Chapter Text
Kairi's Adventures in Nevada
Chapter 1- Kairi lands in Nevada
It is a bight and sunny day on Destiny Island, but then again, it’s always sunny in Destiny Island. The atmosphere of the island has a calm and peaceful feel with a hint of sadness to it. Where this sad feeling was coming from could be from the lone islander that is currently on the island.
Sitting on the trunk of the Paopu tree is one of the Destiny Trio, Kairi. The red-haired princess of light is sitting solitary, staring out at the beautiful ocean and sky. She wasn’t looking at anything, however her mind was in another world. Kairi’s mind was pondering back to a specific person, who has been part of her life ever since she first arrived on the islands. The person who would sacrifice his life to save hers over and over. This special person was her dear friend, Sora.
After defeating Xehanort and his organization, Sora left the world to find Kairi after Xehanort killed her to achieve Kingdom Hearts. Thus, giving up his life in exchange for Kairi to return home to their friends. Kairi was melancholy that Sora did not return with her home and so were her friends, but they all held hope that Sora would return to them as the merry and zealous boy they know Sora to be. Yet, even with hope in her heart that Sora will come back to her, there was a hint sadness that dwelled in her heart as well. Riku has checked up on Kairi and told her he will continue to look for their friend, which she is thankful for, but at the same time she was starting to get tired of it. Riku is out looking around every corner of a variety of worlds for any word or hint of Sora. And what is Kairi doing? What she has sadly begun to realize as the norm for her, waiting and hoping for Sora come back anytime now. It’s sad really. Kairi is just as much as keyblade wielder as Sora and Riku! Sure, she may not have much experience in battle or has gone on her own adventures, and she must admit Merlin didn’t teach her or Lea much, but she’s a keyblade wielder, damn it! A princess must do something other than play the “damsel in distress” charade, right?
“Kairi?” The sound of her name being called snapped her out of her thoughts.
Kairi turned her head around to see none other than her friend Riku walking towards her.
“Hey Riku.” Kairi greeted, a happy smile on her face.
“I’ve been calling your name a few times. Are you feeling alright?” Riku inquired.
“You have? Sorry about that, I must have been so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t hear you.” She replied.
“Oh really? Don’t think too hard Kairi or your head will explode.” Riku joked.
“That must mean I have a bigger brain than you.” Kairi joked back.
“You wish!” Riku and Kairi laughed before turning their gazes toward the ocean.
There was a peaceful silence between the two, but Riku spoke.
“So, if I may ask, what were you thinking about?” said Riku.
“Oh you know just…stuff.”
“Like?”
“Things.”
“Kairi.”
“…”
Another chorus of silence falls between them. Riku lets out a soft sigh before speaking again.
“Kairi, you and I both know that Sora is out there somewhere. I’m doing everything I can to find him. Heck, even our friends are keeping a look out for him.”
“I know…”
“You know I’m here for you, right?”
“Yeah, I know Riku.”
Riku knows that Kairi is hurting inside because Sora is gone, but he is hurting just as much as she is. Yet, he can’t let the darkness in his heart get the best of him. He must move forward. That’s what Sora would have done. He doesn’t know what Kairi would do though.
“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling okay. I’m going to continue looking for Sora and you just stay here and wait for-”
“No!” Kairi exclaimed, stopping Riku mid-sentence.
“Kairi?”
Kairi jumped off the tree trunk, continuing to speak while walking over to Riku.
“I am NOT staying put, Riku! I’m not just gonna stay home and wait for you or Sora to return like last time! I’m tired of being left behind!”
“I understand that Kairi, but you need to stay here where-”
“I don’t NEED to stay here! What I NEED to do is something other than wait around for how long for either of you!”
“I need you here where it is safe, Kairi!”
“I want to be out there having my own adventures, exploring worlds, and looking for Sora as well!”
“It’s not that easy, each world has their own dangers.”
“I can handle it.”
“No, you can’t! I already lost Sora, I’m not losing you again as well!”
Kairi was taken aback at Riku’s outburst. How can Riku say something like that? She just wanted to help Riku is all, but she can’t blame him for her wanting to stay here. She’s been kidnapped a few times and her friends had to come rescue her. But Kairi wants to find Sora too. He has done so much for her that she could never repay him back, except look for Sora however she can.
“Riku…please let me help find Sora.” Kairi plead, head down and hands balling into fists. “Please.”
Riku stared at Kairi for what felt like minutes, pondering on what to say to his best friend.
“I’m sorry Kairi.” Riku started, Kairi biting her lip in anticipation. “I guess old habits die hard you know. Maybe we can ask King Mickey for a spare gummiship for you to use. Chip and Dale can provide you with instructions on how to navigate a gummiship also.”
Kairi lifted her head, flabbergasted at what she was hearing.
“Riku…” She crushed Riku in a tight hug. “Thank you!”
