Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue:

The Gummi ship the Highwind, was much larger than any gummi ship Kairi had seen before. With multiple levels and a command the size of a large ball room with workers buzzing about like hundreds of bees busying themselves. Cid, captain of the Highwind barked orders from the wheel which sat high up on a balcony above them. Aqua and Kairi stood behind on either side.

"The Highwind, a master craft for protection and progression of world's safety." Kairi read the logo off the wall behind them.
" She a beauty ain't she" Cid spoke with an heir of self importance.
"Beautiful for a hulking piece of space junk." Merlin spat with a hmph.
"Hay old man not all of us can bippity boppity boop ourselves around... No offense."
Behind them the fairy godmother only laughed before shaking her head.
"Old man, well I say."
"Where are we headed now." Aqua interrupted.
"Traverse Town. Plan to dock and drop of some supplies and gather some."
"I wished to gather some of my books from my old house there." Merlin nodded.
"What happened to poofing around like a pixie." Cid retorted only to spin back to what he was doing when Merlin started pulling out his wand.

Kairi looked out at the void beyond the grand window that separated the crew from space.
That's when she saw it.
" Now listen here you gear head." Merlin tapping his wand to Cid's head. " There is a time for magic and times where you put your back in it. Doesn't mean your giant hunk of space garbage is anywhere near appealing or reasonable."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean." Cid spun back to the wizard.
"Not this again." The fairy godmother only shook her head.
"Hay Cid." Kairi tried to get his attention but was waved off.
"I mean all you've done is made yourself a larger target to enemies."
"More like a bigger threat." Cid sneered.
"Cid!" Kairi said it louder. Only Aqua seemed to focus on her before looking to the window. Her eyes widdend.
"CID!!"
"WHAT?!" He shouted back only to turn to see the large beast bash itself into the ship.
Sirens began to blare as everyone was forced to regain their footing before Cid began barking out orders. After slamming his fist into a series of buttons a large shield took form around the ship. Kairi and Aqua ran to the elevator to get to the lower levels along side a crew of fighter pilots.
They arrived in the bay and began boarding smaller battle ready gummi ships
Of varying shapes and sizes.
Kairi's boarded hers, one similarly built as the one Sora had during his many adventures... She stopped but a moment at the thought before shaking away the feeling and boarding.
Aqua didn't follow. Instead her hand went to her shoulder and in a flash of light she was fully armored and her keyblade transformed into its glider form.
All the ships departed and immediately began their assault along with the large beast came a battalion of heartless. The beast itself was a draconic like heartless a black energy emitted from it like a black smog. It let out an unearthly bellow as the battle commenced.
Gummi Ships swerved about shooting at the hoard and the beast some being knocked about while others came out of their battles victorious only to enter another bout of enemy fire.
Kairi swung around behind and shot at the beast. It swung it's claw down at her ship only to miss as she spun out of the way, returning to fire as soon as she was upright again.
Aqua came in from another again swiping past it's face causing it to faulter backward and letting out another screech. More heartless suddenly began to appear.
"Where are they coming from!!!" One of the pilots called over the intercom.
The beast screeched once more before it began to fly away from the battle. "The beast is fleeing, going for pursuit." Aqua called before tailing it.
"Following." Kairi remarked before heading out after them.

The beast swiped at them as it dodged and drifted away from the battle, aqua and Kairi pursuing with an array of fire.

Finally it came to a stop in front of what at first looked like empty space. When the two thought they had it cornered it appeared. A large swirling. The beast began to fly through.
"It's escaping. A wyrmhole appeared and it's going through."
" Let's follow." Kairi began but was cut off.
" No, we will retreat."
"But-"
"Kairi retreat." Aqua spoke sharply.
Kairi sat there the wyrm hole beginning to shrink and fade.
"Someone might be on the other side of that vortex."
"Yes and they'll need more than an untrained keyblade wielder to help. Kairi stand down and retreat."
Kairi took a deep breath. Sora wouldn't have stood down.
All this training for what? To be left behind again and again. To be told to let it go for someone else to do.
"No."
"Kairi!"
She launched forward, the wyrm hole shutting behind and everything going white.

