FG: Welcome back to CC2! Once again, we have a special disclaimer guest!

Jake: Yay!

FG: This guest has been dreaming about being in the story ever since the beginning. I gave her a cameo, but that wasn't enough, so here she is, getting her big break! She-

Tolea: Can you finish up soon?

FG: Okay, okay. Yeesh. Please welcome Chapter 15's guest, Tolea.

Random people: (applaud)

Lady Sonora the Black-Rose: (starts sobbing)

Fell Dragon: (passes Lady Sonora a tissue)

Tolea: WIMPS! (kicks other reviewers)

Robin: Whadda ya know, it's the freak from school!

Dia: You mean the one who helped me clobber you in Chapter 4?

FLASHBACK

A few weeks ago, my fellow gang members were talkin' 'bout Kingdom Hearts, an' how stupid it was. Makin' jokes an' stuff. When Quinn heard us, she ran over. She pulled me aside and told me about your 'lil team. Naturally, I threatened her and stalked off. I won't go into details, 'cause you already heard it, Quinn.

Quinn kept on asking. Once, I picked her up by the collar and tossed her at some girl. She and the other girl, some weirdo who had purple hair and gold eyes, threw wood chips and stones at me.

END FLASHBACK

Robin: (crosses her arms) That hurt…

Tolea: YOU DESERVED IT! (chucks a rock at Robin's head) Should I say the disclaimer now?

FG: (shrug)

Tolea: Okay. FG doesn't own anyone except for Emma, Dia, Jake, Robin, Bernie, Coeur/Hart, Miaow, Haiiro, Eclipse, Taylor, Lyze, Silke, Kinzoku, Sadym, Alissa, Miru, and Karson.

FG: Don't say Karson's name.

Tolea: Why not?

FG: You already said his name.

Tolea: What? (looks over list of OCs) No, I didn't!

FG: Yeah, but Karson is really… (whispers into Tolea's ear)

Tolea: Ohhhhh. Got it. Hey, wait…YOU SPOILED IT FOR ME!

FG: (shrieks)

Tolea: (tosses wood chips and rocks at FG)

FG: By the way…ow! This chapter…ow! Is kind of…ow! Violent. Ow! Don't read…ow! If you're…ow! Afraid…ow! Of that stuff…ow! Well, here's…ow! Chapter…ow! (glares at Tolea) …15. OW!

… … … … … … … … …

"Where are we?" Kairi wondered. People of all sorts were walking around, yelling and laughing.

Jake squeaked nervously as one woman almost shoved him off the deck he and the others were standing on. "I don't know, but this place is way busier than the other floors! There's a ton of people!"

Sadym looked around. "We're…we're in Luca!"

"Gawrsh, he's right!" Goofy cheered.

"And if this is the fixed game…" Donald announced, "…we'll get to see ourselves fight the Oblitzerator and save Yuna!"

"Or watch me play blitzball!" Sora added proudly.

Emma shook her head. "No, we won't." The three game characters turned to look at her in confusion. "We were never in Luca at nighttime."

Bernie sighed happily, getting a dreamy look. "The night sky in Spira is so pretty…and the smell of the sea is so refreshing!"

"Shaddup, Loony!" Robin reprimanded her. "Someone's comin'!"

A blonde man ran past them, heading for a door ahead. He knocked it open with one of his shoulders. "E'mm pa myda," he mumbled to himself.

"Late for what?" Bernie wondered.

"Huh?" several Juu Senshi members asked.

Bernie shrugged. "He said he was late."

"Nothing," Sadym replied quickly.

Robin chuckled. "I get it…this is your mem'ry, innit, tough guy?"

"NO!"

Axel groaned. "Let's just follow him." He took out a Calm Bounty 5 and a Teeming Darkness 0.

… … …

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

A large man, probably around seven feet tall, towered over the blonde man. "I'm on time, aren't I?"

"You're two minutes late," he replied. "Normally, I wouldn't care about two measly minutes, but this is important."

The blonde man put a grey suitcase on the ground. "Here it is; enough machina parts to make a few of those creatures the Maester described."

"And enough to get me off the streets!" the beefy man agreed. "You did better than I thought, Sadym!"

