One Change - A KH "What If?" (DISCONTINUED/MOVED)

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Kairi failed to understand.

Riku had just appeared, and once again, escaped from them.

And he said that Kairi had some power. That she was a so called "Princess of Heart" and had the power to open a keyhole.

The power must have worked, Kairi realized, because hardly any heartless came near them during their climb up the castle.

So, they all still had their items, minus the hi-potion that Goofy had to use on Sora back in the entrance hall.

All throughout the climb, Sora, the usually talkative and bouncy brunette, was quiet.

Pure quiet. He didn't even mumble. Donald and Goofy chatted to each other, while Kairi was stuck in the front with a quiet Sora.

"Thanks for saving me back there. I could have fallen." Kairi nudged him gently.

"Nonsense." Sora mumbled. "The Aero spell would have kept you alive. It was a backup in case my plan didn't work."

"Okay, that's it." Kairi grabbed Sora by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth. "Where have you put Sora? I want him back."

"Kairi." Sora murmured. "Kairi! I'm fine! Now let me go." He shoved her off, and kept walking.

"Sora, quit it. There's something bugging you, I can tell."

"So you didn't feel that? Back there, I still had the open connection to Riku. When he went into that portal, I felt something wrong with him. I could hardly breath. We have to hurry." Sora's optimism and courage showed in his eyes again, and he looked himself.

Kairi opened the connection to Riku, keeping focused, and they walked up and up the castle.

"How much longer?" Donald complained. "My legs are getting tired."

"Awe, lighten up, Donald. We'll be there soon enough." Goofy answered.

Kairi wished she could be that optimistic, but she couldn't stop thinking about Riku.

There was something wrong with him.

But none of them knew what.

And then, it hit her.

"Sora. I know what's wrong with Riku."

"What?" Sora asked immediately.

"So, back on Destiny Islands, I was talking with him, and then passed out. I woke up in a platformed area, and there were heartless. I think what I fought was Riku's darkness."

"He's been possessed by darkness." Sora's eyes stared at the floor for too long before he said, "we have to hurry." He repeated.

Kairi nodded, and all four of them sped up the castle.

Until, they reached the emblem hall.

Kairi couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Alice, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Snow White were all in the room, inside pod looking things, and asleep.

"Gawrsh, sure is spooky." Kairi heard Goofy say.

In fact, she hardly even heard him. She was too focused on the princesses in their hibernation.

As they ventured deeper into the room, Kairi started looking around.

She made the mistake of looking up and behind them when they were on the platform.

There was an empty pod up there.

And then, Kairi realized what was going on.

"Sora, it's a trap." She whispered, as if the shadows were going to step out and claim her.