Sora and Kairi: SWITCHED! A Kingdom Hearts Alternate Future

Boys, Girls & Bathroom Problems...

"...and that, Twilight boy, is why Blitzball is much cooler than Struggle," Wakka finished.

"Yeah, right!" Hayner smacked his fist into his palm. "What could be more satisfying than smacking a weapon over another person's skull?" The three sports fanatics were walking around aimlessly arguing which of their sports was better instead of doing what they were supposed to. "If Pence were here, he'd back me up on this!"

Before the Destiny duo could counter, a human-shaped blur whizzed by them and smashed into a pile of garbage bags with a thunderous crash. "What the...?!" Wakka and the others ran up with concern on their faces. Tidus reached the pile first. Sprawled out on top was a boy about their age with wind-blown jet-black hair and wearing a blue blazer. He groaned slightly as he attempted to push himself up.

"Dude, are you alright?" Wakka asked as they helped the stranger to his feet.

But the boy only grinned. "Yeah, I'm used to it by now." He brushed his jacket off and picked some lint out of his hair.

"Used to 'it?'" Tidus repeated. "Used to what exactly?"

"My girlfriend got ticked off at me for something that was purely accidental," the boy explained, "and I ended up crash landing here."

Hayner squinted and shielded his eyes as he looked up at the sky from where the blue boy had flown in. "What'd she hit you with, a cannon?"

The boy laughed. "Nah. She's just pretty strong. Emphasis on pretty. Double emphasis on strong." Then he did a double take. "Hey!" He looked at Hayner with admiration. "Aren't you Hayner, one of the Struggle finalists from Twilight Town?"

Hayner's eyes went wide with surprise. "You've heard of me?" But the boy turned toward Tidus and Wakka.

"And you two! You're Tidus and Wakka of the Destiny Islands' Aurochs Blitzball team, right?"

Tidus grinned bashfully. "Well, we don't like to brag..." he began, but Wakka held up his hand to silence him.

"Forgive us, but who ARE you?" Wakka asked.

"Oh, I never gave you my name, did I?" The boy combed his jet-black hair back with his fingers and smirked pleasantly. "My name's Michael. Nice to meet you three!"

"I'm guessing you're not from around here either?" Hayner asked.

Michael nodded. "Yeah, I'm just visiting with a few friends of mine. Heard that the beach here was top-notch!" He chuckled slyly. "Finally wanted to see her in a bikini," he added nonchalantly. "I made the mistake of telling her that and ended up with a faceful of..." Michael cleared his throat. "...er...fatty tissue. That's when she thought I was getting fresh with her again, she called me a pervert, predictably socked me one and I ended up here." Michael cricked his neck a few times before turning to leave. "Anyway, thanks for your help!"

"You sure you'll be fine?" Wakka asked skeptically.

Michael waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry! I take these love taps all the time!" And with a goodbye salute, he ran out of sight.

"Boy, I feel sorry for that kid," Hayner said.

Tidus nodded. "I really don't want to meet this girl that could knock him clear across town like that."

* * *

Selphie, Olette and Sora were heading over to Selphie's house so they could teach the "pageant queen" how to put on makeup. "If you don't know how to put any on, it won't matter how cute you are," Selphie coached. "Natural beauty doesn't cut it in beauty competitions."

Sora's eyes were overshadowed with doubt to her words. "Really? Because I think Kairi looks just fine without any."

Selphie sighed and shared a glance with Olette that said 'See what we've had to deal with?'

"You've got to remember, Sora, that inner beauty and outer beauty co-exist when it comes to girls," Olette explained. "It's shallow of people these days, but it's a fact of life."

Suddenly, a familiar voice carried itself to their ears. "I don't care what you think! You're not going to steal another one from me!" After a few seconds, Natalia came stomping around the corner. Sora and Selphie watched her coming near them, expecting a snappy insult. However, instead of taunting them, the prissy girl marched by without so much a glance.

"Natalia looks pretty mad," Selphie observed. "She didn't even look at us."

Sora crossed his arms and pursed his lips. "Wonder how come?"

Selphie only shrugged. "It's not really our business to know. Whatever her problems are, she can deal with it. We've got our own to worry about." She beckoned for the others to follow her. They began to continue on their way when...

"Excuse me!" The trio turned around to see a girl their age come running up to them, her brown leather hiking boots pounding against the pavement.

"Yes?" Sora studied the stranger. Her hair was a bit brownish-blonde with golden yellow highlights. She wore blue beach shorts, a white tank-top and a pink open vest. Judging by Naminé's silence and Selphie's curious look, it was obvious she wasn't from around the area.

"I'm looking for a guy," the girl said.

"Aren't we all?" Naminé commented silently.

Sora ignored her. "What's he look like?" he asked.

"Black hair, blue blazer, a bit stupid-looking in a sweet way..." The girl rolled her eyes on the last part. "Have you seen him?"

The girls shook their heads. "Sorry," Olette replied apologetically, "we haven't seen anyone like that."

The blonde girl looked crestfallen. "I really have to learn to control my strength..." she muttered to herself. "Thanks anyway..." She turned to leave.

"We could help look for him if you want," Selphie offered. The girl whirled back around in surprise.

"Oh, no! You don't have to do that!" she exclaimed. "I know you have something else you'd rather be doing..."

"We insist!" Olette added. Sora was about to interject, but was silenced with a hard look from Selphie.

"Well, thank you! That's really kind of you." The girl looked both pleased and relieved. "I'm here visiting, so I don't really know where everything is."

