: deck. She spotted Selphie waiting behind her. With Selphie was a
rlm@0: blonde girl with glasses and a long pink dress. The blonde girl
rlm@0: looked about a year or so older than Selphie. She could vaguely
rlm@0: recall seeing her before on the main island of the Destiny Islands
rlm@0: when she had been visiting with Sora and his parents. “Oh, hi,
rlm@0: Selphie,” Kairi said, a little sheepishly. She placed a hand behind
rlm@0: her head. “I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Selphie giggled, her hands behind her back. “Yeah, but you’re always
rlm@0: like that lately. Thinking about someone special?” She grinned wider.
rlm@0: Selphie loved romance. And watching it unfold on the Destiny Islands
rlm@0: was her favorite past time. And she’d been wondering for quite some
rlm@0: time what would become of the love triangle between Kairi, Riku, and
rlm@0: Sora. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi sighed, looking back at the ocean waves beneath her feet.
rlm@0: “Something like that.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Oh, this is Quisty. You probably haven’t seen her much. She spends
rlm@0: too much of her time studying. I practically had to drag her out
rlm@0: here,” Selphie stated with mock exasperation. She perked up
rlm@0: immediately, dropping the façade. “But it’s nice and romantic at
rlm@0: sunset on the beach and she needed a break from all those books.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Quistis sweatdropped, not quite sure what to say. She had indeed
rlm@0: been studying when Selphie had taken it upon herself to get her to
rlm@0: relax and had dragged her off to the island. Of course, she knew
rlm@0: Selphie too well to believe her pretenses about relaxing. Selphie
rlm@0: wanted a moonlit stroll on the beach or to sit and watch the sunset
rlm@0: together or something. And how could she have possibly said no to
rlm@0: that?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi giggled softly, looking at the two. It sounded like this
rlm@0: ‘Quisty’ was the exact opposite of Selphie. Studious and mature, the
rlm@0: slightly older girl didn’t seem anything like the spunky and childish
rlm@0: brunette. But her smile slipped slightly as she saw them holding
rlm@0: hands. She missed Riku and Sora. She wanted to watch the sunset with
rlm@0: them again. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, smiling warmly
rlm@0: at the two other girls. “That sounds like fun. The sunset’s gorgeous
rlm@0: tonight. It’s perfect to watch with someone.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Selphie bit her lip, watching Kairi for a moment. “You really miss
rlm@0: them, don’t you? I’m sure they’ll come back soon. They must miss you
rlm@0: a lot, too. They’re probably both on their way right now. You’ll see
rlm@0: them before you know it.” She smiled brightly. There was always hope.
rlm@0: No matter how dark things were, there was always some light tucked
rlm@0: away in the shadows.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Staring back at the pink and orange sky, Kairi nodded, smiling
rlm@0: softly herself. “I know. I can feel them. They’ll come back to me.
rlm@0: Someday. Besides, Sora promised me that he’d bring my lucky charm
rlm@0: back. And Riku risked everything to get my heart back. I know he
rlm@0: wouldn’t give up on me no matter what.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Tilting her head to the side, Selphie tried to see what Kairi was
rlm@0: looking at. It was almost like she was looking through the sunset to
rlm@0: something behind it. Finally giving up, Selphie looked at Kairi
rlm@0: again. “Remember what I said about Paopu fruits? How they intertwine
rlm@0: your destiny forever with someone when you share it? I can get you
rlm@0: one if you want. Then you can share it with one of them when they get
rlm@0: back.” She squeezed Quistis’s hand, feeling a giddy thrill run
rlm@0: through her. “I finally found someone to share one with. It’s
rlm@0: wonderfully romantic. You should really try it.” She could tell
rlm@0: Quistis was blushing, but that just made her want to melt against the
rlm@0: taller girl.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “I will,” Kairi promised. She leant back on her hands, staring
rlm@0: straight up at the sky. “But I’d have to share it with both of them.
rlm@0: So the three of us will never be apart again. So we’ll always be
rlm@0: together.” Her blue eyes closed as she imagined them all sitting
rlm@0: together, sharing the star shaped fruit. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Selphie sweatdropped, looking down at the lost princess. “But which
rlm@0: of them do you love? Which one do you want to be with forever?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Blinking, Kairi slowly focused on the sky above. That thought
rlm@0: puzzled her. It seemed so simple, yet the answer eluded her. It felt
rlm@0: like a trick question. She rolled it over in her mind. But she
rlm@0: couldn’t imagine one without the other. It felt wrong, incomplete.
rlm@0: “Both of them,” she said at last, her voice barely above a whisper.
