Okay, so this took longer to post than I'd thought it would. Whoops. Meant for it to go up yesterday.

Finally done with Chapter 2! -does a happy dance-

Enjoy! (You've got another one coming later.) :D

*If there isn't any coffee, I seriously suggest making some.* -Kairi

*Asch should have realized that sending just Sync with us wouldn't stop you from riding me to Chesedonia.* -Twilight

Chapter 3.1 – Akzeriuth
Part 29

I gently shook Asch awake, and the redhead grumbled quietly under his breath before crawling out of his sleeping bag. Twilight, whose leg had been my pillow most of the night, was already awake.

Flick had handed off the third watch to me, rather than Arietta as originally planned, and had even given me another wing pack.

A moment's inspection revealed it to be Asch's, complete with most of the gald we'd had before getting split up, since Asch had been the one in charge of our finances. It had always been interesting. Asch made sure we had money, Sync was careful about our medicines, and I—being the best cook out of the three of us, since Sync could barely make an edible meal when we'd met and Asch's meals were a bit lacking in variety—had been in charge of food.

So of course, when we'd been separated, I'd had a lot of food and a small amount of Gels—mostly orange—a Panacea, and a Life Bottle in my bag, along with a few thousand gald, which had then been stuffed into my wing pack. Asch's bag was rather similar, with some fruits and vegetables that wouldn't spoil too quickly, some Apple Gels, a Panacea, a Life Bottle (these two were pretty much standard-issue in our group), and a modest amount of gald to throw people off of the wing pack. Sync's bag was practically identical to Asch's, but with a few Orange Gels thrown in.

I shoved the wing pack into Asch's chest and wandered around camp for a little while, waiting for him to finish up.

It didn't take him long, once he actually got moving, and once I was sure we were far enough away that Arietta and Flick wouldn't hear, I sighed. "I'm sure they'll have some coffee prepared by the time we catch up."

"Where are they, anyway?" Asch asked. I shrugged.

"Far enough ahead I can't hear them because whoever's awake and on watch isn't Dark, Reighn, Sync, or Jade. I highly doubt they left the ruins. If there's one positive about the Zao Ruins, it's that they form a very convenient shelter."

Asch nodded, not exactly in the mood to argue at this hour.

'This hour' being about four-thirty in the morning. And, as we all should know by now, Asch is not a morning person. I glanced at Twilight, who had a happily-napping Valkyria curled up on his head as was becoming very, very usual. I smiled at the sight before turning and continuing along the path.

Three and a half hours later, and without realizing I'd dropped my field, Asch and I arrived at the rounded entrance area. I frowned, noting no signs of camp having been made here, and forced the field back into place even as Asch groaned.

"Great. We've probably missed them," he grumbled, even as I located all of the minds I'd been looking for. I giggled and grabbed his arm, pulling him back the way we'd come.

*If there isn't any coffee, I seriously suggest making some,* I warned before cutting of the connection and letting the field collapse again.

Instead of making the turn that would lead us back to the sephiroth, we kept going straight, down to where you normally find the crystallized second fonons in the game.

"Decided you didn't want to risk getting caught unawares when the rest of us left, eh?" I teased as we stepped into a camp that was only half torn down.

Dark looked up and smiled, walking over with a mug of coffee that Asch accepted gratefully. Jade looked up at the two of us and raised an eyebrow. "I'll assume this marks the end of your little stint as a double-agent?"

I nodded. "Yeah. The God-Generals don't trust me and aren't going to trust me enough for me to get any useful information out of them. Besides... If I have to pick between three annoying little girls and one, I'll take the one, thank you. Less chance of me murdering someone," I said, sitting down and helping myself to breakfast. Asch sat down next to me, and Natalia took a deep breath before preparing a plate and setting it next to him.

The plate was ignored in favor of the coffee.

"Asch..."

"Don't talk to me."

Natalia looked affronted, and I sighed. "Asch, I'm sorry, but you're the one who agreed to this last night. Don't snap at Natalia."

He grumbled something under his breath before taking another gulp of coffee, and Sync sighed.

"You woke him up early this morning, didn't you?"

I shrugged. "Arietta's a late riser when she doesn't have a liger or a soldier to wake her, and Flick was on watch until right after I woke up. They're probably both still asleep. That, and I kinda wanted to catch up before you left the ruins."