Robin cast a smug look towards the quivering Al Bhed beside her. "Thanks," Past Sadym replied. "Now can I go? If I don't get some rest, I won't make it to the stadium in time tomorrow, and I have to cheer my brother on at the blitzball game. He's the captain of the Al Bhed Psyches, you know."

Past Sadym turned to leave, but the other man grabbed his shoulder. "That's it?" he asked flatly.

"I told you, Karson, I don't have enough gil to buy you any more machina parts," Past Sadym lamented. "Buy your own when you sell the finished ones to Maester Seymour."

Karson shook his head. "Don't worry. I don't need any more parts. What I need is an answer."

"Huh?"

"You aren't going to stop me?" Karson frowned. "Whenever I told you that I wanted to join the Crusaders, you just sighed and turned away. Now…" He gestured to the suitcase at his feet. "…you're helping me get in without asking a single question!"

Past Sadym shrugged. "I owe you. The only reason you're on the streets right now is because you helped ME. You paid for Eigarr's blitzball lessons," he reminded the red-head, referring to his brother.

Karson grinned broadly. "Yeah, you're right. But thanks anyway, Sadym."

"Oh, it's no-" Past Sadym started, but Karson got him into a headlock and gave him a noogie. The machinist laughed.

"Wait a minute…" Emma murmured. "I think I've seen him somewhere…I know that face."

Goofy shrugged. "He looks a little like that Wakka feller. Maybe they're related!"

"No, Wakka's only brother is Chappu, and he's in the Farplane,"

Sadym nearly sweatdropped. "Um…you don't know him."

"Fess up, who's he?" Robin demanded.

"Shhhhh!" Eclipse hissed. "I'm watching this!"

Past Sadym stood up straight, wrenching himself free of Karson's happy grip. "It's getting late," he announced. "I have to get home. You'd better get home too…" He glanced sadly towards the stadium.

"Don't worry about me," Karson advised. "Those benches make good beds if you get a few blankets." Past Sadym still looked worried. "Besides…" Karson grinned again. "…once I show these plates to the Maester, he'll make me a Crusader, and I'll be able to protect Spira. I'll be rich, and I'll be able to get a nice summer home in Kilika!"

"Okay." Past Sadym nodded, then turned to leave. "Karson…" He tilted his head up to look at the stars. "…I still don't approve of you being a Crusader."

Karson shrugged. "I know. And I won't ask you to change your opinion."

"But…" Past Sadym continued. "…it's your dream, and I think you should fulfill it. Just promise me that we'll see each other again." He turned around again, and held out his hand. "Ihdem fa saad ykyeh…fa'mm pa dukadran eh cbened."

"Um…what?"

Past Sadym smiled. "It's just some saying I heard. Until we meet again…we'll be together in spirit."

"Spirit, huh?" Karson shook Past Sadym's hand. "I like that saying. Ihdem fa saad ykyeh…" he repeated slowly, tried to pronounce the unfamiliar language correctly. "…fa'mm pa dukadran eh cbened."

His friend grinned back. "Eh cbened," he agreed.

… … …

"Why are we still in Spira?" Jake asked, prodding Axel's back.

Axel sighed. "This segment of Sadym's memory isn't finished yet."

"Sorry about him," Dia apologized. "He likes poking people."

"I see. Ah, here's the door."

Present Sadym leaned against the threshold. "I think I'll just stay out here."

Robin smirked. "Bad mem'ries, huh, Sadym?"

"I thought that last cut-scene was cute," Bernie cooed. "What bad memories could happen in the next room?" Sadym didn't answer. Bernie shrugged at the man's silence and sat down next to him. "I'll stay with you," Bernie decided. "If it's too sad, I'll be better off out here."

Sadym looked up. "Jake should stay here too. He shouldn't see this."

"Um…okay…" Jake nervously walked towards Sadym, then plopped onto the docks.

Bernie tapped Coeur between her furry black ears. "You can go. I don't want to ruin the cut-scene for you."

Coeur crawled off Bernie's shoulder and onto Eclipse's. "Myew."

"You're welcome," Bernie replied happily.

Lyze bent down to whisper to Sadym. "This isn't…" Sadym nodded numbly. "…oh." She patted Sadym's back. "In that case, you can stay here as long as you want. I don't mean to sound morbid, but I kinda want to see it. Maybe it'll make me appreciate the guy more."

