Title: Reflections: Kairi ( Epilogue )
Author name: Ari Powwel
Author email:
Spoilers: . . . a lot . . . and spoilers for Reflections: Riku if you haven't read that.
Summary: Epilogue?
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by various publishers including but not limited to Disney Interactive and Square Co., Ltd. The song lyrics used in this chapter are from the song Half Pain, from Witch Hunter Robin. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: ...no comment. [grins] It took a bit, but it's here. Hey, look! It took two months exactly—this has been finished since last night.
Next major projects: Crossed Trails, my KH/PotO crossover, and a new ficcu called Moribundum Fatum ([points at title] Megu-chan helped me on the title. I dun claim to be a Latin expert XD), a fic for which I will probably be killed several times over . . .

The sky was dark, now; there was no light shining into the Secret Place. That didn't matter, however, as Kairi had no need for light. She stared through the hole in the stone roof, looking at the stars littering the night sky. She tilted her head unconsciously, wondering to herself which stars represented her friends' current positions. Had Riku made it out of Kingdom Hearts? Or was he still trapped in the dark abyss? Was Sora still fighting? Or had he given up hope?

Kairi sighed, picking up the red notebook that lay beside her. She flipped it open, eyes scanning past the page she'd written on, hoping to see Riku's scrawl or Sora's untidy scribble. But there was nothing there, as there'd been since she'd returned to Destiny Islands. She sighed again, replacing the cover and sitting it down next to her again. Her eyes returned to the sky, until—

'I never thought I'd see the day.'

Kairi sat bolt upright, looking around. She recognised that voice. 'What day?'

'The day my Kairi was quiet for a solid five minutes, let alone three hours,' answered the woman, a trace of humour in her voice. 'Deep thoughts?'

'I guess you could say that,' murmured Kairi, laying back once more and training her eyes on the nearest star. Perhaps if she strained her eyes enough, she'd be able to see what the planet was?

The old woman huffed suddenly. 'Kairi, I can't believe you. What happened to the little girl that ran around the castle?'

She's not here anymore, Kairi wanted to respond, but couldn't bring herself to. I've changed since then.

'The Kairi I knew wouldn't let anything get in the way of her happiness. And she sure never let herself get left out of anything.' The woman chuckled quietly before continuing, 'I seem to remember planning a certain party one year. Your fourth birthday, wasn't it? Yes, it was. But our little guest of honour realised something was going on, and wouldn't stop until she found out what was going on. But you still loved the party all the same, didn't you?'

Kairi couldn't help it; she raised an eyebrow, finally turning on her side to where the old woman's voice was coming from.

'Oh, now, don't give me that look. I may not be in the prime of my life, but my memory hasn't given out just yet. Still a few hundred years left in me.'

'What are you trying to say?' asked Kairi suddenly. 'That I should throw a party? While Sora and Riku are missing?'

'I didn't say that!' said the woman indignantly. 'There's no need to be so irritable . . .'

For several minutes, silence reigned again, while Kairi tried to calm herself. Why was she letting the woman get to her? Because she was telling herself the same things, her mind answered. The old woman was merely repeating, reinforcing what she'd been saying to herself. 'I'm not irritable,' she finally mumbled.

The woman laughed. 'So says the angered. Now, listen here. You can't live in the past, Kairi. Just because your friends aren't here with you right now doesn't mean you can't be happy. You know as well as I do that you'll never forget them, so why drown yourself in memories? You've got great friends outside that you create new memories with, memories in addition to the ones you've had with the two boys. You've spent how long sulking over them? Much past the normal time of mourning, I'm sure.'

Kairi had no answer to this.

'And do you think they would want you to be sad? Wouldn't they rather see their Kairi happy and cheerful, like they remember her? Or would they rather see a sad, depressed Kairi, one that would rather spend all her days angsting away? You answer me.'

There was several more minutes of silence before Kairi admitted, 'Happy.'

'You see? Now, then. Stand up. Up, up, up!'

Kairi lifted herself to her feet, slowly, dragging her white shoes along the ground. She looked up to the skies again as the woman fussed over her, attempting to rub a bit of dirt from the back of her shirt, scoffing at how beaten up her shoes were and accusing her of dragging her feet. 'Stand up straight, Kairi! You're going to end up hunched over when you grow old like me! And stop dragging your feet; you're only wearing out your shoes faster.'

Kairi offered a smile—a genuine smile—to the stars, before returning her gaze to the relatively short woman in front of her. 'Okay.'

The old woman smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes growing more pronounced as she did so, and patted Kairi on the shoulder. 'Good girl. Now, pick up your journal. I don't think you'd want to lose that, am I right?'

