Anyway... Gah, my brain is so fried from being eaten by that freaking cover! And Cantabile! Cantabile was almost more trouble than she was worth!

Anyway, this chapter should be somewhat amusing. I'm not completely sure where the lapis and jadis dart flower conversation came from, but it was worth a smirk, at least, so I let it stick around.

Eh... Brain too fried to remember what else I was gonna say... Oh! I'm now only two chapters behind!

Also... Anyone want me to go double (possibly triple) updates again in December? Believe me, I've got the chapters to do it. (Somewhere around fifty parts done and only fifteen posted?) Oh, and I'm getting really close to where I left off in A Spatial Tear! I left off with the group splitting in two to go find Natalia after she was kidnapped in Chesedonia, and I'm currently trying to figure out...

Important question: Do you want me to write up a whole chapter of boring Kairi/Luke/Zion/Van stuff to break up all of the chapters in Dark's POV during the part where Kairi's separated from the main group, or should I just dump the important parts of that into Colored Ripples?

I'm going to focus on the next chapter from Dark's POV first, but if you guys want the chapter from Kairi's POV in the main story, let me know and I'll put it in.

Alright, enough of my rambling. Enjoy!

*Long time, no voice in my head.* –Dark

"Also, tell Dark that he's forfeited his right to candy." –Kairi

"Okay, I'm just going to say that I am completely confused." –Anise

"I'm not sure we're getting anywhere with this conversation." –Guy

Chapter 2.6 – Race, Double Agent!
Part 15

"They're here."

I nodded once, adding one more line before closing the sketchbook and standing. I already knew that, of course, but there was no reason to let Star know about my telepathy, so I didn't say anything.

It had taken Jade and the others almost five days to reach Choral Castle, as opposed to the initial estimate Arietta had given me of three days.

I slipped the sketchbook into my wing pack and then reached out with my mind, already following Star toward the roof. We weren't actually going to be involved. My job was quite simple, really. Wait for Arietta to drop Ion into my care and then bolt back to the Tartarus. Assuming she actually got him this time instead of Anise.

Star and I were sitting on the roof, just out of sight of where the others were going to run into Arietta.

*Hey.*

*Long time, no voice in my head,* Dark grumbled. Jade chuckled, while I just smirked. If Star noticed, she didn't comment.

*Arietta's on the roof. She's going to try to nab Luke and Ion. It may actually be in our best interests to let her get Luke,* I told them. Dark flashed a familiar image, one that left Jade completely baffled. *Yeah,* I confirmed the former assassin's question. *Also, I'll be heading back to the Tartarus when this shit's done. I had hoped you guys would be able to get Asch out, but obviously not, so I've still got work to do.*

*Assuming the God-Generals don't give you an assignment... How the hell did you end up working with them, anyway?* Dark asked. I sighed.

*I'm not sure whether to be glad I got my head bashed in, because I can now reach the third plane, or pissed because if Asch hadn't been there, I may have lost my memories indefinitely,* I said. I could feel Jade bristling and decided it would be a great idea to not let him be pissed. *The God-Generals are operating under the assumption that I still don't remember... although I don't think Arietta even knows who I am.*

*Cantabile?* Jade asked.

*Sync told her a little of what I taught him about riddles,* I said. *So if anyone had listened into that conversation, they would have been utterly baffled.*

*Speaking of which... We have a riddle for you to translate at your leisure,* Dark said. I sighed.

*Oh, joy...*

*We're almost to the roof. Where are you?* Jade asked.

*Not getting involved. Unless you fail to keep a hold on Ion. In which case, I'll just bring him with me and Asch when we ditch the Tartarus,* I said. Then I broke off the connection and turned my attention toward the roof where I could barely see Arietta's pink hair. Her hresvelgr was hovering in the air behind her, so I waited a few moments before...

"There it goes."

Star's words were accented by a screech as the blue monster dipped down and came back up to circle around. Sure enough one redhead in a white coat was dangling from its claws. It then turned and came down again, this time coming up with... Jade?

I resisted the urge to laugh, which became especially easy when the hresvelgr dropped him back on the roof... even less lightly than it had Anise in the game. He might be over-dramatic regarding his age, but even so...

*You okay?* I asked. Jade started to stand up and hissed.

*I'm glad I'm right-handed right now...* he said. I reluctantly poked in a little further, and felt the pain in his left arm quite clearly. *Where is that monster taking Luke?*

I glanced up, spotting the hresvelgr flapping off toward the ledge I'd pretty much claimed as my own. *Back to the fomicry machine. Don't worry, he'll be fine.*

Arietta and one of her ligers walked up to us then, and I realized that Jade and the others now had to turn around to get Luke, because there was nothing else they could do. That having been said...