"As much as I dislike him, I agree." Silke walked briskly towards the door. "I do not doubt that this will help. If I am to leave the darkness, I must feel empathy for him."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"You'll see," Sadym replied.

… … …

"It's a good thing I woke up early!" Past Sadym ran down the streets of Luca. "Now I can watch Karson get initiated into the Crusaders before the big game!"

Lyze crossed her arms. "You wish…" She glanced out the door at Present Sadym, Bernie, and Jake, who were still sitting there. "Poor guy…"

"Ah! This is where he's meeting Maester Seymour!" Past Sadym flung open the door of a nearby building and dashed up the stairs, followed by the invisible Juu Senshi.

Emma glanced at Lyze and Silke. "What do you know that we don't?"

"You'll see," Lyze replied, repeating Present Sadym's earlier words.

Past Sadym slowly opened the door in front of him. "Hey, Karson! I'm…huh?"

Seymour and Karson stood alone in the room. Seymour was frowning. Karson was sitting on the straw floor, looking fearfully at the Maester. Between them was the suitcase. "This is not enough, Mr. Alka."

Karson's voice was as shaky as his body. "It's all I could get, Maester! My client…he doesn't have much money to provide me with machina parts."

That's me, Past Sadym thought. I hope I'm not getting him into trouble…

"Mr. Alka, if there is one thing I have learned in my time as a Maester, it is that if you bend people, you will get what you want." Seymour smirked coolly. "Bend your little machinist friend, and I trust he will give you the plates I need."

Past Sadym gulped. Bend? He…he wouldn't!

Karson looked as helpless as a kitten, albeit a muscular one. "Sadym is my friend," he told Seymour. "If he had more materials, he wouldn't hold out on me…"

"Oh, really?" Seymour chuckled darkly. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah! We go way back!" Seymour snorted. "Besides, you'll get more soon. Sadym said that I'll get paid for this shipment, and with that gil, I can pay him for more machina plates." Karson nodded repeatedly. "Then you can give them to Maleficent."

Dia tapped Emma's shoulder. "If that suitcase is going to Maleficent, those machina plates must be for the Decaclaw Heartless!"

Riku put a hand on his head. "Karson Alka…I remember Maleficent talking about him."

"Soon? I need them now, Mr. Alka. For the Decaclaw army to be ready in time, I need to start building them now." Seymour glared. "And I mean NOW."

Both Past Sadym and Karson gulped. "N-n-now?" Karson stuttered.

I knew I should've found him more plates! Sadym bit his lower lip. What's going to happen to him?

Seymour held out his hand, palm-down. "I'm sorry, Mr. Alka…truly, I am…but it is YOUR fault that there will be no Decaclaw army. And I wanted SO badly to see them ravaging Spira…"

"Uh…what are you doing?" Karson asked nervously.

Lyze tapped everyone on the shoulder, except for Silke, who knew what came ahead. "I forgot to tell you guys something. Sorry!" she chirped, her voice masking her feelings. "This cut-scene is a little bloody…"

"A little? A LITTLE?" Silke exploded. She immediately covered her mouth, even though Past Sadym, Karson, and Seymour couldn't see or hear them. "A little?" she repeated in a reprimanding whisper.

The viera laughed nervously. "A lot," she corrected. Everyone else twitched involuntarily.

"You disappointed me, Mr. Alka," Seymour explained. "Do you know what I do to people who disappoint me?"

Karson's eyes became as wide as they could. He froze, his expression showing utter terror. "No…" he rasped. "Please, Maester…don't…I'll do better…"

"Too late," Seymour replied.

Past Sadym, still standing in the doorway, suddenly realized what was about to happen. Karson! He tried to move, but his legs felt glued to the ground. Karson! he repeated mentally. I won't let this happen, Karson! I'll find some way to save you!

Seymour chanted some inaudible words, and his hand started glowing red. Karson looked around frantically, finally laying eyes on Past Sadym. "Sadym!" he yelled.

He remained in place. His face turned white. "Karson…"

"Sadym, get out of here! Save yourself!" The Maester was still ignoring both men, his hand still glowing red. He eventually looked up at Karson, smirking. "GET OUT!" Karson roared at the Al Bhed.

"NO!" Past Sadym yelled back, trying to lift his feet.

