Chapter 39: Holy Bananas

-April 14, 2009-

Kassy's POV

The girls, minus Sylvia, all but limped after the others, protesting and stubbornly ignoring their insistent pleas to rest and/or stay behind.

After a short battle, we free Jane and Terk from their vine prison on one of the upper platform-like tree trunks, "Clayton came to the tent, and… That's the last thing I remember."

Sora frowned, "Clayton?"

Tarzan frowned as well, "Gorillas trapped. Terk ran."

"We must help the gorillas!" Jane explained.

Sylvia nodded before anyone else could speak, "We heard a gunshot near the camp, so let's go back that way."

Everyone trudged back to the camp. I frowned, looking up at the darkening sky, "Syvy… It's getting darker…"

She smirked over her shoulder, "Afraid of the darkness? Come on, Kassy. I thought you were stronger than that."

"That's not what I meant. It'll be easier if we get some sleep." My frown deepened. She wasn't taking me seriously.

Cloud spoke up behind us, "I agree. We can take watch shifts."

With a unanimous agreement, we continued back to the campsite. The tent wasn't too big, though thankfully wasn't too small. Tarzan and Cloud offered the first watch.

It was thankfully an uneventful night for everyone on each shift. The next morning we took only a few moments to gather ourselves before we headed out of the tent. A loud growl came from the thicket of bamboo ahead. We raced to the source of the sound before being ambushed by Sabor. With the nine of us, it didn't take long for his defeat. The jaguar's eyes slowly closed. I felt a bit sick.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, "You okay, Kass?"

I smiled weakly at Sylvia until it fell. The effort was too much, "I-I don't know..."

"That's good then. You're staying back at the camp for this fight." I gasped.

"No! Y-You can't do this! I'm fighting with you! I'm not staying behind!" Why was she doing this?!

"You're staying behind, Kassy, and that's final." She looked over her shoulder, "That goes for you too, Hazel. Elena."

"Ah, hell no!" Elena growled, "Why would I listen to you? Besides, I'm not injured! I can still fight!"

Hazel protested as well, "I can still fight! I'll sit out when I'm dead!"

"You guys are staying behind and that's final!" The environment around us began to grow darker.

"Sylvia, you can't do this to me! I have to experience this! You can't take this away! I won't let you do this to me!" I felt colder.

Elena's POV

"I will protect you if it's the last thing I do!" Sylvia's voice began to double with another woman's.

"I don't need your protection! I never needed your protection!" Kassy's voice doubled with another woman's as well.

Something was wrong. And it was getting out of control, "Guys. You need to calm down."

As they continued arguing about protection, the air grew darker and colder. Sylvia's eyes began losing color until they were as white as snow. Kassy's eyes began to lighten until they were a glowing yellow. The color of the eyes of a Heartless.

"I said calm the fuck down!" Honestly, I began panicking at this moment.

Cloud brought each hand down onto the girls' necks, effectively knocking them out.

I blinked at the spiky haired blond for a moment, "That works too."

Sora gently picked up Kass bridal style. Cloud threw Sylvia over his shoulder none to gently. Sora turned to the group, "Um… Did anyone notice their-"

I cut him off rather rudely but I really had no energy to care, "No. You're not the only one. This is bad. Someone needs to stay and help Hazel watch them." I glared at said female who dared open her mouth. She shut it with a glare of her own.

"Good." Cloud smirked, "You'll be staying behind with them then."

"No. No I'm not. You're the one who was able to shut them up successfully so you should be the one who stays." I growled. How dare he play this game with me?

"You're their best friend. If they're still in that state when they awake, you can talk them out of it. I know you can." He murmured.

Feeling a light blush creep onto my cheeks, I groaned, "Ugh... Alright... Fine. I'll stay. Only because I know how pissed Sylvia will be when she wakes up. And I'm the only one on Ear- uh… er… only person who knows how to calm her down when she's being her regular self." I returned the small smile on Cloud's lips, albeit shyly.

He dumped Sylvia onto the ground roughly. I snorted. The male walked out of the tent. I followed him to the entrance, "Be careful, Cloud." He nodded. I turned and headed into the tent.

Sora came into the tent with a chattering Hazel on his heels. He set Kasandra down gently next to Sylvia and brushed a few hairs away from her head softly, a loving smile on his lips. Well that would sure be used as blackmail.

Hazel giggled, "Get going, lover boy!"

He protested loudly with a dark blush, but Hazel repeated herself and ushered him out the doorway. The boys' footsteps faded away after a few minutes.

Hazel sat next to me and watched our fallen friends for a moment before turning to me, "So... What the fuck was that?"

"Don't know. My current theory is something triggered the maidens taking control. And… Sorry to both of them, but… I don't trust either of them to keep control. I don't know what we're going to do?" Neither of us had an answer.