Quick Thinking.

Author's Note: Just a quick "What if" Scenario with Kairi in KH3. Fair Warning: If you haven't completed the game yet, don't read this if you want avoid spoilers.

Also...I think a similar part to this will be in my work in progress story "Key to Return Hearts" in the future. Not sure yet but I couldn't leave this hanging.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Just before final battle against Saix...

"Kairi!" Sora screamed in alarm, horrified as Xemnas reappeared behind his friend and grabbed her by the wrist which held her Keyblade, holding it up to prevent her from escaping.

"Sora!" Kairi cried out, feeling the surge of terror overcome her as she tried to reach out to him, but was jerked back by her sudden captive. She continued to struggle for her freedom, she couldn't be captured again! Not now! Not when when her friends needed her, and she needed them! The Princess of Heart needed to do something, quickly, or else she'd end up with Master Xehanort and given his reputation of causing deaths with no care in the world...

Kairi was scared to think of that, and how it would devastate Sora...even if he could end up killed himself. What can she do to get out of this? She then noticed that her boots were directly next to Xemnas's and even though her right hand that held her weapon was immobile, maybe she could...

It was then a desperate idea came into her mind.

"What difference does one little light make?" Xemnas sneered coldly to Sora, holding a tight grip on the Princess as he knew that the girl had no future but to die, and yet Sora was not aware of this, but he will soon. "You have others."

'It's now or never. Please let this work!' Kairi thought as Xemnas was beginning to teleport away with her. Squeezing her eyes tight, Kairi did what no one, not even Xemnas had even expected.

She lifted her right foot up slightly and stomped as hard as she could on Xemnas's left foot. The Nobody half of Xehanort grunted in pain and surprise at the unexpected stomp that he ended up loosening his grip on the teenage girl who, seeing that she was free, quickly glared at him before she made her attack.

"LIGHT!" Kairi chanted, blinding Xemnas who was forced back before quickly reaching Sora who, along with Roxas, Lea and Xion, were shocked and quickly relieved that Kairi had managed to pull off a stunt like that.

"Kairi! Are you okay!?" Sora fretted as he quickly pulled his beloved friend into a protective hug, and Kairi didn't resist, instead she returned the hug. She wanted nothing more than to remain in his arms at that moment.

"I-I think so." Kairi replied, a bit shakily.

The two stayed like that for a bit before they forced themselves to glare at Xemnas who glared back, more directly at Kairi than anyone else.

"Fine, then. Perhaps the other two lights waiting will take your place, Princess." Xemnas growled darkly, before teleporting away.

Sora grunted while making sure the Nobody wouldn't pull off another trick to try and capture Kairi who shuddered a bit before shaking it off mentally. This was no time to be scared now. They were in a middle of a Universal War and she had to prove she was ready for this. once they were both certain Xemnas was out of sight, Sora and Kairi shared a glance.

"It's okay, Kairi. Leave the rest to me and the others. Take care of Axel." Sora assured her.

Kairi was a bit too tired and still a bit took shaken in almost being captured to argue, so she nodded as they both reluctantly let go of each other before Sora quickly joined Roxas who nodded to him. Lea grunted, still holding his injured arm and was about to join both Roxas and Sora to fight Saix when Xion held out her arm to stop him, her own Kingdom Key ready.

"Rest, Axel. Roxas will fight in your place, and I'll fight for Kairi." Xion advised her older friend.

Lea just chuckled, smiling a little at his other friend that he now fully remembered. "Yeah, when it comes to Keyblades, you guys are the old hands."

Xion smiled back before joining the other two boys while Kairi stood back with Lea, waiting anixiously while the trio fought against Saix in his berserk mode. It had been hard and brutal, but eventually the three Keyblade Wielders, two who were now fully human like Sora, Kairi and Lea, had defeated the blue-haired man who struggled to keep himself up, but his weapon dissipated before he collapsed onto his knees.

Lea's chest felt tight, as air seemed to suck out of him like he had been defeated instead of his former best friend who, as the redhead rushed over before stopping, was now dying before his eyes. The others stood back, having somehow known that Lea and Isa were childhood friends.