Seymour raised his hand, extending it towards Karson. In a cruel voice, he hissed, "Obliterate…"

"KARSON!" Past Sadym finally picked up his feet, running halfway across the room to his friend.

But it was too late.

A shimmering, red light hit Karson, and the room filled up with the same color. There was a loud crack, followed by a sickening splattering sound.

"What just happened?" Goofy asked, covering his eyes.

The scene that lay before them was nothing but gruesome. The floor was covered in a gooey red liquid. Blood. Past Sadym's machinist uniform also had a thin layer of it, as did Seymour's robes. But the most hideous sight was Karson's sprawled body.

Karson's body parts were spread all over the room. His left arm was by Seymour. His torso was near the doorway. His right foot was by Donald. His head was near Past Sadym. "Karson?" he whimpered, horrified. He carefully picked up his friend's head. The left half of his face was hideously scarred. The right side, surprisingly, was unharmed, except for a few minor cuts. "You…" Past Sadym glared at Seymour. "…you did this to him!"

"So?" Maester Seymour chuckled and left the room, taking care not to step on any of Karson's limbs.

Past Sadym knelt on the floor and stared at Karson's head. "It may seem like it's too late…" he murmured. "…but I think I can still save you. I'll take you to another world. I'll fix you. I'll give you a new body. You can get the job you always wanted…maybe not as a Crusader, but as some other fighter." Past Sadym wiped his nose on his arm. "And even if we have to be separated in that other world…" He forced himself to smile. "…fa'mm pa dukadran eh cbened. We'll be together in spirit."

… … …

The Juu Senshi and Axel emerged from the door. "So, do you feel any sorrier for him now?" Present Sadym asked, glancing sorrowfully up at the others.

"I heard everything that happened," Jake announced shyly. "I didn't see anything, though. But I feel sorry for Karson."

Silke hung her head. "I hate to admit it…but I, too, feel sorry for Daim…er…" She glanced at the Juu Senshi, who looked confused. "…Karson," she finished awkwardly.

"Don't worry." Emma gave her a half-smile. "I think I know."

"We all do, Sakura," Robin added.

Bernie stifled a laugh. "Robin?"

"What's up wit'chu, Loony?"

"Why are your eyes so red?"

Robin self-consciously rubbed her eyes. "I dun know, why're ya askin'?"

"They're wet, too!" Eclipse laughed.

"I GOT ALLERGIES!" Robin insisted. "I'M ALLERGIC TO CAT-BOY AN' LIL' MISS MYEW OVER THERE!" she lied.

Coeur stretched herself. "Myew!"

Everyone laughed. "IT'S ALLERGIES!" Robin screamed again.

Axel had his mouth in his cloak again, but it was impossible to miss his chuckles. "There's still one last part to the cut-scene. I think everyone should see this."

… … …

Past Sadym stood by a glowing white orb in the Mi'hen Highroads. "I found someone to take you someplace safe," he announced. "You'll get to fight all you want…but there's a price."

An enormous figure stood next to him; Karson. He was made almost completely out of machina, but he still had his head. Another plate covered the left side of his face, though, the disfigured side. "What sorta price?" he asked roughly.

"Karson," Past Sadym complained. "If you're going to fit in there, you have to talk like I told you to."

"What is this, the Witness Protection Program?"

"Karson…"

Karson crossed his massive, metal arms and sulked. "Aw, fine." He straightened himself and cleared his throat. "Pardon my interruption, but what manner of prices do you speak of?"

"That's better," Past Sadym replied with a grin. "Well, the guys who are taking you in aren't the nicest bunch."

"Hmph. Neither was Maester Seymour."

Past Sadym winced. "Yeah…Seymour…" he echoed hoarsely. He shook it off. "Well, they're not all bad. The one who's coming to pick you up seems sweet. She's still in her early twenties, but she's a pretty accomplished White Mage, as well as a Fencer."

"White Mage? Fencer?" Karson raised his left eyebrow, the only one that remained. "Y'mean…" He stopped as he noticed Past Sadym tapping his foot impatiently. "I mean…I trust you mean an Ivalician viera." Past Sadym nodded. "Am I to be hidden in Ivalice?"