rlm@0: "I love both of them. I want to be with them forever.” And she was
rlm@0: satisfied with that answer. It was what her heart desired, what she
rlm@0: wanted more than anything else. That was why they were all still
rlm@0: together, why their hearts were all one, even if they were far apart. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Everything has been restored. Our world’s back to normal,” Aerith
rlm@0: said, relief filling her soul. For so long they had been cast out
rlm@0: into the universe, their home world a mere shell of it’s former self,
rlm@0: consumed by the Heartless. Now all of those hopes and dreams that had
rlm@0: grown inside of them were realized, brought back as if they had never
rlm@0: been gone at all. But what cost had been paid to return their home to
rlm@0: them?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Do you think they’re all right?” Yuffie asked after a moment’s
rlm@0: pause. She had been thinking the same thing. They had bound together
rlm@0: in order to stop the Heartless, but in the end they could only pray
rlm@0: the Keyblade Master could stop the outpouring of darkness. She felt
rlm@0: as if she should have been there herself. This was her home, after
rlm@0: all. She should have been fighting for it. No one else should have to
rlm@0: sacrifice themselves for her happiness.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Leon shrugged, his arms crossed. “Who knows? I don’t suppose we’ll
rlm@0: ever find out. The worlds are separated again so we can’t know what’s
rlm@0: become of them.” Though he couldn’t voice it, he felt the same way
rlm@0: Yuffie did. He had spent so long mourning the loss of his home world,
rlm@0: blaming himself for not being able to save it. He had even changed
rlm@0: his name to distance himself from the pain. He had been willing to do
rlm@0: anything to fix his mistake. And a boy had done that for him. He had
rlm@0: to hope the Keyblade Master was all right somewhere out there. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Hey, guess who I found wandering outside? Looks like he got lost.
rlm@0: Aerith, you seem to have a thing for lost puppies. Maybe you can
rlm@0: handle him.” Cid grinned as the brunette turned her attention his
rlm@0: way. He motioned behind him at a cloaked figure.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Cloud!” Aerith called out happily, hurrying to the blond man. Now
rlm@0: her home felt complete again. Now she truly felt like she was home.
rlm@0: Her eyes sparkled with diamond tears of joy. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Aerith...” Cloud could only stare for a long moment. He felt so
rlm@0: exhausted after his long and lonely journey. He wanted nothing more
rlm@0: than to collapse at Aerith’s feet. Or better yet, in her arms. But he
rlm@0: could only stare, his heart thawing now that he had finally found
rlm@0: what he had spent so long searching for. “I never stopped looking for
rlm@0: you.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Aerith smiled brightly, taking the cloaked man’s hand. “I know,
rlm@0: Cloud. I knew you’d find me one day. I’ve always had faith in you.
rlm@0: That’s why I was never worried. Because I knew one day I’d see you
rlm@0: again. I was just worried you wouldn’t have the same hope. You can be
rlm@0: so dark sometimes.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Cloud’s emerald eyes shone as he held Aerith’s hand tightly,
rlm@0: reveling at just the simple fact of being able to hold it again. “It
rlm@0: was hard sometimes. But I knew I had to keep looking. I couldn’t
rlm@0: afford to give up. I knew you didn’t die with the planet. And I would
rlm@0: do anything to see you again.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Leon watched on, his arms still crossed. This was reminding him too
rlm@0: much of something he would prefer to forget. He hadn’t been able to
rlm@0: save her. He had given up hope of ever seeing her again. But this
rlm@0: man, this Cloud had kept searching even when it had been more than
rlm@0: likely that Aerith had died along with almost everyone else on Hollow
rlm@0: Bastion. He felt a cold wind blow across his soul at the thought. He
rlm@0: had been such a naïve child, believing he could protect the woman he
rlm@0: loved from something like the Heartless. He had been unsuccessful.
rlm@0: That was part of why he had changed his name. If he was someone else,
rlm@0: he wouldn’t have to think about losing her. Because Squall had lost
rlm@0: Rinoa, not Leon. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sitting on the table in the library, Yuffie watched with mild
rlm@0: interest at Cloud and Aerith’s reunion. They really were back home.
rlm@0: With all of their friends. It was slowly sinking in. The world’s
rlm@0: greatest ninja was back home with all of her family and friends. No
rlm@0: more wandering and fighting. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Leon sighed, turning his back on the goings on. He wasn’t a part of
rlm@0: any of this. He felt awkward, like an outsider. But he had always
rlm@0: felt that way. He wasn’t good with people. Until she came along... He
rlm@0: banished the thought, walking away from his teammates. He walked
rlm@0: deeper into the library. He just wanted to be alone right now.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Aren’t you even going to say hello?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Leon froze. All of his cold mental reserve shattered like brittle
rlm@0: glass. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. It couldn’t be... He
rlm@0: slowly turned to face the voice, his heart still frozen in midbeat.