"Why...so sad?" Saix asked, slowly upon seeing Lea's expression.

"...You let them reduce you to this!?" Lea finally shouted after a moment of struggling, letting out his frustration, betrayal, hurt and sorrow.

"I thought...you outgrew those marks...under your eyes." Saix remarked weakly.

Lea gasped softly, touching his face at the reminder of his time as Axel. "So?"

"You look...like you need them."

"Stop it! The whole act. I thought this was all for her." Lea responded, unable to hold back the devastation.

"At first." Saix agreed, before explaining as he begins to slowly fade away. "I sacrificed everything to try and track her down. You're the one who went off and made new friends."

The more Lea, Roxas, Xion, Kairi and Sora were hearing this, the more heartbroken all five of them were feeling, and for the Sea-Salt Trio, it was the lingering guilt that formed in their chests. For Lea it was absolute worst. He hadn't meant to leave Isa behind. But as he told him yesterday, he couldn't keep up with the blue-haired man ever since they became Nobodies.

Lea now knew, however, they were both at fault. He wanted to apologize to Isa, to make up for everything that's happened. They both changed drastically, and it wasn't fair!

"Left her and me in the dust. It infuriated me...how you just exited our lives." Saix continued before grunting in dying pain, clutching his wounded chest. The others felt tensed sympathy and fear for him.

As Lea hurried over to kneel next to him, Saix panted, "I lost...all sense of purpose."

"I didn't forget about you." Lea whispered reassuringly, tears noticable in his voice, placing a comforting hand on his former friend's shoulder. They may had not been friends for years, but he wouldn't leave them to die alone. This was as close contact they had been in a long, long time. Lea knew that Saix would return as a human, return as Isa, but it still hurt to see him like this.

"Yes, I know. You wouldn't do that." Saix replied, as Lea placed another hand on the same shoulder. He had to admit...this made him...feel to be very at peace. Knowing that Lea still cared about him to cry for his upcoming disappearance before restoration for the second time, to be by his side as he fades away, wanting him to stay as long as possible for forgiveness and to forgive in return, he knew now that Lea never replaced him.

The red haired man never replaced anyone. As far as Lea was concerned, everyone he meets makes his heart bigger and his bond for all of them, Isa, Roxas, Xion and the mysterious girl, all of them.

"I'm getting her back! All of them. Especially Roxas. I'm even dragging you home!"

When Lea mentioned he would clobber Saix, the latter now knew it was to knock some sense into him, not to kill for revenge or betrayal.

"But...I was jealous." Saix finally whispered, briefly gazing at the sorrowed expressions of the now former younger Nobodies, Roxas and Xion.

"You admit it." Lea whispered with a sad and relieved smile. It caught him a bit off-guard, but he knew deep down it had been jealousy that caused the rift between them in the first place.

"Well...If I make it back...you won't get it out of...me the second...time." Saix remarked, trying to push himself to stand, but all of his strength had now left him and he fell backwards...right into Lea's arms.

The redhead had caught him and held him as an act that finally admented their friendship.

"See you, Isa." Lea said, his heart wenching, but he held onto hope that they would see each other again, that the both of them, Roxas and Xion would all become friends together. No more jealousy or exits, or dusting off friends. No more anger or hate or distrust or rifts.

"See you, Lea." Saix smiled for the final time before his eyes closed and at Roxas, Xion and even Kairi's gasps, the blue-haired man faded away into nothing, from Lea's arms.

Everyone was silent for a moment as Kairi hesitatedly asked while she and Sora approached. "Axel?"

"I'm fine." Lea replied, standing up. "You guys go help the others."

"Okay." Kairi replied with a nod, not arguing as she and Sora wanted to give Lea time to catch up with Roxas and Xion.

"No." Sora shook his head. "Kairi, you stay here with Axel, Roxas and Xion. I'll help Riku and the King."

"What?" Kairi blinked, before protesting. "No, I'm going too!"

Sora sighed, having expected this as he pointed out. "This isn't like the other battles. If anything happened to all of you, I'd never forgive myself. Xehanort's too dangerous as it is and...you heard what he did to Master Eraqus..."