Asch grumbled something else before finally putting the mostly-empty mug down and sighing at the plate still sitting next to him. "Thanks, Natalia," he mumbled just barely coherently as he picked it up and started eating.

Twilight nudged the back of my head, and I reached back with my mind to open a connection.

*Late riser or not, we should leave as soon as possible. Arietta won't be happy when she wakes.*

I nodded and reached back to scratch behind his ears absently.

"Are you going to share with the rest of us, or do we have to sit around and wonder?" Guy asked. I shrugged.

"Basically, we should hurry up."

Jade chuckled and adjusted his glasses, then frowned. "While I'm quite happy to have my sister back... I'm not sure I'm comfortable traveling in this large of a group," he said. "Even if Arietta and Flick are well behind us, we'll attract attention."

Asch looked around, dull, sleep-addled emerald eyes finally sharpening as his mind started spinning. He looked over every person present with a frown.

"We'll split into three groups, then," he decided. Luke frowned.

"When did you become the leader all of a sudden?"

I reached over and knocked him upside the head before shooting Asch a warning glare. Then I turned back to Luke. "Asch spent five years as the commander of special operations in the Oracle Knights. He knows what he's doing. And Jade's right. There's too many of us to risk moving in one large group."

Luke clenched his jaw to bite back a retort and reluctantly nodded.

Asch sighed and glanced around. "You're all going to Akzeriuth on a mission, right? If we inform the Malkuth-side consulate, they should be able to commandeer two ferries."

Jade crossed his arms. "If we're going to do something like that, I should go with the first group. I've got the authority needed with the Malkuth military to pull that off."

Asch nodded. "You, Natalia, and I are going in the first group. You're the only real representative from Malkuth here, the first group will need that influence."

"But you also need a representative of Kimlasca, so you're taking me with you," Natalia realized. Asch looked around the group for a few more minutes.

"Luke and Ion need to be in the second group... Guy and Tear will go with those two. Anise, you're with the first group. You're a Fon Master Guard, you'll be able to confirm that Ion's coming."

"That still leaves Dark, Reighn, Sync, Kairi, and the monsters," Tear said. Sorylle growled at her.

"I'm going with Dark."

"Mieuuuu! Sorylle's going with Dark, and I'm going to go with Master Luke!" Mieu said cheerfully.

Twilight growled at Valkyria, who mewed a few times. "Valkyrie wants to go with Kairi, because she's supposed to, but she is willing to protect one of Kairi's friends if ordered to. I will act likewise."

Jade adjusted his glasses and looked at Dark, who huffed and translated for the older liger. Asch frowned and started counting.

"Jade, Natalia, Anise, and me... Luke, Guy, Tear... Dark, you and Sorylle go with the second group, Reighn's coming with the first. We'll need someone else who can act as a short-range fighter."

"Uh, Asch? You're leaving me and Kairi with Twilight and Valkyria?" Sync asked.

Asch took a deep breath, expression turning into the familiar blank mask of a soldier, and my eyes widened as he stood up. "Asch!"

"You four are going to Grand Chokmah."

"What? Why?!" Sync yelled.

Asch shot him a look. "Ask Kairi while you're on the road."

"Asch!"

The redhead turned to look at me. "We had this conversation last night."

I scowled, clenched my fists, stood, and walked (okay, stomped) away.

I rounded a corner and sank to the ground, trying not to scream.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked. I heard Asch sigh, and there was a soft thud. "Asch?!" I guess he flopped back down on the ground.

"She's sick, isn't she?" Jade asked, barely loud enough for me to hear. Asch was quiet for a while, but I could image the face he was making. "And since Sync's still in bad shape from the sephiroth, you're sending him with her."

"We don't need coddled, Asch," I heard Sync grumble. But he sounded more tired than angry.

"I know. But I lost you two once... I don't think I can stand it a second time."

The tears finally broke loose, and I forced myself to stand and walk further away so they wouldn't hear me.

I don't know how long it took Twilight, Valkyria, and Sync to find me. Nor did I really care by that point.

"You're not just sick, are you?" Sync asked softly, alerting me to his presence. I sighed.

"I'd forgotten... During the game, Tear's the one operating the passage rings. She... she got sick, because miasma-tainted seventh fonons got stuck in her body. I... I've absorbed as much as she had... No, more. And I had no idea..."