"It's no problem at all!" Selphie assured her. "I'm Selphie."

"My name's Olette," Olette greeted.

"And I'm So...er...Kairi," Sora added.

The girl smiled and shook all of their hands. "Rachel," she stated. "Nice to meet you."

* * *

"I'm going to go check on Donald and Goofy," Riku told Kairi and Pence. "We'll meet you guys over at the wi-fi spot. That should give Pence enough time to set up."

"Alright, Riku," Kairi agreed. "We'll see you there!" And with that Pence and Kairi ran off. As Riku got closer to the bathroom, he could hear a couple of familiar voices echoing from within. He trotted in and was surprised to see Goofy standing outside of one of the handicapped stalls.

"Guh, Donald?" Goofy knocked on the stall door. "You okay?"

"...ruggafudda..." Donald mumbled.

Goofy cupped hie ear to the door. "What?"

"So, there you guys are!" Riku exclaimed. "We were getting worried about you two!" He glanced at the locked stall. "What's wrong with Donald?"

"...spudgawudga..." Donald's voice muttered.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

Finally, Donald couldn't take it any more. "I'M STUCK!" he shouted.

Riku sighed as he massaged his temples in frustration. It was going to be another one of THOSE afternoons. He summoned his Way to the Dawn. "Alright, hold on. I'll have you out in a moment."

Goofy eyed the Keyblade. "Guh, what're you gonna do with that?"

Riku gave him a weary look. "He's stuck in the toilet and we need something to pry him out with." He let out another sigh. "A Keyblade wielder reduced to saving ducks from toilets. I almost wish it was me that got switched, not Sora..."

(Note from author: Another short update. And yes, more custom characters. Don't ask me why. You'll understand soon enough. :p)

 

Reasons and More Characters

Michael and Rachel aren't the only ones...:)

Ask and I shall...TRY to answer.

:sly:

Technically, I wasn't planning on using any of the Keyblades until the very end, but since you've asked for them, I brought them in early. I'm still not really planning on bringing Heartless or Nobodies into this, though.

Think Keitaro/Naru. If you've read or watched Love Hina, you'll know what I'm talking about. :p

:blink: You know, I never thought of that one...'til now. ;)

Meh. Michael's already done the body-switching before with Rachel. But that's another story altogether... ;)

Love you too, Kairi. ;)

Have you ever watched Miss Congeniality?

'Nuff said. :sly:

The sad part is that I probably COULD throw some of these together under 5 minutes...no wait. That's poems. :p

Hmm...:blink:

:rofl: I find that statement hilarious! (Life off of the internet...*snort*)

True, but it also discourages the writer into thinking that there isn't anyone reading it and will slowly feel the motivation slip.

:D I have this and the Wedding threads subscribed to, so I know EXACTLY when someone posts something new.

I was once accused of making Rachel a "Mary-Sue" type character. I'm trying to avoid that this time...

(Note from author: Actually, the announcement is quite simple. With this and Wedding both updated, I've reached 1000 posts. :D Oh yeah, and for those of you that actually work for a living, U.S. taxes were due today. :p)

"So this guy we're looking for..." Sora gave Rachel a curious look. "Is he like your boyfriend or something?"

The blonde girl whirled around on him with a hard expression on her face. "You mean that perverted, knismolagniated, accident-prone, reckless, skirt-ripping, face-planting, clumsy, thick-skulled, unsophisticated, ecchi imp?!" Sora nodded fearfully. Rachel's face became passive as she shrugged. "I guess."

"He sounds a lot like someone I know..." Selphie eyed Sora who didn't quite catch the quip.

"If he's such a..." Sora picked his words carefully. "...dork, then why..."

Rachel shook her head slightly. "Despite all of those qualities, he's got a good heart." She glanced up at the afternoon sky. "He's saved my life dozens of times and..." She smiled. "He told me that he loves me."

The girls stared at her in awe. "He actually went out and said that?" Olette asked.

"Well..." Rachel looked slightly embarrassed. "Some things happened and it was spur of the moment."

"Sounds like a romantic guy," Selphie commented.

Rachel sighed. "You'd think that. But, most of the time he's pretty much an idiot. I mean, he's reckless and never looks before he leaps into a situation. Not to mention that every time we're together, something perverted happens."

"Such as?" Sora urged her.

The blonde girl had a pained expression on her face. "Let's just say he's seen and felt more of me than the average guy can imagine."

Selphie cringed. "I take back the whole romantic thing."

"Well, guys have different ways of showing their affection," Sora said. The other girls looked at him in surprise. "He may not seem like the ideal hero, but if you two are truly meant to be together, you'll appreciate him for who he is, flaws and all."

"Wow..." Selphie was stunned. "That's the first time I've heard you actually make sense."

"You seem to know a lot about guys, Kairi," Rachel complimented.

Sora scratched the back of his head as he gave a nervous laugh. "Um...well..."

"So, tell me..." Rachel gave a toss of her hair. "How exactly would you know all of this?" She raised an eyebrow. "You're not really a guy in disguise, are you?" Sora started to stutter something but wasn't watching where he was going. As a result, he walked face first into a telephone pole.

"Are you okay?" Olette asked concerned.

Sora only shook his head and rubbed Kairi's face vigorously. "Yeah, I'm fine," he mumbled.

Rachel leaned toward Selphie. "Is Kairi always this ditsy?" she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

Selphie rolled her eyes. "Trust me. She's not always like this."

