Hey, I’m always thinking about the events of the Kingdom Hearts storyline that are apart of the timeline, but weren’t played out. An example is what took place in Kairi’s life during the events of 358/2 Days. In this work, I wanted to explore the time when Kairi did remember Sora, before the events of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memoires, her enrollment in school with her friends, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, more development of those characters, the possibility of introducing a new character, how Kairi initially responded to losing her memories of Sora, and her interaction with Xion. I thought about whether this idea has already been used in a thread before; if it has, please feel free to let me know, so I can give acknowledgement. Thank you for reading Day 1 A blinding light, a white haze; so powerful it’s too much for her blue eyes to bear. They are so tightly shut, she can’t see what’s happening, but she can feel an enfolding warmth; two arms wrapped tight around her small body. “This warmth, where have I felt this before?” It brings an assuaging, almost nostalgic feeling to her. Like the warm hug a grandma would give to her grandchild. But Kairi, this small, charming, little girl, doesn’t remember having any family members, any place of birth, only the waves crashing against the shore of an island, an island that is her only place to call home. “Kairi…thank you...” this warm, familiar voice says. As the light fades, she is able to slowly open her eyes. She looks up at the boy who thanks her, the one who holds her so dearly. She knows exactly who this boy is. He’s the one who found her lying on the shore the day she arrived on that island. Who talked her though her confusion. Who helped her in every way he could. Who became one of her best friends. Who played with her nearly everyday. Who carved drawings with her on the walls of a small cave they called “The Secret Place”. Who searched worlds of the known universe in order to find her after she was lost. Who sacrificed his own life in order to restore her heart, and who she thought could maybe be the one she was destined to spend the rest of her life with, together as one, but could never tell if he felt the same way. “Sora!” she called out.
Day 9: The Secret Place “Sora!” Kairi jolted upward in her bed. Her eyes felt tired; she wasn’t able to go to bed until very late in the night. Suddenly, all the memories of what took place the night before rushed back into her head. She sees Sora, slowly shrinking into the horizon, stars erupting out into the black sky, from the light that surrounds him. She can’t make out what he’s saying, but she sees the smile on his face, that same reassuring smile he always gives her, and she knows in her heart that everything will be alright. She turned, laying a hand on her window, looking out upon the hills, the houses, the surrounding waters, and the island. The morning light was shining right through the trees that tower the small bit of land, glistening, creating a halo. “Sora…” she said slowly.
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After docking her boat, she jumped out onto the small wooden pier, walking down the stretch of sand that curved around the island. She could hear birds chirping, flying above her head. She saw the small cave next to the waterfall. “The Secret Place”. She ducked her head, walking through the hole that served as an entrance. She stopped to look at the entire cave, resting a hand on the wall made of rocks next to her. As she made her way inside, she notices the rays of light, shining down from a hole in roof of the cave. She smiled; the light always brought her a welcoming feeling. She slowly walked around the cave, scanning all the drawings she and her friends have made; her left hand grasping her right wrist behind her back. She laid a hand on one of the drawings, scraping it across the wall as she moved along. Her hand stopped on the drawing of some hair. With wonder, she looked closely at the entire drawing. She saw a drawing of Sora, and herself, facing one another. She remembered drawing this when she was very young. But something was different. A new drawing she had never seen before; an arm stretched out from the drawing of Sora, towards the drawing of herself. In his hand was a paopu fruit, the fruit that is said to intertwine two people’s destinies together if it’s shared, to make them one, two halves of the same whole. This feeling, this overwhelming, colossal feeling rushed through her body, a feeling she had only tasted, at moments throughout her life, but now were made true and pure. She had always wondered, but now, she knew for certain. Sora loved her, just as much as she loved him. I want to give proper recognition; the line that says "Sora loved her, just as much as she loved him." was inspired by a comment I saw on a youtube video called "Sora x Kairi hints part 2". The user's name is KHKHLOLZ234, and he or she wrote, "She loves him as much as he loves her." Day 10: Ice Cream “Kairi!” Selphie called out. Kairi was staring at the island, from the shore of her homeland. She didn’t even hear her. Only one person was on her mind. Selphie ran over to her, stopping right beside her, hands on her knees, panting for air. “Kairi (breath) we thought we lost you again!”