I hadn't been watching Sync, so I had no warning for when he managed to wrap me up in a desperate hug.

It took me a few moment to notice him shaking, and I frowned, uncurled myself carefully, and pulled him closer. "Shh... It doesn't really hurt anymore. Not with the medication I'm on."

Sync shook his head. "Kairi... I'm sorry. I didn't even think about the kind of pain you have to be in... It's just... I just got you back..."

I bit my lip and tried to curl up again, this time around my little brother. "I'm not going anywhere. Not if I can do anything about it."

Sync didn't respond for a long time, but when he finally started moving again, I let go. He stood up and took a deep breath, then looked at me. "The others left some time ago. Arietta and Flick even passed our campsite. It's a good thing you were hidden here, or they might have found you."

I sighed. "So, we should definitely go."

Twilight growled softly and nudged my head again, and I reopened the telepathic channel, adding Sync in as well and tentatively trying to add Valkyria. The last one didn't work, sadly. *You want to go to Akzeriuth regardless of the miasma, yes?* he asked. I nodded, and I'd have sworn the liger looked smug. *Asch should have realized that sending just Sync with us wouldn't stop you from riding me to Chesedonia.*

Sync looked worried, but I smirked. *We could easily beat them to the ferry.*

*No telepathic field, though. Asch and Jade will catch you the minute you lay one down,* Sync warned me, a reluctant tone to his voice. I smiled and reached over to hug him. Of course, now that he'd gotten his 'too confusing' emotions under control, he stiffened in my grip, and I giggled.

"Let's go!"

Twilight growled an encouragement, and I jumped up onto his back, pulling Sync up in front of me because he was smaller and not used to riding ligers.

The one positive thing about riding a liger in the desert, or anywhere, really, is that most monsters will leave you alone. Also, due to the fact that ligers actually have very good eyesight, we were able to avoid both of the groups that were travelling on foot.

We arrived at Chesedonia sometime in the late afternoon, and we stopped by Din's shop in the bazaar, since Sync claimed the others wouldn't be catching up until just before sunset. Din was kind enough to supply me with paper and envelopes, and I started writing. One letter was written to Nephry, another to Emperor Peony, and a third to Selenia. Then I wrote a letter that would hopefully find its way to Noir.

Once I was done with my letters, Sync took them to the carrier pigeon service, while I changed out of the Oracle Knights uniform. It was comfortable, sure, but it was even nicer to finally be able to wear my own clothes again.

"They're here," Sync said. I nodded once and grabbed my bag and my wing pack, putting both where they belonged and turning to follow him out of the shop.

"Sayonara, Kairi-sama, Sync-san!"

Sync kept his mouth shut until we'd left the shop. "Why does she have to speak like that?" he whined. I just giggled and continued toward the port. Then I frowned.

"Damn. Which ferry?"

Sync looked over at the Malkuth consulate building and walked over, creeping along the wall. I resisted the urge to face-palm, as the scene was eerily similar to the one from the game.

Sync ran back over a moment later, glancing over the ferries quickly before pointing to one. "That one," he said. I sighed and hopped back up onto Twilight, pulling him up after me.

We ended up hopping onto one ferry, then jumping over to the correct one. Since the only other people onboard would be Asch, Jade, Natalia, Anise, Reighn, and the attendants, we slipped down into the cargo hold, just to be safe.

"We won't be arriving until tomorrow morning. We should get some sleep until then," I said, having moved some boxes so we wouldn't be immediately obvious to anyone who walked in.

"Kairi?"

I sighed as I unrolled my sleeping bag and laid down, again using one of Twilight's legs as a pillow.

Sync unrolled his sleeping bag right next to mine and Twilight shifted so he'd have a pillow-leg too.

"Do you think there might be a way to fix the miasma with Energies?" he asked.

I frowned and thought over it. "I know how Ion fixed it in the game, but I won't let that happen this time," I said. Then I sighed. "I might be able to recreate something similar with Energies, but I'm not testing it right now. I'm tired. We really should get to sleep."

Sync muttered a general agreement...

And if he slept a little closer than was strictly comfortable for me, I didn't bring it up.

Fun Fact: So... I honestly have no idea what happened to those letters. Okay, not true. Nephry's was a warning of things to come. So was Emperor Peony's. But Selenia's? And Noir's? Not a frickin' clue. Then again, it might just explain something a little later on...