"Rachel!" The group turned to see a short, intelligent-looking brunette running toward them. Her hair was in a ponytail, had knee-high red boots and librarian-type glasses. "Rachel! There you are!"

"Rebecca!" Rachel cried. As soon as she was in range, she gave Rebecca a warm hug.

As they broke the embrace, Rebecca looked at Rachel curiously. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for Michael." Rachel raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Why?"

Rebecca sighed. "He's already back at the inn waiting for us!"

"You mean he stopped looking for me?" Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Lazy jerk."

"Well, you know how my brother is by now," the brunette answered. "Never around when you want him, but always around when you need him." Then she noticed the others. "Oh sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm Rebecca."

After the girls introduced themselves, Selphie got an idea. "Hey, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

Rachel looked at her curiously. "Why, what's up?"

"There's this event going on," Selphie explained. "The Miss Teen Destiny Pageant."

"Oh!" Rachel and Rebecca exchanged looks. "Are you a contestant?" Rebecca asked excitedly.

"Actually..." Selphie jerked a thumb toward Sora. "...Kairi here is." Sora only smiled shyly.

Rebecca giggled. "Really? Because the pageant is the main reason why we came here!" she exclaimed. "Maybe we'll see you there!"

"Sounds like a plan!" Selphie agreed enthusiastically.

"Okay! We'll see you tomorrow!" Rachel said.

"Catch ya later!" Rebecca added.

As Rebecca and Rachel headed off, Sora suddenly realized what had been bothering him for the past hour. Turning to Olette, he said, "Olette, I'm surprised you didn't object to the whole blackmailing thing when we brought it up."

The Twilight girl pursed her lips. "Well, I'm not exactly fond of the idea of you stooping to Natalia's level," she said. "Don't ask me to help you with that. But I'll help you prepare, though." She batted her eyelashes at him. "You probably wouldn't know the first thing about how to look beautiful."

"What are you talking about?" Sora huffed defensively. "I make sure to take showers regularly, use deodorant, brush my teeth...get my nails manicured..." The last one he muttered under his breath.

"Typical guy," Olette sighed. "Trust us, girls do a lot more than just tossing on any old outfit from the dirty hamper."

"Tell me about it," Sora thought. "I've been stuck in a girl's body for how many days now."

"Savor the experience, Sora," Naminé said. "You'll never get an opportunity like this ever again."

Selphie and Olette each grabbed one of Sora's arms and began dragging him toward Selphie's house. "Time for you to put on some make-up!"

* * *

"Pence, why exactly are you helping us anyway?" Riku asked. "I mean, I wouldn't have seen you as the type to agree to a hare-brained scheme as this one." After finally freeing Donald out of the toilet, Goofy had come up with the surprisingly good idea of calling Merlin and Yen Sid for information about the blue paopu fruit. So, while the duck and dog left to make the call back at their Gummi Ship, the others began working on their plans at the local coffee shop. Pence had just finished setting up his laptop and was now sitting in front of the screen with Riku and Kairi looming over behind him.

"Kairi gave me some relationship advice when she was in Twilight Town," Pence explained. "Turns out the girl at the Accessory Shop has a crush on me."

"Really..." Riku smirked. "So how's it going between you two?"

"Pretty well actually. Hayner doesn't think we'll last a week, though."

"From what Olette said, it sounded like Hayner doesn't have a lot going on with himself in the relationship department." Kairi gave him a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder. "Don't worry about what he thinks. I'm happy for you."

Pence gave her a bashful smile. "Thanks." He turned back to the monitor. "So what exactly did you have in mind with these pics?"

Kairi shared a glance with Riku. "I don't know. We were kinda hoping you could do a few photo manipulations or something."

"Such as...?" Pence prompted.

"Um..." Kairi ruffled Sora's bushy hair. "How about using the 'Coppertone Girl' for a template?" Pence gave her a funny look before shrugging and began working on the doctored photo.

"Do you really think we're doing the right thing?" Roxas asked suddenly. "Stooping to her level that is."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Look, she started this."

"Yeah, but..." Roxas sighed. "Don't you think you might be overreacting a little? I mean, all she wants is one date with Sora. We both know that you're the only girl in his eyes, so there's nothing to be jealous about."

Kairi shook her head. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't a matter of feelings. It's a matter of pride and honor."

"It's kinda like how me and Sora used to compete with one another," Riku chimed in. "Or like you and Hayner. The implications of her actions forced us to find a way to defend ourselves. By any means necessary."

"Isn't that like saying 'Let's kill her, before she kills us' or something?"

"Look, do you really want to go out with Natalia?!" Kairi snapped. "Because, if Sora goes, you'll have to as well!"

Roxas didn't know what else to say except, "Oh, foofie. Never mind then."

After about half an hour, Pence finally stopped and sat back in his chair, stretching out his inactive limbs. "Okay, what do you guys think?" On the screen was Natalia's face pasted on top of the Coppertone girl.

"Hmm..." Riku rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It doesn't look really convincing."

Pence smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but that's the best I can do. The phone may be new, but Tidus had the pictures set to low quality."

"Why would he do that?" Kairi asked.

Pence shrugged. "To have enough room on his phone I guess."

"Great." Kairi rubbed her eyes and moaned in frustration. "A dead end." While she began contemplating another tactic, Riku got up to buy some drinks for them. "You said earlier that you could hack into Natalia's cell phone, right?"

"I said I THINK I might be able to," Pence corrected. "It'll just take some time, though."