Riku smiled and hugged Kairi back.
“Just promise me that you will call and text me on what you’re doing okay?”
“I will!” Kairi promised.
*
Arriving at Disney Castle, Riku asked King Mickey if Kairi can use one of the spare gummiships for her travels. Mickey was happy to oblige Kairi with a gummiship, seeing as she wants to have adventures of her own and look for Sora. Once a ship was supplied for Kairi, the chipmunk engineers taught the princess everything she need to know about flying, navigation, and safety precautions of the ship.
“Do you want Donald and Goofy to come along with you Kairi?” The king asked.
“No thanks, I want to go solo if that’s okay with you, your majesty.”
“You don’t need my permission to travel alone Kairi. You let your heart choose what’s right for you. As long as you stay in the light nothing can stop you!” Mickey said. “Oh, one more thing for your trip.”
Kairi and Riku watched Mickey leave the docking bay and came back seconds later with a suitcase with mini pink mickey symbols on it.
“Queen Minnie would give me an earful if I didn’t give this case to you before you departed. She and Daisy packed everything they believe you would need. Kind of a last-minute gift.” Mickey laughed.
“Thank you, King Mickey.” Kairi and Mickey shared a hug before breaking apart.
“Just be safe out there okay.” Mickey said. “And may your light be your guiding key.”
Kairi nodded before turning her attention to Riku.
“Well, I guess this is it. Are you ready for this adventure Kairi?” He asked.
“You say that like it’s my first day of school.” Kairi laughed.
“It is if you think about it.” Riku laughed along. “Remember you promised to update me on your endeavors, right?”
“Yes, Riku.”
“You have your gummiphone?”
“Yes.”
“If you run into any trouble, you have me, Aqua, Terra, Mickey-”
“Riku, I got it.”
“Chip, Dale, and Ienzo can also help if anything is wrong with ship or the world-”
“Bye Riku!” Kairi gave Riku a quick hug before grabbing the suitcase and boarding the gummiship.
Kairi got into the driver seat starting up the ship’s engine and boosters. Once everything was up and running, Chip and Dale opened the docking bay doors counting down the launch process. The red-haired princess looked out the window to see King Mickey and Riku waving at Kairi, who waved back with happiness in her heart before being launched out the bay into the vast universe.
“Please be safe Kairi.” Riku whispered watching his friend disappear into the sky.
*
Kairi has been flying through the massiveness of space for what felt like days when it was only an hour. It was very chill in space aside from dodging space debris left and right, but it was overall chill. Kairi checked the navigation screen for any worlds on the map, but nothing showed up. Guess she would have to be patient for a while. The princess took out her gummiphone to take a selfie in the ship and post on her social media for her friends to know what’s going on. Not long after, the navigation screen began beeping, showing a warning sign that a vortex was ahead.
“A vortex is up ahead?” Kairi looked out the window to see if the warning was true.
Sure enough a space vortex emitting an ominous blood red glow with streaks of lightning was just up ahead, and she was getting closer towards it.
“No worries, I just have to move the ship out of the vortexes radius, and I’ll be fine. Just like Chip and Dale told me.” She said to herself.
Kairi turned the ship’s wheel to move out of the vortex’s way, which she succeeded. That is until she felt a turbulence in the ship. Apparently, the menacing vortex had a wider range than she previously though, and it was pulling her and the ship towards it. Black winds of darkness proceed to pull the ship into its red maw as Kairi tried to maneuver the ship out of its orbit.
“No! No! No! This is bad! This is terrible!” Kairi felt herself about to panic, but she had to mentally restrain herself from doing so. “I have to call Chip and Dale, they’ll know what to do.”
With that plan in mind, Kairi used the gummi communication system to call the royal chipmunk engineers. Chip and Dale showed up on the screen.
“Ye’llo? Hey Kairi!” Dale greeted.
“Guys I need your help!” Kairi exclaimed.
“What’s wrong?” Chip inquired.
“I’m being sucked into a vortex that came out of nowhere! What do I do?” Kairi explained keeping her voice as clam as possible.
“Don’t panic Kairi, it’s most likely one of those hyper jump vortexes. If you enter one, they will put you on a faster route to another world.” Chip explained.
“Yeah exactly.” Dale chipped in.
Kairi stared at the chipmucks for a second before moving out of the way for the engineers to see the deadly space vortex.
“That’s gonna hyper jump me?!” Kairi pointed to the whirlpool that is now getting close.
“Holy moley!” Dale was surprised by the view of the whirlpool.
“I’ve never seen one like that before!” Chip exclaimed, astonished by the sight. “But don’t worry Kairi, we’ll be with you all the way.”
“Thanks guys.”