He awkwardly looked at Kairi firmly and said, "It'll be okay. Don't worry. I mean I know you can fight and you were awesome today, but...I can't just shake off the feeling that..."

Even though Kairi wanted to continue the argument, she could see it in his eyes; he was scared of losing her. Just as much as she was scared of losing him and now that she was thinking about it, if it hadn't been for her quick thinking to prevent herself from being kidnapped, she could easily be struck down the same way as Master Eraqus was twelve years ago. That few seconds when Xemnas held her captive though had scared her.

Maybe she still wasn't ready, but at the same time, she wanted to prove that she could handle it. But...Given what happened earlier, Kairi began to think that maybe it was for the best. But next time if this happened again, she would be there for Sora and Riku.

"Okay. Just promise that you and Riku will be careful." Kairi sighed, smiling a little.

"Promise." Sora nodded, giving her, Lea, Roxas and Xion a wave before racing off to catch up to Riku and Mickey as he knew they would be facing Ansem, Xemnas, Xehanort and his younger self from the past.

While watching Sora run off, Kairi turned to the trio and smiled, saying, "I'll...just hang back a bit for you three to catch up." a bit awkwardly walking off to a solitude distance to give Lea, Roxas and Xion to have their reunion.

Kairi waited outside of the battle room of the labyrinth she was in with the others, rubbing her arms as the sky turned darker, rubbing her arms anxiously until she noticed the sky lighting up a bit. Sensing a powerful force of light and darkness, the teenage girl looked up and saw to her horror, was a familiar heart-shaped moon that formed in the sky, and the closer she got while almost automatically getting closer to investigate, the more she felt the deadly power it represented.

Suddenly she feared the worst as she saw Xehanort rise up into the air, with a strange and evil looking weapon that was crossed Keyblades with a sword place in the middle, and darkness shot up into Kingdom Hearts which began to blacken and purple shards of darkness began to rain down the sky.

"Sora! Riku!" Kairi screamed out, running as fast as she could as she began to feel the dread that something horrible happened to them and Mickey. She didn't even realizing that she was doing it, but Kairi began climbing up to the very top platform where she found as she reached it, was Sora on his knees gazing up at the sky, and both Riku and Mickey, frozen in time in mid-air.

Her heart wrenched at this. She sensed more than saw that Sora felt like they lost. Kairi felt a bit scared by this. She slowly approached him and bend on her knees, gently placing an hand onto his arm.

"Sora...?"

Sora looked devastated, sorrowed and ready to give up. More than anything...he looked guilty. Whatever happened caused Sora to make a hard decision.

"Kairi...I'm sorry..." Sora whispered, tears beginning to leak as he noticed her presence. "Xehanort...he...he threatened to...to destroy you. I didn't...have a choice. He almost teleported to you and-and to kill you...! I let my anger and fears get to me and I thought him, which made him use my darkness to for-forge the X-Blade and I couldn't even stop Riku or the King from being frozen in time...It's all my fault!"

Kairi was horrified to hear this, knowing that Sora would've done anything to save her, to protect her. Had things been different...he would've been consumed and it terrified her the most. Then again had she been in his shoes, she might have done what he did. So she gently pulled him into an embrace and held him close. Sora tensed a bit at her touch.

"We can still beat him." She told him reassuringly and softly. "I...would've done the same thing if anything happened to you...I put you in so much danger and trouble and I'm so sorry. It's because of me that...you had to do this."

"Kairi..." Sora muttered, gazing at her in disbelief. He would've thought she'd be furious with him for doing something so stupid for her safety...and yet she was blaming himself for this miss.

"I don't care what happens to me. You and Riku are more important to than anything and...you kept me safe. I wanted to keep you safe too." Kairi continued, gazing at him with a small smile, blushing a little. "The reason for all of this is because...it's because I lov-"

"Hey, don't give up."

Suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice, Kairi and Sora looked behind them to see Donald and Goofy approach. Kairi blushed heavily at the close call of having others almost hear her confessions to Sora.

"We thought ya could use more half-pints." Goofy added, as he, Donald and Kairi helped Sora stand up.

"Donald, Goofy." Sora responded, relieved that they were okay too.