...
He stopped at the sudden light that lit the night. Turning to the sky above he saw the falling object as it came down and crashed into the jungle bellow and was thrown off just as quickly as how the light only vanished and the assumed flames never came.
"What could that be?" The young man asked mainly to himself, but was answered by the low growl like noise from the green wyvern that stood next to him.

Chapter Text

There was a deep orange color that awoke Kairi. As she opened her eyes she moved her hand Infront of her as the sun pierced through the canopy. She sat up slowly and checked her surroundings. It was a lush jungle, vibrant greens going in all directions.
"What... What happened? Where's my ship..." She sat a moment before jumping from her place on the ground. " The heartless." Spinning around Kairi looked for any sign of the beast. Only living things were the chirping of bugs and birds unseen.

After a moment she dropped back to the ground and curled up her face in her knees. 'Why am I so bad at this. Why can't I do anything right?!' she held back her tears...

"Mmhm la la lah. Something something destiny."
Kairi looked up... And tilted her head as what looked like a walking egg began toddling into the clearing. It was singing???
Kairi stood up and walked over bending down to grab the egg.
" Mhhhm- HAY THATS MY-!"
Pulling it away her eyes met that of a bipedal cat with an abnormally large head." -egg..." It finished it's statement eyeing her with a confused look. "What are you doing out here?"
"Just... Lost... Who are you?"
The cat gave an obnoxious smile before leaping up on top of a near by rock.
"It just so happens you walked right into the right felyne at the right time for your particularly predicament. "
With a wide flourish of his paw he pointed to himself. "I'm Navirou the ultimate Navigator."
"Well isn't that lucky of me." Kairi smiled before handing him back the large egg. "Can you show me out of this jungle then Mr. Navirou?"
"Sure thing my new compatible com'paw'dre." He smiled before hoisting the egg up and leaping from the rock and waddling over to her. "Just follow this felyne and we'll be out of here in no time, Or I'm a jaggi's uncle."
'whats a Jaggi?' Kairi wondered following after Navirou.
The forest teemed with life. Bugs flew and crawled about, almost all of them were unfamiliar and quiet large in size. Some large creatures slowly approached and ate of the grass and leaves.
Kairi stopped and watched the greyish creatures. She approached slowly and eyed it. "Aren't you cute." She spoke slowly patting one on the head. It slunk back a bit before sniffing her hand.
"Those aptonoth seem pretty calm. Must not have a lot of predators in the area. " Navirou spoke leaning on the egg he'd been carrying.
"Maybe..." Kairi spoke, mainly not to sound too suspicious. It was an odd world but order was still to be kept. The Aptonoth pressed it's head into her hand and she slowly stroked the rough grey skin. It wasn't long before one of the other Aptonoth let out a soft groan and they all moved on. 'so far it's a very pretty world.' Kairi thought before her and Navirou continued on.
It wasn't long before Kairi began to notice that the forest only got thicker. She began to worry that maybe following the feline was not a good idea. It was then that she almost tricked on Navirou. He had stopped. Before Kairi could begin speaking he put a finger to his mouth. At first Kairi could not hear anything, but then it came loud and clear. The sound was heavy footfall as something drew close.
Navirou dropped the egg and grabbed Kairi's hand, dragging her into the brush. Breaking from the tree line was a great bear like beast with large armored paws and a tongue that flopped about loosely from it's agape mouth.
"An Arzuros... But what's that... stuff on it."
It was covered in a familiar black smog.... It was darkness. Without a moments hesitation Kairi summoned her Key blade and ran out from the brush. She stood before the bear which took notice. It reared back on it's hind legs and let out a bellowing roar. The darkness swirled about it.
It swung it's paw which Kairi dodged but was caught off guard by it's other one sweeping in knocking her back. She landed next too the forgotten egg. As she was getting up she noticed that it had cracked. She turned back to the beast and pulled up her Key blade. "Fire!" She called out sending a ball of flame that hit the beast square in the chest. It staggered back.
Crack.
Kairi spun around to the egg. It had cracked again... She pulled up her Key blade... The egg let off a soothing glow... The Arzuros roared and began to charge. Kairi looked between the beast and the odd egg. Kairi chose
She pointed her Key blade at the egg and suddenly it burst into a bright light. The Arzuros bellowed.
....