In that moment, the gummiship and Kairi has entered the nexus within the vortex. When the ship exited the vortex Kairi yelped when a black meteorite was coming towards her. Quickly, Kairi activated the ships guns and blasted the rock to pieces, but more meteorites were coming her way. Dodging and blasting giant balls of rock and debris the princess of light felt a sense of adrenaline coursing through her veins, and she liked it. After blasting the last of a giant rock, Kairi gave herself a breather. Chip and Dale cheering in the background.
“Nice shoot’en Kairi!” Dale cheered.
“Yeah, you showed those meteors who’s boss!” Chip chimed in.
“Hahaha, thanks guys.” Kairi thanked them.
The navigation system suddenly pinged.
“Hey, the navigator must be picking up something!” Chip informed.
“Possibly another world!” Dale said.
Kairi looked at the navigation screen.
“You’re right! There’s another world a few miles up ahead!” Kairi spoke with excitement.
However, that excitement was short lived when a bolt of lightning struck at the ships shields and knocked Kairi back.
“AH!” Kairi yelped.
“Kairi?!” Dale yelled.
Then another lightning struck.
“Kairi are you alright?!” Chip shouted with worry.
The number of lightning strikes increased; one strike of lightning pierced through the shields and struck the ship’s engine. An emergency warning of the engine breach was initiated throughout the ship. Kairi regained herself before running over the communication system.
“What’s happening?!” Kairi inquired.
“Oh no, one of the lightning strikes must have got through the shields and struck the ship’s engine! The engine has less than half of power left!”
“That’s bad, right?” The princess asked.
“Kairi, you’re gonna have to make an emergency landing on the world ahead!” Chip instructed. “How close are you?”
Kairi looked out the window and saw mysterious world coming closer to view.
“I’m not close enough!” Kairi told Chip.
“Uh, you might want to get there faster; engine power is at 20% and dropping!” Dale cried to the two.
“Kairi?! Kairi?!” Riku raced toward the communication system to see his friend on the other side.
“Riku?!” Kairi shocked to see Riku.
“What the hell is going on?!” asked Riku.
“Short version, engine got stuck, losing power, and I’m not close enough to land on the world a head.”
“Damn it, I knew this was too dangerous for you to go alone! Kairi, turn off the ship and stay put! I’m coming to get you and bringing you home!” Riku ordered.
‘What?! No! Not like this! I can’t have Riku return me home! I can’t!’ Kairi pondered in frustration. ‘There has to be something I can do! That world is so close, yet so far. And it’s my first adventure! What would Sora do in a time like this?’
Suddenly, in the mince of chaos and panic Kairi felt something in her heart lighten. An idea struck her.
“Riku. Don’t come get me. I got an idea.” Kairi told him.
“What?! What idea is that?!” Riku questioned, but got no response as Kairi set her plan in motion.
Kairi ran to the ship’s controls, turning the engines boosters to maximum power.
“What?! Kairi turned the engine boosters to maximum power, but the engine is only at 10%!” Dale informed Riku and Chip, who were beyond horrified by the news.
“Kairi, what are you doing?!” Riku yelled, but still no response from the princess.
After conducting that step of her plan, Kairi summoned her keyblade in hand and aimed the tip of her blade to new world ahead.
“Sora, give me strength and protection.” Kairi whispered.
The blade tip created a luminous blue glow and a beam of gold light extended from the blade to the dark world forward. A flash of gold set alight from the dark world, marking the ship’s landing destination. Kairi gave a wide smile to Chip, Dale, and Riku.
“I’ll keep you guys updated!” Kairi said.
“KAIRI!” Riku screamed.
But his cries went unheard as Kairi activated the ship’s boosters. The gummiship zoomed toward the new world at full speed, none stop till it contacted its destination.
*
Kairi groaned as she felt her consciousness return to her. Her vision was blurry as she slowly opened her blue eyes to the dense light. When her vision fully returned, she scanned her surroundings. There was static on the communication screen and there was a mess on the floor. Cautiously, the princess moved her legs and arms to see if anything was broken, but fortunately she was fine aside from the pain in her head. Sitting on her legs, Kairi rubbed her head till the pain died down a bit before getting up.
“Did-did I make it?” She asked herself.
The keyblade wielder turned her sight upwards to see the sky colored a dark red. Then she looked out the ship’s window to see empty, grey, and rocky terrains around her. Kairi sought the navigation screen only to see the screen cracked, but somewhat functional. Other than that everything went to shit.
“I guess I should check outside to see if I really made it to the new world.” Kairi said before proceeding to the ship’s entrance.
Upon opening the entrance way, Kairi was greeted to more terrains of grey and rocky. Not to mention it was hot outside.
“Well, I believe I have struck the landing on this hot world. So where am I?” Kairi scanned the empty greyish land to find anything alive.
Then her blue eyes catch a large billboard on the opposite side of the road. When she reached the billboard, the sign too was grey, but the words were black and large for Kairi to read.
“Welcome to Nevada.”