Fourth chapter today. Read the others if you haven't yet.

And keep an eye out for Sync's line from up top here. If it weren't for the fact that it was an entire little scene, I'd have put most of it up here. It was rather amusing.

Enjoy! I'll see everyone again tomorrow.

"The creepy cat lady that Jade doesn't like, apparently." –Asch

"What? Was I not supposed to come back or something?" –Sync

"Your singing voice leaves something to be desired, and Sync and computers usually don't go well together." –Kairi

Chapter 4.4 – For Want of Separate Roads
Part 40

It was that dull creaking sound that first worried me.

Then there was the metallic screech, accompanied by shaking. Jade looked over at Guy, and the two of them raced out of the bridge. Asch gave me a look, holding up a hand and signing four letters. T-O-T-A.

I frowned a moment and thought about it. What did happen in the game after Daath? Hmm... Let's see, going to Grand Chokmah, the Sword Dancer, Theor Forest... Wait. No, there was something else...

Nephry!

A wide grin broke across my face. "Nephry visit!"

Asch looked like he wasn't sure whether to be happy for me getting to see my sister again, or concerned about whatever was causing us to have to stop. Tear and Natalia exchanged a look with Anise.

"Nephry?"

"My little sister. Well, my biological little sister. Kairi's older sister," Jade said, stepping back in. It had been a few minutes, at least. He looked over at me. "Are you feeling alright?"

I blinked a few times, then frowned and raised a hand to my forehead. Damn. I was burning up again.

I sighed and stood, heading for one of the cabins. That was enough answer for them, and I really didn't feel like admitting, out loud, that I was ill. I sat down on the bed in the cabin and pulled myself out of my body.

My memory wasn't perfect, but... didn't Ion save Tear by drawing the miasma-tainted seventh fonons in her body into his own? That was what I was working with, but...

Then it hit me, and I felt like a complete idiot.

Most of the miasma wasn't still attached to the seventh fonons. My body's developing fonslots couldn't handle that stress, and so it had been separated and the fonons freed.

Lucky fonons.

But if that was the case, then wouldn't a more forceful version of the classic poison-flushing work?

I reached out, drawing together water and moon Energies. A few fire Energies were thrown into the mix, and then, reluctantly, I reached out, slipping the Energies into my body—or more specifically, into my torso around my lung—and started the process.

The drain on my strength told me that it was definitely working, and after a few minutes, I released the Energies and slipped back into my body.

Asch had the misfortune of walking in on me as I screamed and blacked out.

*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*

I hissed as I came back to consciousness.

"Kairi?"

I forced my eyes open to look up at Asch. He looked worried. "You shouldn't be able to feel anything... I'm surprised you're even awake..."

I realized then that he had, once again, drugged me up on morphine. I took a deep, painful breath. "Miasma."

Asch nodded, and I scowled and threw a mental spear at him before he could speak, because I could tell, just from his expression, that he'd misinterpreted me.

*I found a way to get rid of the miasma,* I said. Asch's eyes widened slightly.

"What does that have to do with—"

*Imprint. I removed too much at once, the pain imprint knocked me out.*

Asch blinked a few times, then cringed. "It's just like the poison-flushing trick that saved Sync, isn't it?" I nodded. "But, I thought you said..."

*My body wasn't designed to hold fonons, especially not in those quantities. Due to my experience working with Energies, I was subconsciously separating the miasma from the seventh fonons, just like I always have to clean up Energies in places of death.*

"And the miasma stuck around in your body."

I nodded again and slowly started to sit up. Now that the pain was fading a bit, I could feel the sluggishness that usually came with the morphine. I sat there a moment, contemplating whether to flush the morphine or let it wear off on its own.

"Kairi?"

"I'll be okay. I just need to be more careful about removing the miasma," I said, my voice hoarse. I'd probably been screaming longer than I realized before blacking out.

Asch looked reluctant, but he helped me to my feet, and I followed him back to the bridge. It was getting rather chilly. Were we near Keterburg already?

"Ah, you're awake. We'll be arriving in Keterburg in an hour," Jade said. I nodded absently, and Jade frowned. "Kairi?"

"I'm alright... I did something stupid, but I'll be fine by the time we get to Nephry's... Assuming you have my coat..." I trailed off, looking at Asch. The redhead looked at me like I'd grown a second head, then flinched and pulled his own off, slipping it around my shoulders.