rlm@0: His eyes fell upon a girl in blue leaning against a bookshelf. He
rlm@0: felt dizzy and lost all over again, as if the floor had been yanked
rlm@0: out from under him. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Rinoa smiled at him, brushing back some dark hair as she advanced on
rlm@0: Leon. “You look different. But it doesn’t seem like you’ve changed at
rlm@0: all otherwise.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “...” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Rinoa giggled, finally reaching the moody gunblade expert. “I love
rlm@0: you, too, Squall,” she replied. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders
rlm@0: as she stood up on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Leon slowly found himself regaining control as she kissed him, as if
rlm@0: his soul was reawakening because of her. He closed his eyes tightly,
rlm@0: holding onto Rinoa. All that he had thought he had gotten rid of had
rlm@0: only been hidden away. Forgotten, but not entirely gone. And she was
rlm@0: the key to unlocking it all.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sora collapsed onto his back, staring up at the cerulean skies above
rlm@0: him. He yawned, stretching out on the soft grass. His entire body was
rlm@0: sore. It felt like they had been travelling forever. He just wanted
rlm@0: to lie down for a moment. But lying there, his weariness tore at him.
rlm@0: He didn’t want to get back up. He just wanted to lie there. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘Sora, you lazy bum,’ he could hear Kairi say. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ‘I know you’re stronger than that, Sora,’ Riku’s voice called out in
rlm@0: his mind.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Nodding resolutely, he struggled back into a sitting position. There
rlm@0: was still too much work to do. He couldn’t go slacking off now. He
rlm@0: couldn’t let down Kairi and Riku. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “We’re never going to find that door,” Donald said exasperatedly,
rlm@0: slumping next to Sora. His legs ached. He was a lot shorter than
rlm@0: Goofy and Sora, so he had to work harder to keep up. On top of that,
rlm@0: he had to get back to Daisy soon. Or she’d kill him. He gulped at the
rlm@0: thought, resting against his staff. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “We’ve gotta find the door. We will find it. It’s the only way we
rlm@0: can find Riku and your king.” Sora looked up at the clouds, seeing
rlm@0: his friends in them, calling to him. That managed to reenergize his
rlm@0: spirits. They were out there. And they would be together again one
rlm@0: day. If there was one thing his journey had taught him, it was to
rlm@0: believe in the power of one’s heart. And there was a red thread
rlm@0: connecting his heart to Riku and Kairi’s. As long as he believed that
rlm@0: they would be together, they eventually would. He just had to keep
rlm@0: believing. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Hey, Sora,” Goofy began. “You finally got that friend of yours,
rlm@0: Kairi, back, right? So why aren’t you trying to find a way back to
rlm@0: your island?”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Because I’m not going back without Riku. I have to find him. We’re
rlm@0: going back to Kairi together. I can’t leave him. And I can’t leave
rlm@0: you guys to find your king alone. We’re in this together,” Sora
rlm@0: explained. He could see Riku and Kairi smiling at him in the clouds.
rlm@0: “And even if I can’t be with Kairi right now, I’ll always be with
rlm@0: her. The same with Riku. But I want us to all be together again. So
rlm@0: I’m going to make sure it happens. No matter how long it takes.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Gawrsh. Poor Kairi has to wait all this time while we’re off
rlm@0: lookin’ for that door.” Goofy shook his head sadly.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Donald glared at Goofy, crossing his arms. “Poor Kairi? I wouldn’t
rlm@0: mind trading places with her. Let her find that stupid door.” 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sora laughed. “But you’ll keep looking with us anyway, right,
rlm@0: Donald? Remember, only smiles on this trip.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: The duck looked over to protest but found himself staring at the
rlm@0: oddly grinning faces of both Goofy and Sora. Sighing, the mage gave
rlm@0: up. “All right, all right! Only smiles.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sora stretched as he finally stood up. “Good. Then lets get going.
rlm@0: We have to go find Riku and the king. We can’t waste any time.