"How much time do you need?" she asked.

"Well, hacking isn't exactly easy." Pence began to uncrick the stiffness in his neck. "It'll even be harder if it's one of those new model phones."

"How come?"

"Not much information's come out for it yet," he explained, "so it might take me at least 24 hours to figure out how to bypass its security firewall."

Kairi thought for a moment. "Maybe we should just see if we can find any dirt on her and go from there."

"Isn't that what Hayner and the others are doing?" Pence asked.

Kairi gave him a slight smirk. "It couldn't hurt." While Pence started on his search, Riku came back with three odd-colored frappuchinos. Kairi eyed the drink Riku was handing her suspiciously. "What the heck is this supposed to be?"

"Just try it," was all he said.

Kairi took a sip and instantly puckered up from the taste. "Do I even want to know what this is?"

Riku chuckled. "It's the flavor of the month: Sea-Salt Dreams. It's based off of the..."

"I think I've pretty much figured out where it came from," Kairi interrupted.

"Well, this is interesting," Pence mumbled. Kairi and Riku peered over his shoulder. He pointed to a web page that had Natalia's face set off to the side. "According to this, Natalia's not originally from Destiny Islands."

"Really?" Riku sipped his Sea-Salt frappuchino thoughtfully. "Where's she from then?"

"Hold on. I'm checking." Pence tapped a few more keys. "It says here that she's originally from some world called 'Eden's Kingdom.'"

"Eden's Kingdom?" Kairi repeated. She looked at Riku who only shook his head.

"I've never heard of it," he said. "There's a LOT of world's out there, so it might come as no surprise that I wouldn't have."

Kairi furrowed her brow. "That's odd. You'd think we'd have heard about this somehow."

"Actually, if she happened to be some form of royalty, it'd explain a lot," Roxas said.

Kairi folded her arms across Sora's chest. "Maybe a scandal happened that forced her to move here?"

"If there is, I can't find it," Pence said as he scrolled down the page. "It's like whatever happened got swept under the rug."

"It could be some other Natalia," Kairi speculated.

Pence shook his head. "Nope. It's her picture, last name and everything."

"Hmm..." Kairi's head drooped down. "This seems like some interesting information. But, what exactly are we supposed to do with this?"

Before either of them could answer, someone said, "Excuse me. Do you happen to know where the hotel is?" Kairi's head snapped up and found herself face to face with someone who looked like a bar brawler. He seemed slightly older than them, clean-shaven and taller than Riku. The most distinguishing features about him was that he wore motorcycle gloves, a cowboy hat and mirrored sunglasses.

Riku pointed out toward the street. "Yeah, just go straight out that way and take a left. It'll be the three-story building that looks like a college dormitory."

"Thankyeewze!" the stranger thanked enthusiastically.

"Those are nice sunglasses," Pence commented.

"Oh, thanksamundo!" He peered over the shades, his twinkling amber eyes peeking through. "You wouldn't believe how rare these things are!" He extended a gloved hand. "Name's Duke. Duke Masters."

Pence, Riku and Kairi introduced themselves as well. "So, what brings you here to Destiny Islands, Duke?" Riku asked.

"La chicas, of course!" he laughed. "In all seriousness, though, I came for that pageant going on tomorrow." The trio exchanged interested glances. "A friend's relative that I haven't seen in years is supposed to be participating and I decided to come and see how she's doing."

"Really?" Kairi was stunned by the coincidence. "A friend of ours is supposed to be in the pageant also!"

"Is that right?" Duke chuckled. "Well, rock me Amadeus! I guess I'll be seeing you there too, huh?" His grin grew wider. "Anyway, love to stay and chat, but I've gotta juice. Been nice talking to you!"

"We'll see you there," Kairi said.

Duke tipped his hat. "Wouldn't have it any other way!" And with that, like a cowboy riding out into the sunset, he yelled out a "YEE-HAW!" and galloped away, leaving the trio stunned to their senses.

"He seemed pretty friendly. Weird," Kairi added, "but friendly."

"Was he supposed to be a rocker/cowboy/motorcycle dude composite or something?" Riku wondered out loud.

"I take it this happens a lot here," Pence said.

Riku shook his head. "Not really. The most eccentric characters only come in during Halloween. If we're lucky."

"Ain't that the truth, pardner," Kairi agreed in a badly attempted Southern drawl.

(Note from author: And that's the end of that chapter! I hope it was worth the wait. :wacko:)

 

Interesting? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Don't worry, this'll be the last you'll see those custom characters for awhile. I just had to introduce them because of their role in all of this.

 

Gah I was planning on reading these right after they were posted, but mom wouldn't let me on the computer. >_<

lol I started reading it and I got the feeling I was missing something so I went back and realized I had missed the chapter before this one :sweatdrop:

Michael seems familiar somehow... Though I can't quite put my finger on it...

Oh well. Nice updates ^_^​

 

I just mean it wasn't what I expected (in a good way). We found out a little bit about Natalia that wasn't anticipated, plus some more info about the 'custom' characters. I'm curious now about what happens next, as well as what their role in the story is.

 

I like the story, but I dislike the characters. For Fanfiction, custom characters should be kept to a minimum, unless you are writing a story completly about them. Just enemies like Natalia are okay, but alles and people you try to give personality are a tad tacky.

The rest of the story is good though.

 

I wasn't originally planning on using those custom characters, but I decided to try tying this to my other story (due to the fact that I was running out of ideas). Believe me, they have an important role in all of this and I won't mention them again until I need them.