"Sorry. I forgot you have a tendency to get cold, or I'd have picked up a new one in Daath."

I shrugged. "I'll be okay... Not like Arielle and the others don't keep the place warm, anyways." Sync chuckled.

"Yeah. It'll be nice to see Arielle again, don't you think?"

I nodded. "It'll be nice to see all of them again. Arielle, Barst, Nephry, even the creepy cat lady."

Jade shuddered. "Can we please avoid Miss Liza? Please?"

Asch, Sync and I exchanged conspiratorial looks. "The creepy cat lady that Jade doesn't like, apparently," Asch noted. Natalia frowned, but Asch didn't notice, already sitting back in his usual seat. I took mine and poked around with the monitor for a little bit. Not like there's much for me to do at the moment.

"Hey, Kairi? Um... Since we've still got some time... Could I talk to you?" Sync asked. I noted that he was standing near the exit. So, he didn't want to talk around the others? I stood again and nodded, and we headed out onto the deck.

"Something wrong?"

"Ion has dead Energies... a lot of dead Energies."

"Sun?" I guessed. In fact, I'd guessed this from the day I found out Sync had dead moon Energies.

"Sun and moon both, but mostly sun, yes."

I crossed my arms and leaned against the railing. "And why do you suddenly sound so upset about this? I seem to recall you loathing Ion and his position."

Sync looked up at me, then out over the water. "The title, yes. I don't ever want to be the Fon Master. I don't care for Ion's... disposition, nor do I want to help people the way he wants to. I also hate being reminded that we're identical... even if it did save my life. But..." He stopped here and started fiddling around with his gloves. I noted that he'd sounded exasperated for most of his little rant, up until the end. Still...

Sync sighed. "Kairi... I'm only going to say this once." I looked down at him, and realized, quite suddenly, how very similar we were. Both hiding our true selves behind masks... "Thank you, for saving me."

I let the small smile slip across my lips. He wasn't talking about Daath. Well, not this particular episode. Memories started playing through my mind. Our first actual meeting.

I was about halfway through eating when Sync stopped playing with his eggs with a sigh.

"Thank you."

The day I started knocking sense into his head.

The moment I stepped into our cabin, Sync whirled around and glared openly at me. "Where the hell is my mask?!"

The first time the three of us went through the Deo Pass.

"You couldn't be bothered to wake me up?"

...I smiled. "You needed the rest, so stop complaining,"

The memories started to come back even faster. Bringing Sync onto the second plane the first time. Waking up in St. Binah after my body nearly destabilized. Digging around in one of Peony's junk piles. Supporting Sync when we returned to Mt. Roneal. Sync supporting me as I told him, Asch, and Dark about my dad. Sync and Selenia at Asch's birthday.

I smiled at the memories as one more came to the forefront of my mind.

Sync and Cantabile, embracing outside Choral Castle.

"I'd do it a million times over if I had to."

Sync chuckled and looked up at me. "I know. The trail of adoption papers might make you my aunt, but you'll always be my older sister."

I nodded. "That's right. So... You want me to help Ion, or do you want to do it?"

Sync looked back over the water. "I... I'll do it. I guess... We're both replicas, but... I guess that sort of makes me his older brother, since I was... 'born' first."

I hummed. "True. Still... It's hard work, being an older sibling. You have to look out for the younger ones, and sometimes, it's hard to accept that they can take care of themselves."

Sync chuckled. "I guess. But I... I want to be the one to do it. If for no other reason than to spite Mohs... Although I can't even bring myself to say that like I mean it."

I put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing for a moment before turning and heading back to the bridge. "Let me know when I have to explain the process," I called over my shoulder. I paused a moment to look forward. I could see land already, which meant we were close.

So, Keterburg. I wondered idly if Asch would protest us going up Mt. Roneal to check on the sephiroth.

Then I remembered someone, and went from standing around on the deck to running into the bridge. "Did anyone find anything out on Reighn?"

Asch looked up at me, smirk barely suppressed. "You're just now asking that?"

I reached over and smacked the smartass before turning back to the others. "Well? Anything?"

Jade adjusted his glasses, trying and failing to hide his own amusement. "It seems he agreed to help escort one of the groups into the Deo Pass and was, luckily, out of range when Akzeriuth fell. However, being an outsider, he was arrested under charge of being an accomplice to the destruction of Akzeriuth... despite all arguments otherwise, apparently."