rlm@0: They’re probably waiting for us right now.” With renewed enthusiasm,
rlm@0: he began walking again. He had no idea where the door to the light
rlm@0: would be, but it hardly mattered. He’d keep looking until he found
rlm@0: Riku. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Donald sighed and slowly got to his feet. “Hey! Wait up!”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Walking along the beach, Kairi was lost in thought. The island felt
rlm@0: so empty without Sora and Riku by her side. She found herself closing
rlm@0: her eyes more and more and wishing that they would be there when she
rlm@0: opened them. But they never were. So she wandered the island,
rlm@0: visiting all of the places that were important to her two best
rlm@0: friends, that held special memories for her. It was all she could
rlm@0: think to do. It wasn’t as good as having them there with her, but it
rlm@0: let her relive those moments they had together. Even if she did wind
rlm@0: up crying because of it quite a bit. She felt so alone without the
rlm@0: two of them. “Come back to me,” she whispered. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Something in the air caught her eye, drawing her gaze to the
rlm@0: heavens. Something was plummeting through the sky, falling like some
rlm@0: shooting star. It took her a moment to realize it was human shaped
rlm@0: and plunging towards the waves nearby. It finally crashed into the
rlm@0: aquamarine ocean, sending water splashing everywhere. Kairi ran to
rlm@0: the water, swimming as quickly as she could towards the figure. Her
rlm@0: mind raced with thoughts, all jumbling upon each other in their
rlm@0: confusion. Riku? Sora? Were they hurt? Was it them? How had they
rlm@0: fallen from the sky? Could she really drag them all the way back to
rlm@0: the beach? 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Searching under the gently rolling waves, Kairi finally spotted a
rlm@0: prone figure in the water. She pushed forward, grabbing hold as
rlm@0: tightly as she could. Pulling herself up, she gasped greedily for
rlm@0: air, holding the figure close as she made her way back to land. Her
rlm@0: heart was playing a staccato beat inside of her chest as she
rlm@0: struggled wet and weak along the sand. She finally collapsed with the
rlm@0: fallen person, her curiosity and anxiety nearly maddening. Rolling on
rlm@0: her side while she tried to catch her breath, she found herself
rlm@0: staring back into blue eyes. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Sitting up as quickly as she was able, Kairi found herself staring
rlm@0: at herself lying on the sand. “What?” The sight gave her no relief.
rlm@0: It only served to raise more questions, confusing her further. This
rlm@0: didn’t feel like a dream. But how? This didn’t make any sense. She
rlm@0: could only stare at herself for a long moment, waiting to see if the
rlm@0: other her would do anything. Where had it come from? Why was it her?
rlm@0: What was going on?
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: It took Kairi a bit before she noticed a difference in the other
rlm@0: her. There was something strange sticking out of her chest. Still on
rlm@0: her knees, she slowly reached toward the strange object. Her hand
rlm@0: jerked back when she saw the chest rise and fall. She finally worked
rlm@0: up the courage to reach out again, taking hold of what she now
rlm@0: realized was a handle. But for what? The girl that looked so much
rlm@0: like her didn’t seem to be stabbed or anything. But the handle still
rlm@0: seemed to lead to something. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “It will be okay, Kairi. I’ll always be with you. There’s nothing to
rlm@0: be afraid of. You just have to reach out and take my hand.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi looked up in shock at the familiar voice. She could see Riku
rlm@0: looking down at her, holding his hand out for her. “Riku... I...” She
rlm@0: reached forward, trying to take his hand, to pull him close. But his
rlm@0: hand was gone before she could grab hold of it. “Riku...” She looked
rlm@0: back down at herself, her other hand still on the protruding handle. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Find them,” her other self whispered. “They need you. They can’t do
rlm@0: it alone.”
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Kairi slowly found herself nodding. “We should be together. We need
rlm@0: each other.” She couldn’t just wait on her island forever. ‘This
rlm@0: time, I’ll protect both of you,’ she thought to herself. The her on
rlm@0: the sand smiled. Taking a firmer grip on the handle, Kairi pulled it
rlm@0: out of the other version of herself. In a storm of sparkles, the
rlm@0: other her was gone, and Kairi was holding a large key.
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: “Open the door,” a voice whispered in her head. Who was it? She
rlm@0: couldn’t quite tell. Looking up, she could see a lone door standing
rlm@0: on the beach, apparently leading to nowhere. It had a large keyhole
rlm@0: on it. It almost seemed to beckon her. Kairi slowly stood up. If she
rlm@0: stayed here, her friends might be in danger. She knew they could
rlm@0: handle anything if they were all together again. Sora and Riku were
rlm@0: both lost out there. Maybe she could find them. She would find them.
rlm@0: Wherever they were. 
rlm@0: 
rlm@0: Stepping forward, the young princess used the large, unwieldy key to
rlm@0: unlock the door awaiting her. As the door slowly opened, she knew
rlm@0: there would be no turning back. This was it. But her choice was
rlm@0: simple. She had to find them. Anything could have happened to them
rlm@0: out there, lost on any one of countless worlds. Without a glance
rlm@0: back, Kairi plunged through the door. 
rlm@0: