Consider this a treat for the long waits and erratic updating. Also, be wary of language... (That warning should be in the first chapter/summary...)

"For someone with such a bad record with Daath, I never expected to see you wearing an Oracle Knights uniform." –Dark

The next Splash missed me by almost a foot, even though I'd just barely started moving. –Kairi

"Consider this a reward for surviving Jade's wrath without me for ten minutes." –Dist

Chapter 2.7 – Race, Double Agent!
Part 18

"Ah, there you are."

I looked up at Jade and smiled, though I knew it wasn't reaching my eyes. "Hey. Looks like we weren't running that late after all," I said. Ion, Twilight, Valkyria and I had walked into the Kimlascan consulate to find everyone except for Van there. Anise smiled.

"You guys have fun? Jade had something to do here, so he let us wander a little bit," she said. I giggled, pointing to Luke and Tear.

"I noticed," I said. Then I frowned. "I also noticed neither you, nor Dark was with them."

Dark flushed pink. "Ah... I trust Tear enough with Luke's safety. And Anise wanted to talk to me, and we ended up dragging Guy along," he said quickly. I grinned at the former assassin.

"I'm teasing. So, we headed out?"

Jade nodded. "Yes. Let's get onto the ferry," he agreed.

I didn't argue, just turned around and headed back outside, following him to the correct ferry. Sure enough, two green folders and a fon disk were tucked under his arm.

I stayed quiet until we had somehow managed to fit an adult liger, an Aegis kitten who wasn't that small anymore (even if she fit on Twilight's head), a baby liger not much smaller than Valkyria, a cheagle (although Mieu is very small), and eight humans into one cabin.

Jade, Luke, Dark, and Ion sat around the central table, with Guy leaning against one wall, Anise up on a bunk, Tear standing against the ladder, and me hovering over Jade's shoulder. Twilight was curled up in a corner with the other three monsters/cat around/on him.

"By the way, Kairi, what did the Dark Wings have to say?" Jade asked. I crossed my arms.

"Sync's alive, alright. In fact, he was probably in the coach with them when they dropped Rotelro Bridge. And not just him. He's got Reighn with him," I replied. "They should already be in Baticul. With any luck, we'll be able to catch them before they run off. That having been said... Dark, you might want to check your old escape route, because Noir said she heard Sync muttering something about a factory."

Dark groaned. "Great..."

Ion frowned. "You forgot to mention something."

I shrugged. "What? I was sending a letter to Nephry. I'd have sent one to Natalia, but that's a bit pointless, since we're heading in that direction," I lied. Well, not completely. I had sent a letter to Nephry. Then I tilted my head to the side to look thoughtful. "I should probably write to Selenia too..."

Dark sighed. "Okay, next subject?" he prompted. Jade frowned and reached forward, pulling the two folders forward.

Then, as he was about to open them, he paused, mind snagging onto mine as he finally noticed something. *Any particular reason why you've been doing this for the last ten minutes?*

I fought back the cringe. "Mind if I look?"

Jade handed over the folders without a word, just in time for Twilight to blast the door.

"Hey!"

"Sorry!" I called over my shoulder, having pushed Luke over in my hurry. Twilight and Valkyria were on my heels as I raced up to the deck.

*What the hell are you doing!?*

Whoops, forgot Jade was connected. I briefly considered just snapping the connection, then sighed. *I repeat. I'm sorry.*

Then I cut it off, because there was an Oracle Knight running past me. That was good. They'd slow them down long enough for me to change.

I ducked into an empty cabin and pulled my bag out, stripping and putting the Oracle Knight uniform on as fast as I could. The telepathic field I was keeping spread over the ferry let me know that I still had plenty of time to reach Dist before Jade and the others caught up to me.

I stepped out of the cabin just in time to have a Kimlascan soldier recognize my uniform and attack. As much as I didn't want to have to hurt anyone, since I wasn't actually an Oracle Knight, I didn't bother to hold back. I didn't want to die before I could get my group back together.

The Kimlascan fell to the ground, and I started walking, then running, toward the deck as I felt the others catching up. Once on the deck, I tentatively touched Luke's mind, then, realizing they'd found the body I'd left behind and that they were very, very close, I pulled out, walking around to where Dist would be waiting.

Once on the back of the ferry, Dist dropped down in front of me. "Did you get the documents?"

I nodded. "Yes, but they're right behind me, since I stopped to change," I said, holding the folders out. Just in time for a planned bit of dramatic entrance.