 

Okay. That is good. I just can't stand it when there is a new Gary Stu character made, and suddenly he is the main character's best buddy. Ugh. I have seen it done most with Sonic, although that is admittedly in webcomics.

I look forward to the next episode!

By the way, what is this other story they come from? I read all the ones you sent me via PM, but they were never mentioned. (except Michael in The Reason)

 

Once again, I guess: Duke was talking about Natalia when he said something about meeting someone he hadn't seen in a long time. Sora wins pagaent for Kairi, Duke sees Natalia again, Kairi and Natalia become friends, Sora and Kairi get switched back, Sora goes on date with Natalia. No offense DF, but... I've seen it done before. A bit obvious...UNLESS...*smiles, chuckles* ...unless you have something different. Or did I just guess the entire rest of the story? PM me about it...

 

what did i do? oh you mean that. srry. why'd you even highlight that?
Oh! I just got an idea! maybe Pence could put up a screen before the talent contest and hook up a laptop to it , then show the blackmail picture on the screen during the talent contest and everybody would see it!!! = )

 

You forget, that would be outright warfare.

The whole point of blackmail is if they don't comply, do it. Not just to reveal it anyway. If they did that, Sora's picture would be out and about.

 

True, but Sora already stated that he doesn't care what his rep to everyone is (and Kairi thought about kissing him because of it), so if they did do that, Natalia would lose her edge (even though she doesn't know she doesn't have one).

 

Obviously Kairi, Riku and the rest do, otherwise why try and blackmail her? Sora is not malicious.

 

Progress Report...

Okay, the update's not ready yet, but I guarantee the next chapter will be up by the end of the week. I feel it's time to wrap up their day and get to the pageant already so this next chapter will reflect that. I've got a couple of papers to write, but I'm already 60% done with the chapter. Just have to flesh it out a bit. I'll see you when it's ready! Thanks for all of the support! :D

Oh, and try not to spam off-topic so much. Thankyees. ;)

 

One More Day...

"What's wrong, Kairi?" Pence noticed the disturbed look on Sora's face. After spending another hour searching around, they came up with nothing new about Natalia.

"I think we should abandon the plan," Kairi stated. The boys gaped at her in astonishment.

Riku gave her a quizzical look. "Abandon..."

"...the plan?" Pence finished.

Kairi sighed. "I mean, look at us. We're so obsessed over trying to get revenge that we've basically wasted the entire day plotting instead of prepping Sora a bit more." She shook her head in disappointment. "And let's be honest, he needs all the help he can get."

"So you're saying that we should stop?" Riku asked. He sipped his Sea-Salt frappuccino with an undecipherable expression.

Kairi was silent for a moment. If they abandoned the plan, that would mean that Sora's reputation would be in danger. But Sora said that he didn't care what everybody else thought. And if they did go through with it, then what? Natalia might consider that open warfare and use it after the pageant in any way she saw fit. Whereas they couldn't find anything they could use. Not to mention would blackmailing Natalia be really worth the effort? After Kairi gave it a lot of thought, she answered in a defeated voice, "Yeah. Roxas was right. Going down to her level isn't the answer." She shrugged. "Not like we were getting anywhere, anyway..."

Riku nodded in approval. "Spoken like a true Princess of Heart," he said. "You were beginning to worry me for a moment."

Kairi gave him an incredulous look. "What are you talking about? You're the one who agreed with me!"

"Yeah, well," Riku smirked, "I claim darkness on my side."

"What's that got to do with anything?!" Kairi laughed. Before the teasing could continue, the café's door jingled open and the sports fanatics ran up to their table excitedly.

"Hey guys!" Tidus greeted. "You wouldn't believe what we've got!"

Riku was barely listening when he responded in a weary voice, "For the last time, Tidus, I'm not placing any more bets that your Blitzball team will win."

Tidus grinned embarrassingly at Kairi. "Ix-nay on the etting-bay..." he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Anyway..." He held out his palm. "I'm talking about this!" In the very center of his hand was a small black square.

Riku didn't know what to make of it. "What exactly is it?"

But Kairi gently picked it up and held it in-between her thumb and index finger. She held it up to her eye level to get a better look. "A flash card?" She carefully handed it to Pence who loaded the little square into the side of his laptop. "Where exactly did you get this?"

"Some cute brunette just gave it to us. When we asked her what it was, she only said 'The playing field is even. Good luck.'" Hayner shook his head. "She ran off before we could ask her anything else."

Tidus scratched his head. "Like her name and number..."

Kairi smirked. "Tidus. You don't have game, so don't act like you do." The group laughed at Kairi's joke, even Tidus. He knew it was the sad truth.

"Oh man!" Pence's eyes were round with shock. "You'll never believe what's on this!" The boys crowded around Pence's seat, squishing Kairi in the process.

"Um...crushing...guy parts..." she gasped. Kairi shoved her body enough to keep the back of Pence's chair from smashing into her crotch. After exhaling from the release in pressure, she turned her gaze back to the monitor. The group couldn't believe their eyes. On the screen was every single photo that Tidus had took for the past few days. "You're right, I don't believe it!" Kairi exclaimed. "This is Natalia's memory card!"

"From her phone?" Hayner asked rhetorically.

"All of my pictures are on there!" Tidus gasped. "Every single one...and then some."

Kairi let out a sigh of relief. "I can't believe that we managed to get this lucky!"

"I guess we owe that girl a lot of thanks," Wakka said.