'You're right,' said Kairi, giggling slightly and crouching to pick up the leather-bound book.

'So what's going on tonight?' asked the woman, giving Kairi a quizzical look. 'I'm certain I heard talk of a celebration tonight . . .'

'You're right!' Kairi gasped. 'Tonight's the meteor shower of Ficre, the goddess of . . . travel . . .' she trailed off, thinking. 'It was the day before the shower we planned to leave, so that our first night would be filled with the meteors overhead . . . ow!' she cried as the woman smacked her sharply upside the head.

'No depressing thoughts!' reprimanded the woman, brandishing her pointer finger. 'I don't want to have to repeat myself again, Kairi!'

Kairi ran a hand through her hair, giggling sheepishly. 'Sorry . . .'

'Now, if I'm not mistaken, your friends will be looking for you. Go join them,' advised the woman. 'And I don't want to catch you getting all depressed over the boys again; got it? Remember the happy times, and those only.'

Kairi smiled again, nodding once. 'Thanks . . . Grandmother.'

The old woman smiled back, eyes almost lighting up in joy as Kairi embraced her once more. 'Remember, my child, what you have learned tonight. And have a good time!'

Kairi grinned, waving back as she started down the path to the beach. 'I will! Thanks again!'

The woman waved as her red-haired granddaughter disappeared from sight, with a bounce in her step that hadn't been there before.

'Chin up, Kairi. The night is always darkest before the dawn, and it's been night for far too long.'

Dear Kairi,
I suppose you'll be happy to know that per your wishes, Sora has somehow managed to pass this journal along to me. I still don't know how he managed it.
I don't understand you at times, and that's all I'll say on the matter.
So are you telling me that the Destiny Islands have reformed? If so, that's definitely a load off my mind. Thanks, Kai.
Oh, and someone tell Sora to get off his lazy butt and start working. Mickey says there's something else nearby; something that's going to cause a bit of a problem . . .
Riku

Hey! I resent that!
Sora

Don't you mean, 'resemble?' You are lazy. If I may quote . . . 'Sora, you lazy bum! I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here . . .'

. . . everything we've went through, and you still remember that? I guess it's true what they say: an elephant never forgets.

. . . elephant?

Um, never mind.

Well, I'm pretty sure I resent that comment, Sora.

. . . don't you mean, 'resemble?'

Hee, I'm amused. And I'm also finished with this ficcu. Yay! [dances]

Anyways, if you for some reason want to know anything about me coming and current ficcus, check http: www. livejournal. com/ community/ [underscore][underscore]soulfire
And feel free to comment; I'd like to know what you all think! [grin]

Oh, and so far, Crossed Trails is on the fourth chapter—though it's reeeeeally the third chapter. I ended up rewriting so much that the dream and the first day on Destiny Islands are large enough to be a chapter in themselves—unless you want a chapter 1O,OOO words long, and then a chapter half that length the next update. X.X;

Thanks to the following reviewers!

[ daea ]
[blinkblink] I put a bunch of genres together? o.o; I seriously never knew that. I feel special now!
As for the journals; that's an idea I've had for a while, now. Doesn't everyone have that idea when they're younger? X3
Ah, yes! I was actually trying to come up with a different characterisation for Kairi than most have. Most people seem to go, 'Arrrrgh, Kairi! Annoying! Kill! Evil! Muaaaaaaaaa!' and I sit there blinking at the screen. Besides, there's got to be more to her than they actually showed, right?
Ooooh, crash and loss is t3h suckage! If you do decide to do a rewrite, though, let me know? I can remember a bit about it . . . you probably remember more, but hey, y'know, a lot of people liked it! XP Though you shouldn't rewrite it out of duty . . . eh, I'm losing my sense now x.x;; But let me know if you decide to rewrite? =D
See me at forum? Neeeeeeeeh? [confused XD]

[ Hybridbabe ]
Aww, poor Jou! [pats him on the head] We . . . don't hate you, Jou! =D
Whoo-hoo, a SHELF! =D [starts putting things on the broken shelf]

[ Zoshi the Confused ]
Ooooh, you speak Polish? Coooool!
Aww, why don't you like gummi ship flying-writing? I think it's kinda fun they never show what goes on in the gummi ship, so you get to make up all of it!
Eh, I'm actually still here for the time being; not enough people at X.X;

[dances around] And that is IT! I'll see you all next update!

Final Question: Would you rather have a longer wait for a new story (longer being like, next YEAR XX;;), but have all the chapters come constantly, or shorter wait but chapters being updated whenever I finish them? (Which would be a relatively short wait, seeing as I have a few chapters of a few stories done already)
Let me know, and thanks for reading! =D