So, I'm sorry there was a slight delay with this chapter. First of all, I had fallen a bit ill the last few days. (Flu season's in full effect but fortunately I've been stocking up on oranges and garlic...)

My groceries aside, switching back and forth between stories is kind of a pain; it's my second reason for why this took longer than I'd like. Regardless, here is the second to last chapter. It's again, not that long. However, the next one will probably be longer and you may want to check my profile often to see when the expected update dates are. It may change again.

Anyway, a special thank you to akin, Brillerai, and James Birdsong for the last reviews. :) Enjoy the chapter!

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

~ To the Isle of Souls ~

The steady hum of the boat's engines fills the chill air of night. The seawater's rhythmic movement beneath Tyson and his friends gently rock the boat's cabin. The group, consisting of Tyson, Hilary, Max, Ray, Daichi, Kenny, Tala, Bryan, Spencer and Ian, sits quietly in the cabin. Some are crowded around Kenny who is observing their course on a map while others sit scattered around the space of the cabin. Bryan stands at the steering wheel, following the occasional directions given by Kenny.

"Hm…The marked location should be about five kilometers more in the southwest direction." Kenny notes, carefully using the scale on the satellite map to measure their remaining distance to the target location. "It should come into view soon."

Bryan listens as he continues to steer. For a while more, only the sound of the boat's motor is heard as everyone but Kenny and Bryan begins peering out the window ahead for a visual of their destination.

"Hey are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Tyson asks when he can't see anything ahead.

"According to the compass we're headed southwest." Bryan tells him.

Tyson looks out the window again.

"On my map, it says we're quite close and we seem to be only getting closer." Kenny says. "At this distance, the island should probably be in view by now."

"But there's nothing outside…" Hilary notes, looking around more.

"And there's no sign of Kai outside either…" Ray looks around.

"Yeah…" Max agrees with him.

Bryan stops the boat, not sure what they should do.

"Hm…" Kenny stares analytically for a while at his map.

"We're practically at the place indicated by the coordinates." Daichi comments over Kenny's shoulder.

'Exactly, but that's what's wrong.' Kenny thinks to himself. 'Normally, the horizon line is about five kilometers away from the average person. Since we've passed this mark, the island should be in view but it's not. The rest of the information that Wyvynn gave is nearly identical to what we know from Ventus although a lot of it is new. Could Wyvynn have lied to us? He was pretty willing to answer my questions last night…'

"Chief?" an impatient Tyson calls to Kenny as he approaches the boy.

'We did only know the guy for about a week but he seemed so sincere…' Kenny ponders on. He then enlarges the map on his laptop as much as possible. 'Maybe the island is here and these coordinates are only approximate…'

"Hey Kenny?" Tyson stops right in front of him. "What do we do now? There's no island here."

"Hold on, I'm thinking!" Kenny tells him, refocusing on finding the island on the map.

Kenny scans the map quickly over the area surrounding the exact coordinates that were given to him as the others around him watch.

'There really isn't an island here…' Kenny concludes. However, he then notices something strange on the image. The color was just a little odd on the marked spot. He looks closer but his concentration is once again spoiled when Ian points something out in the sky.

"Look!" Ian points to a moving aircraft.

Everyone turn to the outside of the window to see a helicopter flying overhead. It was still some distance above them and didn't seem to care that they were here. Looking at it closer, Kenny recognizes it.

'That's the same helicopter that had kidnapped Wyvynn!' Kenny watches as it approaches some destination ahead. 'Maybe these coordinates aren't wrong after all!'

He didn't seem to be the only one to recognize it; those who were present when Wyvynn was kidnapped had facial expressions that seem to indicate that they, too, realize that it's the very same helicopter. However, as soon as the aircraft traveled a bit further ahead, it disappears from the sky, leaving everyone there confused.

"Uhm…did that helicopter just disappear into thin air?" Tyson asks, staring dumbfounded after where it last was.

"It sure did." Ray affirms.

"Bryan, continue steering the boat forward but at a slow speed, please." Kenny turns to Bryan.

"But there's nothing ahead." Daichi protests confused.

"No, I think it's there but somehow, we just can't see it." Kenny tells him.

Bryan responds, "If you say so."

...

The helicopter lands on clear ground some ways from a circular stone temple. Soon, the door opens and Lok steps out followed by Ventus who carries the cloth-wrapped bodies of Kull and Sparky with him. Zane stands at the edge of the ancient stone platform overlooking where the helicopter had landed as its passengers begin ascending the steps toward the temple.

"Welcome back." Zane greets them politely from the entrance of the ancient ruins.

Lok nods in acknowledgement of the greeting as he passes by his underling with Ventus following emotionlessly behind him.

"Place those two down in their appropriate places and arrange the two that are already here." Lok orders Ventus.

Ventus nods and begins his work.

"I will help him." Zane offers, approaching Lux and Wyvynn who are still unconscious.

Lok does not bother to react to Zane's actions and simply allows him do to as he likes.

In short moments, Ventus and Zane are finished. They stand back and await further orders.

Lok looks around. Satisfied with the arrangements, he tells his minion, "Zane, prepare the Artifact of the Abyss."

Zane nods in compliance and disappears off to carry out his order. He soon returns with a large box and carries it steadily to the three altars at the far edge of the ruined temple overlooking the sea.

As he does, Wyvynn stirs a little unnoticed by the others present. Blinking his eyes open, he finds himself gazing at the near full moon.