"Natalia?"

Wakka gave Tidus an 'Are you an idiot on purpose?' look. "No! I meant that library girl. She just saved us big time."

"I guess you don't have to feel guilty any more, Kairi," Riku said. "You wanted to win this with honor and now you can."

"Guys, look!" Hayner pointed toward a couple of familiar figures outside running toward the building.

"Those two sure look excited," Riku commented. Donald skidded to a halt in front of the café's door, but Goofy expectedly crashed straight into it causing everyone to jump with a start.

"That had to hurt," Wakka said.

Riku ran his palm over his face. "That's Goofy for you."

As the two entered, the group could hear Donald saying, "...you're going, ya big palooka!"

Goofy rubbed his aching nose with a gloved hand. "Guh, I thought they were one of those automatated doors! Y'know?" Donald only rubbed his beak in frustration.

"You know I just realized something," Roxas muttered silently.

"What's that?" Kairi asked.

"Those two have serious speech problems. It's a wonder anyone can understand them." Kairi and Riku could only roll their eyes.

"So what've you two found out?" Pence asked.

Donald cleared his throat. "Master Yen Sid and Merlin said this happened before."

"Yup!" Goofy chimed in. "Theyuh said the blue pow-poo's effects are temper...tempar..." He scratched his head. "Won't stick!"

"I knew if anyone had answers it was them," Riku said, smiling.

However, Kairi was a bit unsure. "So what do we do?"

Goofy rubbed his nose in contentment. "Nuthin!"

"Nothing?" Kairi repeated. Goofy nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Nope! The magic lasts 72 hours! 'Nuff time to...guh..." Goofy was at a loss for words.

"Watch Sora make a total klutz out of Kairi?" Tidus suggested.

"Shore! 'Nuff time to..." Goofy stopped himself. "Hey, wait a..."

"So, are you telling me that we'll switch back by tomorrow?" Kairi was almost beside herself. "That means I won't have to miss the pageant!" She felt like letting out a scream of relief, but knew better than to do that in public. However, Riku cleared his throat, giving her a serious look.

"Before you get too excited, remember that he said '72 hours.' That means the switch won't take place until..."

Kairi's face fell. "...during the pageant," she finished. She felt her spirits do a complete 180 as it had finally occurred to her.

"In the middle of the pageant..." Wakka massaged his forehead. "That's kinda harsh."

"I guess all we can do now is rest up for tomorrow," Pence said reasonably.

Kairi smiled at her friends. "Thank you everyone. I don't know how I'd maintain my sanity without you guys."

"Sure, but..." Hayner let out a slight cough. "Next time? Make sure to take a shower." He held his nose and waved away the fumes. "When's the last time you washed that body?"

"Hey! I made sure to use deodorant!" Kairi huffed defensively.

Riku patted her on the shoulder. "Kairi, at least Sora's trying to keep your body clean. Why aren't you?" Kairi's cheeks only reddened in response.

* * *

"Why exactly are we letting Sora put on makeup without any supervision?" Olette asked. "He might mistake the lipstick for a Push-Pop." The girls and Sora made it to Selphie's house without any problems. Now they were waiting outside of Selphie's room while Sora was attempting to put make-up on himself.

Selphie crossed her arms as she leaned against the doorframe behind her. "He said he wanted to try it himself before asking for any help." She pursed her lips. "Either it's male pride or he just wanted to mess around with Kairi's face." That's when Selphie's door opened and Kairi's body stepped out.

"So how do I look?" Selphie and Olette were completely stunned. The lip gloss was dripping from Kairi's lips, eye-liner and mascara gave the eyelids a dark, shadowy look and there was too much blush and powder splashed on everywhere. In short, Kairi's face looked like some clown reject. As soon as the girls took a moment to take the image in, they ended up bursting into giggles.

Naminé sighed. "I knew I should've said something."

Sora, however, was confused. "What? Too much?"

After taking a couple of minutes to calm down, Olette and Selphie shoved Sora back to Selphie's make-up counter. "Sora, you should know better," Selphie said with a pitying look. "Unless you're trying to pass yourself as a mime, you've put on WAY too much."

Sora only shrugged. "I'm new at this! Give me a break, will ya?" The girls took a few more minutes to remove everything that Sora put on using a gentle cleanser with a light exfoliant, leaving Kairi's face a blank slate. When Sora looked in the mirror, he smiled at himself. "Kairi still looks great without any make-up at all." Selphie and Olette struggled not to roll their eyes.

"Okay, we'll do this step-by-step, so even you can remember." Selphie reached for the concealer. "First, you want to apply a concealer that is one shade lighter than your foundation."

"The...foundation?" Sora repeated.

"It's the natural skin tone, Sora," Olette explained. "If you make it look too light or too dark, it'll look like it was painted on."

"Like earlier," Selphie added, finally rolling her eyes. "Anyway, dot the concealer on over any blemishes or under-eye circles (You've been staying up late recently, haven't you?) and blend it with your fingertips or a makeup sponge." She waited until Sora did what she asked. "Next, choose a foundation that matches your skin tone exactly. In this case..." Selphie held up a canister. "...it'd be this one. Apply it in dots over the central part of your face like so..."

It took awhile for Sora to put the make-up correctly. Like most guys, he felt a bit overwhelmed that there were so many accessories. After the girls went over the eyebrows, eye shadows, eyeliners, mascara, blush, lipstick and lip gloss, Selphie and Olette finally stood back and admired their work.