"Typical. You can't do anything without us." Donald teasingly scolded Sora who wiped away tears of guilt.

"He did save me." Kairi pointed out with a bit of a pout.

Goofy nodded in agreement, before saying to Sora. "Now wiped those tears and lets go stop Master Xehanort."

"Yeah, but..." Sora began, his confidence all but gone, and Kairi softly gasped in worry. "He controls Kingdom Hearts now."

"But that doesn't mean we should give up." Kairi said encouragingly.

"She as a point." Roxas's voice spoke up, as the rest of him along with Xion and Lea came up to the four from the right, while Ven, Terra and Aqua came up from the left and Sora acknowledged their presence as did Kairi.

Lea shrugged, "Sorry we took so long. Had a couple of plot points that needed ironing out." while both Roxas and Ven noticed each other for the first time and both boys were surprised that, despite the different clothes, they saw just how much they were identical to one another.

They then saw the completion of Kingdom Hearts and were shocked themselves while Terra could only mutter Xehanort's name.

"He did it...he opened up Kingdom Hearts." Aqua whispered in slight disbelief.

"So, what now?" Ven asked, only for Aqua to sigh just before a flash of light appeared and both Riku and Mickey landed safely on the platform before rejoining the group.

"Riku! King Mickey!" Kairi and Sora exclaimed in relief as the two had unfrozen themselves.

"You okay?" Sora asked, and was relieved when he got the answer that they were fine.

"There is still one hope." Mickey, having apparently heard what the others were talking about, said.

"There is?" Kairi asked.

"It's Xehanort. During the Mark of Mastery exam, we learned that he can transcend through space and time. He's a portal, and we can use that trap him." Riku explained.

"It won't be easy." Mickey cautioned, before gazing at his two other fellow Keyblade Masters. "Aqua, Riku, I'll need your help to push Xehanort out of this world."

"Understood." Aqua nodded, but before she could join Mickey and Riku, Sora quickly stepped in.

"Wait, I'll do it." Sora volunteered, surprising everyone else.

"What?" Riku asked.

"Sora." Kairi muttered, worriedly.

Sora turned to her and the rest of the group. "Kingdom Hearts is a bigger threat. Le me handle Xehanort while you guys keep it shut."

Kairi came close in saying she was going with, but after remembered what had happened and even though she was worried about him, she knew she couldn't stop him and plus she had a feeling, given the looks Donald and Goofy had when she noticed them sharing a glance, they would be going too. They done it before together with Sora, they can do it again. Lea and Riku both nodded while Mickey sighed, coming to the same reluctant acceptence as the Princess of Heart.

"Okay, Sora." Mickey replied.

"I got this." Sora assured, taking a couple steps forward and was surprised that Donald and Goofy were joining him. The trio talked about the half-pints being together again and Kairi couldn't help but giggle.

Still, she felt that something needed to be done before they went off to confront Master Xehanort. So Kairi called up to Sora who turned and saw her approach.

"Be careful, okay?" Kairi said.

"Will do." Sora nodded, giving her an assuring smile.

Kairi nodded, before blushing heavily as she approached closer and, while nervous with so many people around, decided that it was better than not doing it at all, she gave Sora a gentle kiss on the cheek which made his eyes widen in surprise as he felt a sudden tingly feeling inside him, his face warm up and his heart racing. Donald and Goofy both snickered, Riku held a surprised but knowing smile, Mickey smiled widely even though he was surprised himself, Aqua tried to hide her giggle while both Ven and Terra shared a shocked glance. Lea's mouth hanged open in disbelief while Roxas and Xion both blinked, confused as they haven't witnessed this before.

Once she was finished, Kairi leaned back and smiled warmly. Sora stared at her in return before returning the smile and nodded to her.

They all then turned and the ten Keyblade Wielders summoned their weapons and held them up high into the air before using their powers of light to shoot up multiple beams of light which shot through Xehanort who was shocked by this, while the rest hit and spread onto Kingdom Hearts before Sora, with Donald and Goofy hanging onto him, all vanished into light as they entered a nearly created spike orb that appeared from Xehanort's body.

Kairi held back the urge to wince in worry while she focused on helping the others to keep Kingdom Hearts back.