. “Oh-I’m..I’m sorry” Kairi said. She turned to face Selphie “It’s okay. It’s just-you really had us worried. I mean, all of us disappearing for that whole time and not seeing each other. We thought it was happening again.” “What did happen to you all that whole time?” “Well, I was separated from Tidus and Wakka at first, until they found a way to reach me! They were on a world called Spira. Then, they came to the world I was on, Balamb Garden. After some time, we all suddenly came back here, our original home. “I see…” Kairi said, looking back at the island. “Kairi?” . “Yeah?” “Where’s Sora and Riku?” All the memories of what had happened suddenly rushed back into her head. She lowered her head, and stares down at the sand. “Kairi?” She couldn’t contain the sadness she felt. She knew Sora and Riku were out there, somewhere in the wide expanse of starts that make up the sky. But she had no idea where. A tear slowly ran down her cheek. “Kairi?!” Kairi wiped the tear from her face, and turned to look at Selphie. “Sora and Riku are far away. They have a lot do before they can come back; but we’ll see them again, one day,” “Sure! Of course we will.” Kairi looked back down again. Selphie could sense Kairi’s sadness. She leaned in, and laid a hand on Kairi’s shoulder. Kairi looked back up at her. “Hey! Follow me into town, there’s something I wanna show you!” Selphie said. Kairi nodded with a smile, and then, the two ran up the trail that extends into town. They made it to a small plaza, where some small stands and shops surrounded. “Wait here, I’ll be right back!” Selphie said. “’Kay,” Kairi said with a nod. Kairi looked around the plaza. She never took much time to notice all its small details. It was so peaceful and tranquil, not as busy as Traverse Town. Suddenly, the memories of her time at Traverse Town came rushing into her head. -flashback- “Come on Sora. We made it this far by sticking together. You can’t go alone.” “Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?” “I can’t help?” “You’d kind of be in my way.” “(chuckle) Okay. You win.” -flashback ends- “Kairi!” “Oh?” Kairi opened her eyes, turning around to see Selphie, with two blue ice cream bars in each of her hands. Tidus and Wakka are standing on either side of her. Tidus was holding the same red stick he’s had for years, and Wakka was holding the blitzball he was always playing with. “Hey guys,” Kairi said. “Hey Kairi!” they both said. Selphie handed them both an ice cream bar, and then one to Kairi. “What’s this?” Kairi asked. “It’s the best tasting ice cream I’ve ever had! It’s called sea-salt ice cream.” “Oh…thank you,” Kairi said with a smile, taking the ice cream. “Is this what you wanted to show me?” “No, no! There’s a spot right on top of the hill above town I just found. When the sun sets, you can see the most beautiful landscape!” “Okay, let’s go!” Kairi said. They all turned, heading towards the hill. When they reached the top, they turned to face the sun, then took a seat on the grassy hill. Sundown was approaching, and the streaks of orange light were shining out on the entire land. They reflected off the water, sparkling on the small waves that crashed upon the shore. She saw the island again, the rays of light shining right through its trees, making a halo. Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie were all taking to each other, but Kairi paid no attention to anything they were saying. “Salty…but sweet, I like it!” Tidus said. “Yah man, dis is really great!” Wakka said. “Hehe-I knew you guys would like it!” Selphie said. Kairi kept staring right at the island, and the light that shined through its trees. She began to feel that same warmth she felt in Sora’s arms. She closed her eyes, as a light breeze ran through her hair. -flashback- “Kairi!” “Sora!” “Kairi! Remember what you said before, I’m always with you too. I’ll come back to you, I promise!” “I know you will!” -flashback ends- “Ey Kairi-your ice cream’s melting,” Wakka said. Kairi openend her eyes and looked down at her ice cream. “Oh!” She licked off the part that was beginning to melt, and took a bite out of it. “Mmm, this is really good!” “Yeah! Hey, you know, since it’s summer, and school doesn’t start for another three weeks, I think we should do this every sunset. We could all buy ourselves ice cream, and eat it together on this hill,” Selphie said. “Yeah! Let’s do it,” Tidus said. “Alright, then it’s settled. For the rest of the summer, we’ll come here and eat ice cream,” Selphie said. Kairi was still looking out at the island, but she could hear what they were saying. She took another bite out of her ice cream. “Don’t ever forget. Wherever you go, I’m always with you…” Kairi thought to herself. Day 12: Unfamiliar Face “C’mon Wakka! Is that all you got?!” “Haha, show me yo’ stuff!” Tidus and Wakka were running back and forth on the blitzball field, right outside the school ground. Kairi was walking down the parallel road by herself, her left hand grasping her right wrist behind her back. When she noticed the two, she stopped to watch, smiling as she leaned on the fence that surrounded the field. Tidus kicked the blitzball towards the end of the field. “Haha!”. Quickly, Wakka ran across the end, leaping over to intercept the ball. He dove into the ground with a roll. “Haha, almost got it in dat time!” He said. The two stopped, walking towards the center of the field. “Nice one Wakka,” Tidus said with a smile. “You too brudda” Kairi smiled at the sight. She never spent much time watching Tidus and Wakka play blitzball, but after such a long time, she appreciated something as subtle as this. She looked over again, and noticed something on the other side of field. There was a man, leaning against a tree, staring down at the ground with his arms crossed. He was wearing a red cloak and mantle, over black underclothes. He looked very tall, and had on a red bandana, over long black hair. From far away, Kairi couldn’t see his face very well, but noticed a golden gauntlet on his left arm. “Huh?” she said. She’d never seen this man before. “Maybe a new-comer to the island?” she thought. “Kairi!” “Oh?” Kairi turned around to see Selphie. “Hey! Do you wanna head out to the island today?” she said. “The island…” Kairi said to herself. She turned around to looks towards it. She wanted to spend time with her friends, but going out to the island reminded her of Sora and Riku; and how much she missed them. At first, she was reluctant, and hesitated. But she dropped those feelings; she knew it would be all right. “Okay!” she said with a smile. “Great!” Selphie said with a smile. “I’ll meet you at the shore in a little bit.” “”Kay,” The two went opposite ways. As Kairi began walking, she looked over at the field again. Tidus and Wakka were gone, and so was the man. “I wonder who that was,” Kairi said to herself.