"Here."

The engineer stumbled forward, practically running into Arietta from the way Aerith had shoved him forward. The blue-haired girl then turned to me. "Dist wants to talk to you after he's finished with the replica. You should head down now," she said before turning and leaving. I nodded after her, before glancing at Arietta. She sighed.

"Sum... Twilight should be back by now," she said. She'd been trying to get used to calling him 'Twilight' like I was, but it obviously wasn't working well.

I nodded again, then headed down to where Dist was currently adjusting Luke's fonslots. Luke seemed to be unconscious still, so I headed down to stand behind Dist.

"You asked for me?"

Dist glanced over his shoulder at me before turning back to the machine in front of him. "I want you to go back undercover with these people," he said. I frowned.

"I don't remember any of them, nor my story," I lied. Dist didn't turn around.

"Tell them you have amnesia, which is the truth, and that you can just barely remember some faces, which isn't, apparently."

"Half-truths... An excellent form of lying," I said. Dist chuckled, pulling the infamous fon disk from the slot in the machine.

"It will be enough to placate the fools," he said. "Get as close to them as they'll let you and report everything that you think could help us cripple them. And focus on Jade, especially."

I nodded, clicking my heels together as I saluted. "Anything else, sir?"

"Yes... report only to me. That will be all, Major."

And with that, Dist flew off in that ridiculous flying chair of his.

I headed up the stairs and past Luke, who was wide awake and staring at me, horrified. Understandable, I suppose, given what he'd just heard. I briefly considered my options, and ended up pausing before walking back to Luke.

"Tell Jade what you've seen and heard if you wish, but deliver this message as well. 'The jadis dart is a mirage.' Can you remember that?"

Luke frowned. "The jadis dart is a mirage... What the hell does that even mean?"

I smirked. "Jade will know. Now, if you'll excuse me... I have to warn Asch that our plans have changed... again... Damn Dist..." I muttered, walking off. "Also, tell Dark that he's forfeited his right to candy."

If that didn't completely baffle Luke, nothing ever would.

I was halfway through the entrance hall when Twilight caught up to me. He padded along at my side as I walked out and ducked down into the foliage just outside the castle.

I frowned and carefully delved into Luke's mind. He'd be the least likely of any of them to notice my presence.

"Kairi's working for the God-Generals, I think," Luke was saying.

"You think?" Guy asked, skeptical. Luke sighed.

"I don't know! She's confusing as hell, okay?!" he grumbled. Then he looked up at Jade. "She said to tell you, 'the jadis dart is a mirage.' Also, she said Dark had forfeited his right to candy..."

Dark snorted once, put a hand over his face, and then broke up laughing.

"Um..." Tear started. Dark shook his head.

"I jinxed her. Whoops." He didn't sound very upset about that, but then, he was still too busy laughing. Jade, on the other hand, was able to limit himself to a smirk.

"Well, that explains a lot. What exactly made you think she was working for the God-Generals, Luke?" he asked. Luke sighed.

"Dist told her to report to him."

"Which explains the jadis dart riddle."

"Okay, I'm just going to say that I am completely confused," Anise said. Dark sighed, a small smile slipping across his face.

"There's this flower, see, and it's about this big," he said, holding his thumb and finger about an inch apart. "The tips of the petals are pointed and they're blue, whereas the rest of the flower is white. There is another flower that is very similar, except the blue is in the center of the flower instead of at the points."

"The first is known as the lapis dart. The second is the jadis dart. One is extremely poisonous, the other is the antidote to the poison," Jade continued. Then he smirked. "I've always questioned my mother's logic, naming me after the antidote..."

Dark snorted again. "Jadis dart can be deadly in large amounts..."

"I'm not sure we're getting anywhere with this conversation," Guy said.

Tear sighed. "I may not be a master of riddles, but I'm just going to assume that the phrase 'the jadis dart is a mirage' is actually supposed to mean that Kairi is on our side," she said, also trying to get them back on track. Jade nodded.

"Which means we should probably get going," he prompted. "Arietta still has the engineer on the roof."

"What about Kairi?" Anise asked.

"We never saw her. So far as we know, she caught the ferry to Chesedonia before we arrived in Kaitzur," Jade said, locking eyes with Luke. The redhead nodded reluctantly, and I pulled out of his mind, leaving no one the wiser.

*How far are we from the Tartarus?* I asked Twilight. He was quiet for a moment.