"Kairi." Xion spoke while not moving from her position. The Princess of Heart turned to the former replica who continued with an assuring smile. "Sora will be alright, because he's connected to you. I can feel it."

Realizing at Xion was talking about, Kairi nodded. "Thank you, Xion."

It was hours later that after Kairi and the others followed their hearts through Kingdom Hearts to reach Sora, Donald and Goofy who had defeated Xehanort once and for all and, after coming to terms with his actions thanks to the ghostly form of Master Eraqus who's heart was inside Terra the whole time, the evil Master surrendered the X-Blade to Sora before passing on with Eraqus who had a moment of a goodbye with Terra, Aqua and Ven.

Then with the help of everyone else, they sealed away Kingdom Hearts before returning to the Keyblade Graveyard where Kairi, Sora, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Lea, Xion, Terra, Ven and Aqua now stood. The maze that Xehanort created was gone, leaving the area the way it was before their final battle against the seekers of darkness took place.

Mickey sighed, feeling a sense of disbelief and happiness beginning to overwhelm him as he turned to everyone, saying. "It's finally over."

The group nodded in agreement, except Kairi who sighed, placing a hand to her chest.

"Not yet." She whispered, confusing the King.

"Kairi..." Sora muttered, somehow knowing what she was thinking.

"I still have to help Namine. But...I don't even know how to." Kairi replied, feeling guilty that Roxas and Xion were made human now, but she couldn't even help with Namine within her either.

"We'll figure something out." Riku assured. "There's an empty vessel somebody left behind for Namine to use."

"Huh?" Kairi and even Mickey muttered.

"Yeah, and now that everything's okay, we can help her." Sora added, remembering the vessel that the fake Riku was using earlier. He then said, "There's a chance we can do this. Namine just needs a connection and she and Kairi will be fine, and I'm gonna help."

"A connection..." Kairi repeated, then smiled as she realized what he meant and nodded. "Yeah! I get it."

"I think we should rest first before we get started. Everybody's had such a long fight and we all deserve a break." Mickey suggested.

"Yeah." Sora nodded in agreement after he and everyone else thought about it. "Let's go home."

It had been a bit of a complicated struggle, but Kairi and the others had succeeded in carefully taking Namine's heart out of Kairi and placing it in the now completed vessel in Radiant Garden which prompted Namine's awakening thanks to the efforts of Ansem the Wise, Ienzo and the restored Even, along with Kairi, Sora and Riku who used their connections to help.

Now the four of them were back home on Destiny Islands with Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Roxas, Xion, Lea, Terra, Ven, Aqua, and even a restored Isa, and Hayner, Pence and Olette. Everyone was having fun at the beach at the early sunset which made it perfect for a day out to have fun, relax and hang out, without worries of Heartless, Nobodies, Unversed, Organization XIII and worlds being under threat.

While most of their friends were playing, Sora and Kairi were once again seated on the Paopu Tree, watching the Sunset, their hands gently clasped in one nother as they then shared a warm smile.

"Sora." Kairi began, "You remember...what I was trying to say before the others showed up?"

"Y-yeah. Why?" Sora replied, a bit puzzled on what his friend was talking about.

The Princess of Heart blushed heavily at this, then turned to face him once more and, finally finding the courage to tell him her feelings, she said. "...What I wanted to say is...I love you."

Sora was stunned by this revelation at first, before smiling warmly and replied. "I love you too, Kairi. I want to be part of your life too, no matter what."

Kairi actually teared up by this, her heart racing in a good way, like a part of her has finally joined to the rest of her being. She and Sora both leaned cautionly before their lips touched each other into a kiss that was warm, sweet and wonderful.

Their hearts having intertwined forever more than the Paopu Fruit had ever done.

A/N: This is mainly a "What if" KH3 story. But don't worry, my other versions of KH3 will also have happy endings because I'm a happy ending kind of person, even if some stories don't have them but that's because it's linked to stories that must be pushed on in order to reach the happy endings certain characters really need and deserve.

I know it's not 100% good, but Kairi will have a bigger role in "Key to Return Hearts" when I'm able to continue it.

Until then, see you in my other stories!