Asch nodded. "He's being held in Grand Chokmah to await trial. We should arrive before then, even with the stop in Keterburg, assuming we only spend one extra day there."

So, no trips to Mt. Roneal. Dang.

"What's that face?" Dark asked suspiciously. I sighed and shrugged.

"I'd just been hoping I could make a trip up Mt. Roneal before we left for Grand Chokmah, but if it means getting Reighn out of trouble, I'm willing to skip it," I said, a bit reluctantly, slipping back into my seat.

Twilight growled over my shoulder, and I initiated the connection.

*I could carry you, if you want. If we left at first light, we could make it up and back down before dusk, a little after depending on how long your business will take.*

I sighed. *No. For one thing, you'd have to carry me and Sync... Besides, that would leave you exhausted, wouldn't it?*

Twilight let a thoughtful rumble form in his throat. *What if we left tonight? If we were to rest between the city and the mountain, then set out after the two of you woke... We would still have plenty of time. And I do not tire so easily as you seem to worry I do.*

I crossed my arms. *I don't care how easily you tire, I don't want to risk you getting too hurt.*

*I will be fine.*

*Alright. Then I suppose I should warn Sync.*

*He comes.*

I looked up. Sure enough, the door opened and let the green-haired teen in question onto the bridge. He glanced around. "What? Was I not supposed to come back or something?"

I grinned. "I told them I threw you overboard."

Sync looked at me, not sure if I was joking or not, before rolling his eyes and walking over to his usual station. "Har, har, get a sense of humor."

"What's wrong with the one I have now?"

"Plenty." This came from a number of people, and I'm not entirely sure who all spoke, so I'm afraid I can't tell you.

"As amusing as listening to you all is, we're going to be docking soon." And Jade, ruining the moment, as usual.

"Ah, then Twilight and I are kidnapping Sync soon."

"Wait, what?!"

"You heard me right the first time."

"And where exactly are you three going?" Asch asked.

"Mt. Roneal."

I didn't miss the way Sync's back suddenly went stiff. "Kairi..." Asch muttered. A warning tone.

Sync shook his head. "I'll be fine."

"It wasn't really you I was worried about," Asch admitted. I frowned.

"I have to check them, Asch. Your singing voice leaves something to be desired, and Sync and computers usually don't go well together."

Asch made a face that accurately described what he thought of my comment and the situation. "When you put it like that..."

Anise, however, was baffled. "What does Asch's singing voice have to do with anything?"

Asch, Sync, and I, being the only three who knew about how to open the passage rings, got a good laugh out of that one, and ended up leaving the poor Fon Master Guard even more baffled.

"Ahem." Jade, again.

I turned back to my monitor and started adjusting controls. Asch, Guy, Dark, Anise, and Sync did likewise, while Jade directed everything from above. I, personally, was very tempted to grumble at Natalia to sit down and learn the controls just so she'd stop hovering over Asch's shoulder.

Of course once we got the Tartarus docked, managed to get through the Malkuth soldiers, and were standing just outside the port, I hopped up on Twilight's back, holding a hand out for Sync.

"You have to go now?" Anise asked in surprise. I sighed and nodded.

"If we're going to make it up and back before you leave the morning after tomorrow, yes. Apologize to Nephry for me? I kept promising to visit her as soon as I could, but..."

Jade nodded. "This obviously is important. Just be careful. It might be the quiet season, but the monsters around here are still the strongest in the world," he said. Dark nodded.

"I'd come with you, but Sorylle's still too small. Good luck."

I nodded, then looked down at Twilight around Sync. The liger grunted and then took off, picking up speed as he ran. I held Sync close, both for the warmth of another human body, and as a subtle way of comforting the younger teen.

We hadn't been running that long when we hit familiar forest.

*Keep to the path for a bit. There's a side path that leads out to a cabin.*

Twilight sent a confirmation back through the connection, and slowed after a bit.

*That's it.*

He padded along down the path at a clip Sync and I would be hard-pressed to match.

As the old cabin came into view, I felt a wave of nostalgia.

Except this time, there was no gray-furred, brown-maned liger to tackle me to the ground. Just me, and Sync, and Twilight.

No Koran.

Fun Fact: Well, not so fun. I miss Koran. I really do. I hated killing him off. But... Well... Plot development required it. I'm so sorry Koran! I miss you!

On an entirely different note... The scene with Kairi and Sync was... Not actually planned. It just sort happened.