"No. The girl's from Ivalice, but she's headed toward where you're going." The white orb next to them glowed. "She's coming!"

A shower of sparks flew out, clumping together in a human-like shape. After the spark figure was complete, it flashed white and became a girl wearing crystal-colored robes. "Hiya!" She smiled innocently at the two men. "You're Karson, right?"

"Until Sadym changes my name, too…" Karson said in a mocking tone.

Past Sadym laughed. "Good idea!" he announced to Karson's annoyed face. "What language do they speak there?" Past Sadym asked the girl.

She made a humming noise. "Weeeeeeell, mostly English, but some of them have Japanese names."

"Japanese, good. What should we rename him?"

The girl put her hands on her hips. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to ask me what MY name is?"

Jake giggled as he sat by the door. "I know what it is," he whispered to the others.

Past Sadym laughed nervously. "Sorry, miss. What is it?"

"I'm…" She grabbed a staff from the silk case on her back, waved it around, then held it out proudly as more white sparks came out. "…Lyze Rune, magician extraordinaire!" she exclaimed.

Past Sadym and Karson twitched. "Er…a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rune," Karson mumbled.

Past Lyze nodded. "Likewise!" she squealed. "Well, back to figuring out your new name." She lifted Karson's arm with her lavender Judge Staff. "Hmm…how about we call him Steel?" she offered.

"Steel sounds good," Past Sadym agreed. "But what is it in Japanese?"

"It's…uh…" Past Lyze made a humming sound again. Then, she looked up. "I got it! Karson, your new name is…" She smiled again. "…Kinzoku."

… … …

"So that was young Daimyo Kinzoku, huh?" Emma asked.

The Juu Senshi continued on their tour, heading towards the 6th floor. "Yep!" Present Lyze replied. Present Sadym and Silke nodded. "He, Silke, and I were sent to Hollow Bastion to wait."

"Then why didn't we see you?" Jake tapped on Lyze's back.

Silke snorted. "We were not there when you were."

"But…"

"It took me two weeks to fix Karson," Sadym explained. "That's the time it took for you guys to finish the game. We waited in Hollow Bastion for another two weeks, while two years passed in the real world."

"Ohhhhh…" the original eight Juu Senshi chorused.

Bernie thought for a moment. "Oh, my gosh!" She put her hands over her mouth. "If Daimyo Kinzoku is Karson…we killed him! At Starved Rock!"

Dia nodded numbly. "I made him dance off a cliff," she admitted sadly.

Sadym and Lyze looked at each other, then cracked up. Even Silke gave a slight smile. "He's almost repaired," Sadym laughed. "I was working on him the second that Guardian took him back to our base."

"How did he become a bad guy?" Jake asked.

Silke stopped smiling. "Guardian has his ways," she mumbled.

"Why are you so upset? Did you become a bad guy too? I bet you were one of the good guys once!"

The Sword Daimyo glared at the little boy. "I was never part of the light." She remained silent, then took a deep breath. "I was a Twilight." After she spoke, she stalked off towards the door to Atlantica.

… … … … … … … … …

FG: Well, that was Chapter 15!

Everyone else: (twitches)

FG: Whaaaaat?

Tolea: (barfs into a paper bag) Karson's death scene was gross!

Jake: Happy place…happy place…think of your happy place… (pats Tolea's back)

Tolea: (barfs again) MY ONLY HAPPY PLACE IS THIS BAG!

FG: Um…anyway…I'm going to skip all of the unimportant flashbacks, okay? Then, you get to read Twilight Town, Ivalice (Lyze's full story), and Castle Oblivion.

Emma: When are we reading Silke's story?

FG: Later. I have it all planned out.

Emma: Okay… (sulks in a corner)

Tolea: (stops barfing) Hey! I just realized something! YOU'RE the one who made me toss the cookies! (resumes pelting the authoress with random things)

FG: Greeeeeaaaaat...ow! Juuuuust…ow! Greeeeeaaaaat…ow!

Llama: (gets thrown at FG)

FG: Hey! OW! (scrunches up her shoulders) FG…ow! Out…ow! THAT'S IT! (throws a giant beaver)

Tolea: Beaver! (chases the beaver)

FG: (sigh of relief) FG out, yo. OW!

Machina plate: (bounces off FG's head)

Sadym: (whistles innocently)