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On the island, Kairi and Selphie were sitting on the sand, watching Tidus and Wakka play in the water. They both giggled. “Those two are something else,” Selphie said. “Haha, yeah” Kairi said. She looked at them again, but she didn’t see Tidus and Wakka. Instead, she saw Sora and Riku; playing like they always do. Always competing with one another. They were fighting, wooden swords in hand, laughing at the same time. “C’mon Sora, I thought you were stronger than that!” Riku said. “Get real! Look which one of us in winning!” Sora said with a grin. They both laugh, and Kairi giggled to her self. “Kairi?” “Huh?” Kairi looked over at Selphie, then back at the water. She saw Tidus and Wakka once again. “Kairi, do you think we’ll always get to do this?” “You mean come here?” “Yeah!” “Hmm…well, think about all the fun we’ve had, Selphie! All the good times…as long as we don’t forget those…then we’ll always get to relive the things we’ve done here.” “Hehe…yeah, you’re right! It’s the memories that keep us together,” Kairi smiled, and looked out at the water. The afternoon was entering its latter time, and the rays of light began to shine even bolder, making a more apparent reflection on the water. She listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. “The memories…” she thought to herself. She could never forget all the memories she made with Sora and Riku, all the memories that were so deep within her heart, never. -Epilogue: Day 24- “Along the road ahead lies something you need. However-in order to claim it…you must lose something that is dear to you…” “Huh? What does that mean?” Sora said to himself. Day 14: Familiar Face Kairi woke feeling refreshed, and full of energy. She leaned up in her bed, and looked out the window. She saw the island, and smiled. She threw back the covers, and rushed out of her room.
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After docking her boat, she took a few steps forward and looked around. She noticed the small waterfall, and “The Secret Place” behind it. She hopped down, and ran over to it. When she made it inside, she looked around again, like she did the morning after coming back to the island. She saw the carving of her and Sora giving each other the papou fruit, and placed a hand on it. She smiled and let out a sigh. She looked to her left, and then up at the door, the one with no lock, no knob, just a wooden surface. She stared at it, taking more time to observe it then she had before. In an instant, she began to feel uneasy, and fell to her knees. “Uh..err…” She was squinting her eyes, as she grabbed the side of her head. There was a sharp, intense pain growing inside it, but she had no idea why. She closed her eyes completely, and saw something she had never seen before. -Flashback: Day 1- “Kairi!” She recognized Sora’s voice. She was seeing everything in first-person, but she couldn’t control her movements. She was staring at the wooden door, then, she began to turn. “Sora…” she heard herself say. She saw Sora, staring back at her, looking confused and worried. She began to slowly reach out her hand, but a strong force swept her off her feet, sending her flying towards Sora. Sora opened his arms to catch her, but right as they were about to collide, her vision went black. -flashback ends- Kairi couldn't see anything; just a never-ending darkness all around her. "Where am I?" she thought to herself. It was like she was going blind, but no, she could see herself. She turned around, and saw a small speck of light in the distance. She could barely make out what it was; it took a while for her to fully focus in on it. She was able to make out the shape of a person, a girl, in a small, white dress. The girl seemed to be moving; turning around. She looked closer, and saw a head of blonde hair, and two blue eyes, looking back at her. They looked just like her own. “Kairi!...Kairi! Kairi-wake up!! “Huh…?” Kairi said slowly. She began to open her eyes, and her blurred vision began to clear. She saw Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka all staring down at her. “Ey-she’s awake!” Wakka said. Kairi sat up, and rubbed her eyes. Selphie was hanging on to her arm. “Are you okay?!” she said. “Uhh…yeah, yeah. I don’t know what happened” “We went all around the island looking for you! When we came here, we found you lying on the floor.” Tidus said. “Oh…I guess I must’ve fallen asleep then” “Really? You must be tired then…want us to walk you back home?” Selphie said. “Sure…thanks you guys” Kairi said with an uneasy smile. She slowly stood up, wobbling as she found her balance. They all started walking back out. When it was Kairi’s turn to climb out the exit, she turned around, and took another look at the door. “What was all that?” she thought to herself. -Epilogue: Day 23- A white, empty room; calm and tranquil, with just the slightest bit of sound. There’s a small cage in one corner, resembling that for a bird, and a small doll inside of it. It’s a blonde girl, in a white dress, smiling, sitting peacefully in her entrapment. All you can hear is the faint scribbling of a pencil on a notepad. This sound is coming from a small girl, who looks just like the doll, sitting in a chair alone, happily drawing away. She brushes the drawing off with her hand, and sets it down on the table in front of her. It’s of a large castle. “So, did you call for him?” a man’s voice says from across the room. “Yes..” the girl says. “But he’ll only come…if he can find the road that leads to it…” There is a moment of silence, as the man thinks through what the girl said. “Then I will set him on that road…” A red flower petal slowly makes it way downwards; swaying left, and right, until it eventually meets the ground.
