#masterava

Ava!!

I recently replayed KH1 for the platinum, and I noticed some interesting details about characters that seem to be talking to Sora, particularly in light of the fact that Xehanort is apparently traveling through time through the whole series.

In the Dive to the Heart, there is unvoiced dialogue speaking to Sora that gives the tutorial and at the end of the game in the Final Rest, reassures Sora that he "is the one who will open the door to the light" and that his heart is "the mightiest weapon of all". I've seen people suspect that this is Ansem-Xehanort guiding Sora to his intended destination, but the comments about "light" and "heart" are counter to all the things Ansem says. While we never learn who this is, I do wonder whether it could be the Master of Masters, as he's the most likely candidate for being a disembodied voice of guidance without a clear characterization in the game.

Connected to this: in the Secret Place of Destiny Islands, there are a number of drawings that foreshadow the events of the game. When Kairi visits the Secret Place in the final FMV of the game, she seems to recognize the other drawings' events even though she seemingly has never gone there (other than when Destiny Islands is lost to the darkness).

It's fairly transparent to most fans that Kairi has never received a great deal of narrative development beyond being in various states of "damsel in distress". But as I played through KH1, I noticed some things about the way that Sora experiences his connection to Kairi's heart residing in him. Kairi's memories and thoughts seem to come to Sora every now and then, sometimes conjuring images of her when she's not really there (ex. when Sora meets Yuffie, or when he lands in Deep Jungle). Most telling in this regard is when Sora visits Merlin's study for the first time, as Kairi appears to him in a vision that only he can see. Kairi talks about scribbling on the walls of the Secret Place, showing that not only is she aware of the drawings, she's able to share her thoughts directly with Sora. Finally, she calls out to Sora when he's struggling to fight Ansem-possessed Riku in Hollow Bastion.

This got me thinking: is Kairi aware that she's inside Sora's heart? It would make some sense if she were, especially since she communicates him with him in more or less direct ways. It would also explain why Kairi is not more disoriented when she finally wakes up in Hollow Bastion, and sees Sora's Heartless for what it is. Keeping in mind that Ventus' heart is also inside Sora at this point in time, I wonder if Kairi's role has been more forecast than the fanbase generally believes.

I'm not suggesting that Kairi is the Master of Masters, but given they both play a role in guiding Sora to where he needs to go, particularly against the darkness, I wonder if there is at least a connection. Especially since Kairi travels through Sora's memories in Melody of Memory, it's seems clear that the story is building up to a more involved role for Kairi somehow. The last point I want to bring out here is that when the Foretellers meet in the Keyblade Graveyard post-KH3, Ava is the only one who doesn't show up. She was tasked with preparing the Keyblade wielders for the world that was to come, and to not be involved with the conflict between the unions. Seeing as Luxu was able to travel between bodies in order to arrive at the present (though it doesn't seem he had to, seeing as the other Foretellers look the same), I wonder if Ava has done something similar and taken on Kairi's body somehow.