"Kairi?!" Yes, that one was Luke.

"For someone with such a bad record with Daath, I never expected to see you wearing an Oracle Knights uniform." This one was Dark. And it was said very coldly, too.

Dist accepted the folders as I turned around, Valkyria on one side and Twilight on the other. "I've been undercover since before you met me," I stated. I didn't have to latch onto Luke's mind to know that I was giving them a glare as cold and hard as the one Dark was giving me. "Kairi Balfour never existed... Though I'll have to thank Viscount Osborne for helping me decide on my alias."

"You never sent a letter to my sister, did you? You were reporting to Dist instead," Jade stated. I didn't bother to correct him, because then I'd be blowing my cover.

I had written a letter, actually... warning Nephry to disregard anything Jade or Dark wrote to her about me over the course of the next month or so, which is how long I figured I had until Akzeriuth's destruction. By then, I planned to be very not involved with the Oracle Knights, aside from killing them.

I was right, though.

Jade was fighting back the heartache, even though my apologies should have told him just whose side I really was on. Oh well. He'd figure it out soon enough.

"Now then, since I've managed to retrieve these, I think it would be a wonderful time for the major and myself to leave," Dist said.

Perhaps if he hadn't said that out loud and had just quietly pulled us away, Jade wouldn't have gotten pissed off.

I jumped back, barely avoiding the spear that was now stuck in the deck of the ferry. Well, hadn't expected that to happen.

Luke seemed to take that as his cue to attack, and he and Guy rushed in, even as I drew my sword. Sorylle came running at us too, only to be knocked to the ground by Valkyria. The two were about the same size, so I figured Valkyria wouldn't have too much trouble with her.

Then came the distinctive 'thump' of Dist bringing out one of his fonic robots.

"Anise, keep that liger occupied! Dark, Guy, the major! Tear, you're our healer, stay back with Ion. Luke, help me with the bot!" Jade said quickly, already in a casting stance. This was one thing I'd been worried about, but... Oh good. "O violent torrent! Splash!"

I blocked another strike from Guy, then managed to kick him away from me before I got moving again.

Dark didn't have his guns on the max setting because he wouldn't risk hitting Guy, but he was still a good enough shot that a number of them hit me too. I knew I'd only be able to take so much at a time, and I didn't want him to hit me too much.

I ducked under another slash from Guy and struck out with a Reaper's Toll. It was a good thing I could do that with my right hand, because I needed the sword a moment later to block Guy's attempt at a counter-attack.

I'm not sure how long we went about this, with me dancing around Guy's attacks, hoping I wouldn't get hit by Dark too much, before Dist's robot fell to pieces and Luke sent the God-General flying with a Raging Blast.

I briefly contemplated just saying 'fuck this' and surrendering, since Dist wouldn't be able to see, but then I remembered the half-formed plan I already had in place.

With that in mind, I tucked and rolled out of the way of another Splash, this one sent my direction.

"Luke, help Anise with the liger," Jade ordered. The redhead scowled, but did as he was told, probably assuming he'd take Twilight down before me.

I jumped up, back-flipping away from a Stalagmite and then ducking under Guy's blade. A kick out to the side tripped him up for only a moment, and I used that to my advantage, since Valkyria had just managed to knock Sorylle out and was next to me again.

"Guardian Field!"

"That's one of Master Van's artes!"

I rolled my eyes, sending a Demon Fang his way in irritation.

The next Splash missed me by almost a foot, even though I'd just barely started moving.

"Jade?!"

I glanced up at the wide crimson eyes of my brother and nodded almost imperceptibly.

Jade glanced over at Anise and Luke. "Anise, switch me targets."

Guy shot an incredulous look over his shoulder, and I smirked, making use of his distraction to get a good slash in on his upper arm.

Anise then made herself known as a serious annoyance. "Feel the hammer of light! Limited!"

I jumped to the side, but not fast enough. The blast of light caught my right leg... Or more correctly, my right knee.

"Son of a— Shit!" I cursed, having to jump back from Guy's most recent swing. The next one came in toward my head, and I raised my sword to block it.

I saw Tokunaga's arm coming in from the left just a little too late, and didn't move fast enough to avoid it. She'd been aiming for my elbow, but ended up hitting—and breaking, if the veritable explosion of pain was any indication—my forearm.

Let me remind you that this was my left arm.

