A War of White Shadows (Kingdom Hearts)

Sea and Sky II

"You said you received these schematics in a letter?" Ienzo's modulated voice seeps out of the speakers on Kairi's gummiphone. His face stares out of the screen at the letter she holds up to the front-facing camera. She's never seen him look so shocked.

"A letter with no address. It appeared out of nowhere."

"I've seen bits and pieces of these notes before. They're far too complicated to recreate from memory, but I'd know them anywhere. They're the real thing."

"It says 'For Roxas.'" Kairi underlines the scrawled writing with her fingernail. "That has to mean something. Whoever wrote this message wants to see Roxas return." We would know if we could just talk to Sora, she thinks. He has to be behind this.

Ienzo glances down at the message, but his eyes quickly return to the notes above. "That would be one motive—albeit a very strange one for anyone on the short list of people with access to these instructions. Only a few members of Organization XIII could have stolen this. This is absolutely unprecedented."

Yen Sid's voice echoes out from over Kairi's shoulder. He stands near the hilltop boulder on which, just this morning, the letter had appeared. "It is possible that an outsider stole these plans from the Organization and sent them here. Or perhaps that there is a double agent in the Organization itself." Yen Sid's beady eyes darken, his mouth a flat line.

"It has to be Riku or Sora," Kairi says with great finality. "It has to be. Sora is the only one with enough reason to act as a double agent and he wants Roxas freed. And Riku is helping him."

"I see where you're coming from, Kairi," Ienzo says. "Unfortunately, I believe the handwriting on those instructions are Even's—sorry, Vexen's. I'm very familiar with it, you see." A frown pulls his face down. "Perhaps he has aligned himself with Xehanort despite our recompletion. This is deeply troubling."

"But—why? Why would Vexen send us these instructions?"

"That is very hard to say. Since this knowledge comes from the Organization, it runs absolutely counter to Xehanort's plans for this information to fall into our hands. To be given knowledge of the replica-making process... well, it helps our cause far too much to be a mistake.

"Is it possible that this could be an elaborate trap?" Yen Sid asks.

"As far as traps go, it would be a terrible one," Ienzo says. "It would be like giving an experienced chef a recipe for a poisoned cake. As long as one understands the ingredients and the process—and I am quite familiar with them—it is easy to catch a tablespoon of rat poison in the icing, so to speak." He peers closer. "Not only that, but these notes speak to a process much farther along in development than I was aware of during my later time in the Organization. It's perfect. This is not only a recipe for Replicas—following these steps would yield a nigh-human vessel."

Kairi can't stop the burn of frustration from singing her words. Why aren't they listening? "This doesn't any sense unless Sora is behind it! The timing is too perfect. And Roxas? Come on." She turns to Yen Sid. "I want to investigate."

Yen Sid speaks carefully. "Sora's involvement is... possible. However, we have very slim evidence. As such, we must have caution. We are at a great disadvantage against the Seekers of Darkness. We cannot afford to move our pieces as aggressively as Xehanort can." Yen Sid's voice turns sympathetic. "I apologize, my girl. You must remain here for now and continue your training."

They aren't listening to me. Kairi feels hot, angry tears gather in the corners of her eyes. She blinks them away furiously. "I don't want to resume my training."

"We have no choice. You must be protected—not only as one of the precious few Guardians of Light, but as a Princess of Heart."

"But someone knows I'm here," she protests. "Someone found a way to slip this letter into the Secret Forest under Merlin's radar, didn't they? Who's to say it wasn't a test, and the whole Organization won't come walking up this hill two hours from now?"

Yen Sid nods. "Yes, this is troubling. You and Lea will return with me to my tower for now. We will gather the remaining Guardians of Light there—Mickey will return with Master Aqua and Ventus soon, with any luck. Then, when the time is right, we will make our move on the Seekers of Darkness." Uncharacteristically, he lays an apologetic hand on her head. "We will uncover the truth about Sora. I promise."

He turns to leave, summoning a teleportation spell with a wave of his hand. Kairi feels tears streak down her cheeks. After years of waiting and watching Sora and Riku from afar, always protected and feeling so helpless from a distance, she vowed never to let it happen again.

And now that she has a chance to help, she's trapped again.

In her anger, she turns away and comes face to face with Lea. The sight of her tear-streaked face paints him shocked.

"Kairi, what's happened?"

Then, Yen Sid snaps his fingers, and they all vanish.