'Where am I…?' he wonders as he shifts his eyes down from the moon and onto the moonlit temple platform. Roaming his eyes around a little, he spots Zane opening a box by one of three altars. Immediately, he recognizes the place and recalls being knocked out while trying to talk some sense into Zane. 'Damn it, they're already this far?'

He tries to move but his body is rather sluggish. He then watches as Zane takes an oddly shaped object out from the box before placing it onto the altar closest to him. 'I gotta stop this!'

Lok turns to Ventus as Zane finishes with the set up. "Get to your proper place."

Ventus nods and takes a spot somewhat across from Wyvynn and Lux where he stands still. Zane, having completed his task joins him at an adjacent spot.

Wyvynn watches as Lok steps up to the tallest altar. Now, much more energetic than when he first awoke, he takes out his blade and quietly attaches it to his launcher, getting ready to shoot. He will have one chance to destroy the artifact before Lok finishes the ritual. He must wait until Lok is occupied to avoid failing at the task. Unknown to him, his movements, although subtle, are watched by Zane.

...

Kai steers his boat slowly around the place that is indicated by the coordinates mentioned by Kenny. Although certain that this is the spot indicated, he sees nothing but seawater all around.

'Is it possible that I somehow remembered the coordinates wrong?' he asks himself in his mind. 'No, that can't be…but…there's nothing here.'

He looks around some more. No matter how he looks at it, it just looks like he is in the middle of nowhere. He had expected an island here but there's nothing here. He then notices something on one of the instruments on the boat.

'I'm low on fuel….' Kai notes. He curses mentally. 'Guess I'll have to get to a nearby shore.'

Knowing he'll be stranded if he does not make it to land soon, he speeds up the boat and turns in the direction of the nearest shore according to the map on board with him. Soon after the boat picks up speed, an island comes into view close ahead. Kai makes an attempt to stop the boat but finds himself on a high speed collision course with the shore regardless. Knowing what will happen, he braces for the impact.

...

Lok gazes coldly at his former servant who had attempted to knock the artifact off the altar with his beyblade. Zane, who had noticed that Wyvynn was awake, was the one who stopped him. Now both their blades were circling each other on the stone platform.

"You should have remained still." Zane tells Wyvynn who is now on his feet.

"No way!" Wyvynn returns.

"Is it that nonsense again that made you do this?" Zane asks.

"Nonsense?" Wyvynn repeats. He then recalls the conversation he had with Zane before he got here. "No!"

A loud noise sounds not too far away, disrupting their dispute.

Lok turns to the source of the noise and stares in that direction for a while. He then turns to Ventus, "We'll restart the ritual in a bit. First, we have an uninvited guest on the south side of the island. Go take care of him."

Ventus nods and heads to the steps leading downhill from the temple.

As he goes, Zane takes this opportunity to attack a distracted Wyvynn with his blade.

...

Tyson stares outside the cabin's window with an impatient look on his face. He and his friends had been drifting around here for a while now. Although the sight of the helicopter earlier had encouraged them to continue searching for the island in this area, so far they are still wandering about with no island in sight.

"How much longer are we going to be going around in circles here?" He whines.

"Tyson, please, stop whining. It's not helping anyone." Hilary lectures him. "We're trying our best here,"

"That helicopter we saw earlier disappeared right around here." Kenny says. "Assuming the island is simply somehow hidden, we should stumble into it. It's the only explanation for why that helicopter somehow disappeared the way it did."

"I suppose…" Tyson calms down, looking somewhat worried. "But there's no sign of Kai anywhere here either. Tala did say that this is probably the place he came to, right?"

"Well the other boat was missing when we got to the harbor." Tala defends his earlier statement.

"I think it might be possible that Kai might have already gotten to the island." Kenny says, as he looks on his laptop's map closer. "He did take the smaller and faster boat."

The cabin is silent for a little while. However, that is soon broken by Kenny again. "Hey guys, I think I might know why we haven't seen the island yet…"

"Why?" Tyson turns to him.

"That odd looking spot on the water on the satellite map…we've been circling it this whole time." Kenny says. "Bryan, try turning the boat to the left."

"Got it." Bryan responds, turning the steering wheel.

A few moments after their shift in direction, they hear a rough noise underneath the boat and a somewhat violent rocking before stopping altogether.

"What happened?" Tyson asks.

"I'll go take a look." Ray offers, taking the flashlight with him to the deck.

The others watch from inside the cabin.

"Uhm…guys…" Ray calls the others out as he stares at what is underneath the boat. "I think we hit a rocky reef."

"But look!" Hilary points ahead.

Some ways from them lies the dark silhouette of a small, rocky island.

"Eureka!" Tyson exclaims happily.

"But how are we going to get there?" Kenny asks.

"We can use the life boats." Max points out.

...

On the other side of the island, Kai stirs and opens his eyes to his new surroundings. Rubbing some sand from his eyes, he sits up and looks around. It would seem he had managed to somehow land onto the beach with almost no harm to his body save for a few minor scrapings. A little ways from him is his boat which is somewhat tilted at the edge of the water. Although the watercraft appears to be intact, he is certain something on it or in it must be broken.

Kai gets on his feet and looks around the dusky beach. Ahead of him, in a small grove of trees leading upwards to something at the top of the hill on the island, is a stone path. As he approaches it, a figure steps out into view. Despite the darkness of early morning, he recognizes this figure and growls upon seeing his face.

"Ventus…"

Okay, as usual, leave me any feedback you got!

edit 01/19/13: One of my readers/followers(Delirium1015) started a community for KaixOC fics and have asked me to post this information to inform you all. Please have a look via this user's profile page if you're interested in checking out the archives there or if you want to become a staff member.