My sword arm.

"Fuck!"

"Screeeee!"

I glanced up, grabbed and awkwardly sheathed my sword with my right hand, and reached up for the griffin. Another dropped long enough to grab Valkyria, and a third barely managed to pick up Twilight. However, land was clearly in sight, so it wouldn't have to carry the liger long.

And, along with land, came the sight of a very familiar landship.

The griffins dropped us on the deck, and Dist showed up a minute later. Legretta stood across from us.

"Major Zephyr, Dist."

Dist smirked. "Information recovered. I only took one platoon in addition to the major, more as a distraction than anything else," he said. Legretta nodded, then turned to me as Asch walked over as casually as he could, once again in full God-General uniform.

"Very well then. Major, anything you'd like to report?"

I frowned. "No, ma'am. I wasn't with them long enough to gather any information. I'd just like to find a healer right now."

"Why?"

I resisted the urge to smile, which became ridiculously easy to do when I remembered who was responsible for my current pain. "My left arm is broken and my right knee is acting up. I'm not completely sure why, but I'm going to assume it's an old wound, one that's been aggravated," I said, still completely business-like.

Asch's eyes widened slightly and he looked up at Legretta. "I'll escort her to the infirmary. I'd been planning on talking to the healers anyway," he said. Legretta's eyes narrowed a bit before she nodded.

"Very well," she agreed. Then she turned to me. "I want a full report on my desk by morning," she added.

Dist scowled as she left. "Her left arm is her dominant arm. She won't be able to write," he called after the blonde. I thought I heard Legretta growl.

"Then she can give it to you orally and you can write it!"

Dist chuckled and turned to me with a wink. "Don't worry about that report. Consider this a reward for surviving Jade's wrath without me for ten minutes."

I wasn't sure whether to openly gape at his retreating chair or just faint.

Asch was definitely doing the former.

I snickered at the look on his face quietly, and it finally faded as irritation at being laughed at overpowered it.

I was already headed to the infirmary, though, so Asch had to jog to catch up.

"So, where'd the liger and Aegis cat come from?" he asked. I sighed.

"Valkyria, the cat, is a present I received from Peony right before my kidnapping. Valkyria, this is Asch," I said. Valkyria mewed, and I nodded toward Twilight, since he was on my left. "This is Twilight. He's a western clan liger who was kicked out for befriending an eastern clan liger. Since he doesn't mind easterners, I figured he'd be fine around Dark and his new liger, Sorylle."

"What happened to Koran?"

I bit my lip. "Koran's dead."

Asch looked away. "I'm sorry."

"What did I tell you about apologizing for something that wasn't your fault?"

"But I was the one keeping us away from Baticul. You could've seen him more than just the two times if I hadn't—"

"Asch."

The redhead stopped with a sigh, and I stuffed my right hand into a hidden pocket. "By the way, Sync's alive."

I couldn't help but snicker as I continued along my way to the infirmary. Twilight, bless his soul, was worried enough about my friend to pause and nudge the redhead (since he'd gone and tripped and hadn't gotten up again yet), but I figured he'd get up again soon enough.

As if to prove me right, Asch was running to catch up to me just as I opened the door to the infirmary. I poked his mind and he latched on faster than I'd expected.

*Where is he?!*

I smiled at the Oracle Knight who walked up to me, though it was very strained. "I need my arm set and bandaged, maybe even put in a cast if it's bad enough," I said quickly. The healer sighed.

"What'd you do? Start sparring with one of Arietta's ligers?"

I sighed. "Nope. Her archenemy. And it wasn't a friendly spar, either. Also, it'd be nice if you could check my knee while you're at it. I think I might have aggravated an old wound," I said. Asch frowned.

*Old wound? You have a lot of explaining to do.*

*Don't remind me,* I muttered as the healer led me over to a table.

"I take it you're here to try to learn healing artes, as you mentioned earlier this week?" the medic continued, this time addressing Asch. I blinked.

*What?* Asch asked.

I shook my head.

Fun Fact: Upon realizing that Kairi wasn't a seventh fonist in this story... I realized that I needed someone to act the part of the healer. Dark wasn't an option (due to his fonic arte problems), Selenia wasn't an option (not a seventh fonist), and I didn't want to land Reighn with being the only healer in their group. So I sat Asch and Sync down for rock-paper-scissors... And Sync rage-quit before Asch volunteered. Hehe... That was an interesting mental conversation.