"I think we're done." Sora took a long look in the mirror. Looking back at him, Kairi's face seemed to radiate with a glowing beauty that had the boy just gape in awe. A shy smile appeared on Kairi's lips that made Sora's heart skip a few beats. Selphie and Olette were amused at Sora's reaction and winked at each other. "I take it by your silence that you approve," Olette said. Sora could do nothing but nod in amazement.

"You think you can remember everything?" Selphie asked.

Sora snapped out of his daze and gave her a curt nod. "I'm pretty sure I've got it."

Olette raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure?"

Sora grinned bashfully. "I mean, I've got it."

"Just remember to use the accessories sparingly." Olette gave him a haughty look. "Nothing turns off most guys than over-excessive use of make-up."

"And nothing turns off most judges than a girl that doesn't know how to make themselves beautiful," Naminé added.

"At least you're not teaching me how to put on a bra..." Sora muttered under his breath. Unfortunately for him and Naminé, the girls heard him.

"You know, you're right!" Olette exclaimed. "We've got to show you how to put on a bikini top!" She and Selphie started dragging him toward Selphie's walk-in closet.

"Wha...Why?!" Sora stammered.

Selphie grinned. "The swimsuit portion, of course!"

Sora's eyes widened. "But, I've never seen Kairi's..." But his pleas fell on deaf ears. "Naminé? Is this really all right?"

After a few seconds, Naminé grumbled, "You just better keep your eyes shut, mister! No unnecessary fondling, groping, squeezing, poking, feeling up or prolonged contact and we should be fine."

(Note from author: Well, that's it for the final day before the pageant! Yeah, you're probably wondering why Kairi would back out of the blackmail thing like that. But let's face it. She's Kairi. And her virtue was rewarded by taking away Natalia's only advantage over them. It's an even playing field now (unless Sora somehow screws it up). Time to get to the main event!)

 

I would imagine Naminé would still threaten to erase Sora's memory. That, or she'll allow Sora to look, but erase his memories soon after. Anyway, hope Sora and Kairi make the transition back to their bodies smoothly.

 

...Wouldn't it be better though if Sora switched places with Namine so he didn't have to go through that? Better for Sora, I mean, not better for us...I'm pretty sure I'd get threatened for my life if I suggested that.

 

I was actually just kidding. Sora is not any random boy like us. He would never even peek at Kairi's body no matter what. He's simply too good and innocent! (Which is why we should make the couple, THE couple lol!)

 

The Final Night...

CRACK! "On your knees, slave!" She adjusted the grip on her whip and snapped it again. "Don't you ever talk back to me when I give you an order!"

The slave known as Sora got on his knees and lowered his face to the concrete floor. His chained shackles rattled across his bare chest. "Forgive me Mistress Kairi!" he apologized meekly.

"That's right! I'm your mistress! And don't you ever forget it!" The dominatrix snapped her whip again, cracking the air inches away from the boy. She didn't become the supreme ruler of all male kind by being nice. She turned her steely gaze to the serving wench, Riku. "You! Get me some root beer! I'm thirsty!" The slave bowed, his chains clattering on the ground as he trotted off.

A sadistic grin was plastered on her face as she looked down on her favorite bushy-haired boy. "I believe I ordered you to lick off my boots until they were clean!" She stomped her foot. "There's still dirt and mud on it!"

"Sor...sorry," he stammered.

"Stop groveling and polish it with your tongue this instant!" she snapped. Suddenly, the dungeon door creaked open.

"Whoa!" What? This wasn't one of her slaves! "THIS is your bondage dream?" This bushy-haired male looked familiar. But only one thing was important. He must be an intruder!

Her bodyguards Tidus and Wakka barred the insolent being from taking a step further. "Halt! Who dares trespass in Mistress Kairi's private quarters?" Wakka demanded.

"Um...Roxas?"

"Foolish boy!" the Mistress yelled, cracking her whip. "You dare challenge my authority?!"

The boy rolled his eyes at her with an amused expression. "I hate to burst your bubble 'Mistress,' but you're dreaming."

"Dreaming?" That statement took her off guard, but she quickly regained her composure. "That's absurd!"

"You don't believe me?"

The Mistress pursed her lips in contempt. "Why should I? Prove your claim or I will order my slaves to dispose of your body!"

Roxas shook his head. "Fine. I'll prove it to you." He shoved Tidus and Wakka aside and started pacing toward her. "See, since your dream realm is clashing with mine, your consciousness is interfering directly with what me and Sora usually dream." He raised an eyebrow. "Which means that all I have to do..." She was stunned as the entire world before her seemed to shimmer before her eyes. "...is override the artificial with the original." Her slaves, whip and leather outfit vanished in an instant. She was no longer in her dungeon. She was...

The jungle was no place for a scantily-clad girl like her. Her tiny leaf bikini wasn't exactly modest, but she didn't have any other clothes. And that wasn't important. A fearsome roar rattled the air behind her. She whipped around, but could see nothing but the environment's greenery. The memory came back to her. She was a fugitive lost in the jungle and she had to escape! Her chest heaved with every running breath as her bare feet pounded across the sodden dirt. She didn't know where she was running off to, but they weren't going to take her again! Suddenly, vines shot out from the foliage and wrapped themselves around her arms and legs. She hastily tried to rip them off, but they were too tight. Soon the vines retracted, stretching her out until she was suspended spread-eagle in the air, feet from the ground. As she struggled to free herself, a lone figure walked into her view. He was in a hooded black cloak and his face was overshadowed.