*A few hours' run, at least.*

I frowned, sending along a pseudo-plan through the connection. Twilight seemed to agree with it, so I clambered up onto his back and he started running. I let my mind reach out, seeking one so familiar that it was practically second nature to connect to his mind. Of course, it took us at least an hour to get within my range, and once we were there, I tapped Twilight's leg with mine, and he slowed.

*Change of plans. I'm stuck playing double agent.*

*I'm stuck in my old uniform again.*

*I'll try to make it quick.*

*You better.*

I cut the connection and nodded to Twilight, who turned and took off for Kaitzur. The border town, not the port, since Kaitzur is actually a small town rather than just a checkpoint like in the game. Our plan was rather simple, actually. We were going to try to beat Jade and the others back to the port, and since I knew Twilight was more than fast enough for that, even if they took the coaches Van would bring, I wasn't too worried about the pit stop I was going to make.

I needed something, anything that wouldn't scream 'Oracle Knight' or 'I've recovered my memories.' For that end, I'd have to go buy yet another outfit. Well, a shirt and pants, at least. I had an off-white jacket in my wing pack, and black boots that should go with just about anything.

I frowned, trying to figure out what I could do with that. Simple black pants should work... a red shirt? I nodded to myself. That would work.

Twilight growled, and I hopped down from his back.

*I'll be back ASAP. We don't have a lot of time, anyway,* I told him. He nodded, laying down behind a few trees to stay out of sight while I headed into the small town to get the clothes I needed.

I ended up returning to Twilight wearing loose black pants, my black boots, a red tank top, and the off-white jacket. I hoped it wouldn't give me away either direction.

Twilight growled something to me when I reached him, and I rolled my eyes as I climbed up on his back. *Try that again?* I prompted.

*I said, the landship left,* Twilight replied. I frowned, wondering where they'd be off to next. Probably Chesedonia, that's where Sync tries to... Damn it! *What's wrong?*

*Nothing. I just have to rethink some things,* I told Twilight before drawing out of his mind.

At this point in the game, the party gets on the ferry to Chesedonia, Luke uses a hyperresonance on the ferry, Van hypnotizes him, they get off in Chesedonia, go get the fon disk checked out, and get attacked by Sync on the way back to the ferry. On the second ferry ride, Dist attacks.

Dist never lost the fon disk.

Sync is dead.

I'm here.

I groaned, wondering just what would happen this time.

So, Dist never lost the fon disk. However, I'm under orders to report to him. Could that cause something? Perhaps. No one's going to be attacking them in Chesedonia, though. Except the Dark Wings.

The Dark Wings!

I grinned. Noir, York, and Urushi would definitely be helpful. Maybe they'd even know where Reighn was.

Twilight growled a warning as he slowed, and I looked up, frowning.

"Mirage? What are you doing here?" Van asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously. I noted that he was headed out toward Choral Castle in a coach. So, going to go pick the others up.

"Orders from Locrian Colonel Dist, sir," I said, sitting up straight. Van frowned.

"Orders?"

"I am to rejoin the ambassadors under the alias of Kairi Balfour. If they ask, I'm suffering from amnesia... which is true, so they shouldn't suspect much," I told him. Van looked uncomfortable.

"Very well. I assume you're to be reporting to him, then?"

"Yes, sir."

Van just nodded and left, but not without shooting one last cautious glance over his shoulder. "I hope your story will convince them, because I don't want to have try to retrieve you from Colonel Curtiss."

I turned away and smirked to myself as Twilight started walking again. As if I'd let him and Jade hurt each other. Given everything that had happened, I'd probably worry more about just getting Jade away from him before my brother could get hurt.

That having been said...

"What am I going to do about you, then?" I muttered as Twilight growled a warning, one I recognized from spending time around Koran. I glanced up, noting that we were at the port. I slipped off his back and turned to him.

*You're going to have to be careful what you say, I'm sure. Dark and Sorylle will understand you easily,* I informed Twilight. He nodded, then growled. It wasn't really meant to be anything but a sign of encouragement. *Oh, I'm not worried about myself at all. They all know I'm undercover, one way or another. Honestly, it's Luke who concerns me.*

I was about to continue along that tangent when the all-too-familiar sound of a sword being unsheathed reached my ears, along with a warning growl from Twilight. I scowled and grabbed at the wing pack in my jacket pocket. My sword and bow were both in there... And while I was pulling the sword out, Twilight charged at the trio of bandits that had snuck up on us.

I glanced around as I stuffed the wing pack back into my pocket. Ah, a fonist.

My target firmly in mind, no thanks to the first time I'd been attacked by bandits, I joined Twilight in the battle.

Fun Fact: There is a lot of telepathy in this chapter. 33 lines worth, to be precise. (That includes the telepathic quote, actually... 32 without it.)