"A virgin sacrifice," he whispered. "Her voice is what we need to summon the god." Turning his head from left to right, the captured girl realized that he was speaking to the vegetation that kept her bound. The cloaked figure raised his gaze upward. "You could never escape from us, Princess." The vines began snaking toward her exposed body, multiple tendrils running across her arms and legs until they rested lightly on her sensitive skin. Giant leaves were positioned at strategic points along her body, their edges almost feathering her. Her eyes widened in fear as she realized what this jungle was going to do to her. The man in the black cloak turned his back on her and started walking out of her limited view. However, the last few words reached her ears and she knew that she was doomed. "Make her scream."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!" Kairi's eyes snapped open as she bolted upright out of bed. It took her a few seconds to regain her awareness. She wasn't in a dungeon or the jungle. She was in Sora's bedroom and still trapped in Sora's body. The dreams flashed vividly before her eyes as she remembered every moment that she had just imagined. And she was more than angry at the moment. "ROXAS! What in the world is your problem?!"

"Hey! You think I enjoyed that?" In response, Kairi lifted the covers and peeked underneath.

"Judging by your "Drive Gauge", I'd say you did!" she snapped, utterly embarrassed.

"Actually, I think that's all you," he countered. Kairi had never felt so violated in her entire life. "Look, I won't say anything if you don't," Roxas said.

Kairi fell back onto Sora's pillow, rubbing her face vigorously. "Two nightmares in two nights. And the worst part is I'm still living in one."

* * *

A few houses away, Kairi's body was tossing and turning in its sleep. Sora just couldn't seem to relax. Everything that he had to remember and visualize ended up buzzing through his brain. A few hours ago, he learned from Donald and Goofy that he would be returning to his body within the next 24 hours. That should've came as a relief, but the pageant seemed more important than ever. He didn't want to disappoint or humiliate Kairi. There was also the fact that the photo that everyone was worrying about finally ended up on their side. Again, he shouldn't have been worried. It could've been performance jitters or something, but despite Sora's outgoing personality, this was the first time that he was nervous being in front of a crowd of people. To calm himself, Sora squeezed his eyes intensely and tried to imagine the ocean waves to soothe his racing mind...

Sora opened his eyes. He was no longer in Kairi's bedroom. In fact, he wasn't indoors anymore. The Keyblade master found himself on their island's beach. Looking around, he realized he was back in his own body. The sun hung in the air as if it making up its mind whether to become dawn or twilight. "This has got to be a dream," he thought. A slight noise behind him and Sora whirled around to see a familiar blond-haired girl. She was wearing a white bikini, but was also donning Roxas' half-jacket over her shoulders. "Naminé?"

"Hello, Sora," she greeted, smiling at him. "I take it you couldn't sleep?"

Sora seemed confused by the question. "But aren't I sleeping right now?" he asked.

The girl tilted her head to the side. "I suppose you are and you aren't. You're more in an in-between state between dreaming and awake." She raised an eyebrow. "You seem worried."

Sora laughed at the severe understatement. "Wouldn't you be? The pageant is tomorrow..." He stopped himself. "Er...today?" He shook his bushy head in confusion. "I can't tell what time it is in here!"

Naminé giggled. "Don't strain yourself. Time doesn't have any meaning in this dreamscape."

"Speaking of which..." Sora's eyes took in the surrounding scenery. "...is this what you and Kairi usually dream about? The beach?"

"No. This is all mine, actually." Naminé walked to the water's edge, closed her eyes and felt the breeze caress gently across her face as the ocean lapped serenely over her bare feet. "After being in castles and on the run for so long, I like to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the landscape."

Sora didn't know what to say to that. After all, he also did the same thing with Riku and Kairi occasionally. "Yeah. Sometimes the beach can be so calming that you forget whatever stress you might have bottled up inside you."

Naminé gave Sora a coy wink. "So about the pageant. You think you're ready?"

Sora's shoulders slumped. "I never realized how hard it was to be a girl." He began counting off of his fingers. "I mean, posture, make-up, fashion, outward appearances..." He shuffled his feet in the sand. "I almost regret sharing that paopu fruit."

"I would think that you'd actually be enjoying this experience," Naminé said with a grin. "It's like every guy's dream to get close to a girl as possible."

"Really? 'Cause I always assumed you wouldn't want your personal space violated by a bunch of hormone-infested perverts." Sora ran his fingers through his bushy head. "What's so bad about accepting that date, though? Natalia couldn't..." His voice trailed off at Naminé's disapproving look.

"Sora. Do I really have to spell it out for you?" Sora and Naminé were silent for a few minutes, the waves of the ocean and the sea breeze echoed throughout the uninhabited landscape.

Finally Sora said, "You know, this beach is just too surreal for a dream. Usually me and Roxas are somewhere else." He smiled at Naminé. "What exactly does Kairi dream about anyway?"

At this question, Naminé blushed a scarlet red. "I think it's best you don't know."

(Note from author: And there you have it. Kairi's bondage fantasy has finally been revealed. :p Okay, NOW the pageant will begin. :D)

 

XD!!!!! I luved it! Hilarious!!! IThe only thing, is that I dont understand, Roxas' dream.... I mean what was that all about really?

And really, as much as Namine was in character, I expected her dreams to be different, espicially because of th way you've portrayed her, threatening Sora about 'peeking'. I thought, for a second, it'd be something like Kairi's, but really, the beach? That threw me way off.

Oh well, great chapter!