A/N: And in this chapter the truth comes out.
Special thanks to Kristen Verne for role playing most of this chapter with me.
Shock
KAI: It's astonishing how one discovery...can turn your entire reality upside down.
After the Dwarf Woodlands fell to darkness, Maleficent and the Chaos Squad met back at the castle chapel, their target, Princess Snow White, still hanging unconscious over Dhampir's shoulder.
"Excellent work!" the evil sorceress praised. "You all are proving to be invaluable!"
"So this is, what, three princesses down, four to go?" asked Reptile.
"Yep," Cyclops replied. "We have identified one more, but I say we leave that one chick in the freaky enchanted castle till last. I don't want to tangle with that freak she calls a friend, and all those walking/talking objects are freaky."
Lightning scoffed at this. "Look who's calling who a freak..."
"We're all freaks here, Pinky," Reptile chuckled, "or did you forget?"
"At least some of us are more subtle. But I guess none of you care about that, do you? Just willing to show off your freaky-ness for every world we invade."
"We've been given a gift," said Cyclops. "Why handicap yourself?"
Lightning clenched her fist in anger. "Some of us aren't exactly proud of what became of us thanks to those scientists. In fact I see no reason to be proud of any of this! In case you haven't noticed, Reptile, Cyclops, Dhampir, you three are the only ones in this squad who actually enjoy all this, our mutations and what we're using them for. It all just makes me sick to my stomach!"
Reptile chuckled again. "You still do the work. You're just as bad as us."
"You know I'm only being forced to! So, shut up!"
"Enough!" Maleficent exclaimed. "Infighting is unbecoming of a team! No reason to antagonize one another! And Avatar, know your place! Understood?" Everyone nodded. "Good... You are all dismissed for the day. Dhampir let's take the Princess to the Grand Hall."
"Yes, milady!" the vampire answered as the two left the room.
Reptile then stretched. "You know, I don't think I've had enough of my fill of violence for today. I wonder if Jafar has a challenge for me." He then left the room as well.
"Well, today's my turn for recon duty," said Cyclops. "I better get to it." He then warped out.
Lightning then looked to Cloud, Lucky, and Kai. "You know what disgusts me the most? The fact that none of you three have a good reason for following Maleficent and Dhampir's stupid orders."
"It doesn't concern you," replied Kai.
"I'm serious here, Kai! Are you really willing to do all of this...just to get revenge for your sister?"
"What else is there for me? I must make Xehanort pay for what he did. Whatever happens along the way is of no concern to me. I bet if he killed Serah, you'd do whatever it took to avenge her."
Serah interjected. "I wouldn't want her to do this!"
"Exactly!" Lightning exclaimed. "Have you ever thought about whether or not this is what Kairi would want you to do?"
"I'm already going to hell, so what does it matter at this point?"
"UGH! You're infuriatingly stubborn! You said it yourself yesterday that you felt like you were only wasting your time here! Your petty vengeance can't be worth ruining innocent lives along the way!"
The redhead then glared at the pinkette. "YOU KNOW NOTHING! Protecting Kairi was my duty, ensuring her happiness was supposed to be my fate! She was my reason to live, and Xehanort took her from me! My only reason to keep on living anymore is to take revenge on him! Nothing else matters!"
Lightning growled in frustration. "And what happens after you get your revenge? What then?"
"I have nothing left to live for! SO USE YOUR IMAGINATION!"
Lucky couldn't help but clutch her heart in sadness. She was always worried that Kai would take his own life after his revenge, but to actually hear him imply such a thing still hurt. She had promised that she would look after him for Kairi, so what was she supposed to do about this?
"Nothing?!" Lightning snapped. "What about your friends?! What about your fellow Recruits?! What about Lucky?! Are you saying that we mean nothing to you?! That you don't care how we would feel about you just throwing your life away?!"
Kai then grew somber. "I failed my purpose in life... What right do I have to go on? I don't expect you to understand."
Lightning grunted again before turning to Lucky. "I don't get why you even bother taking care of this selfish fool, who doesn't appreciate anyone!"
The bug girl trembled nervously. "L-Lightning... I-I don't think..."
"You can leave if you want!"
"Wh-where would I-I even g-go?"
"Maybe to your FAMILY in Traverse Town!" Lightning had told Lucky about how her mother was in Traverse Town, waiting for her daughter to return to her. But Lucky was still reluctant to leave. And unfortunately she was still too reluctant now as she looked down and twiddled her thumbs. "Ugh! Are you really that scared your own family won't love you just because of your appearance? I was told that your mother doesn't care about what you look like, and just wants her daughter back! Is that not enough for you?!"
The bug girl was struggling to hold it together as her eyes started to water. Her fellow pinkette's words were cutting too deeply. "P-p-please...I-I j-j-just..."
"You need to grow a spine! You have a life waiting for you! And yet here you are participating in invasions you clearly don't like, and looking after a man too caught up in his own selfish needs to care about anyone else! You're just a coward!"
And with that, the dam broke and tears started flooding. Lucky covered her face as started sobbing, before she ran out of the chamber.
He didn't know why, but when he saw her run off in tears, Kai felt a pang in his chest. He just...didn't like seeing Lucky sad.
Lightning then huffed. "That girl goes out of her way to comfort you, and you show her no appreciation. But I suppose it doesn't matter to you. The only person you ever cared about was Kairi, while you neglect everyone else who cares about you."
Kai grumbled before coldly saying, "Lightning... Just mind your own business..." With that he walked out of the chamber.
Serah then walked up to her sister. "Did you really have to say those things to them? Kai is still grieving, not just for Kairi but for his whole family. Losing loved ones one after another does things to people, including making them irrational. And Lucky has more reasons to be afraid than just her appearance. Anyone who betrays the squad is hunted down, and she's not much of a fighter. I just feel like you're being harsher than necessary."
Lightning took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry... I'm just so frustrated with everyone here. I sympathize with Kai's plight, but loving his family, dead or alive, does not give him the right to just forsake everyone else. And Lucky...I just wish she'd just stand up for herself for once, and refuse to work with them." She then turned to Cloud. "And what about you? What's your excuse?"
The blond took a moment before speaking. "If it's any consolation, I too am starting to think I'm just wasting my time here. Nine years and no leads on Sephiroth. Maybe I should just leave and go look for him myself."
"Finally someone sane-"
Suddenly they were interrupted when a new but familiar voice made itself known. "Now, hold it there, spiky boy! Let's not be hasty!" In a puff of smoke, Hades appeared next to Cloud.
"What do you want?" asked Cloud.
"Come now, here me out! It's clear to me that you're not satisfied with your place here, so I've got a proposition for you." Hades then conjured a doll of Maleficent. "You see, good old Maleficent has given me permission to borrow you for a while." The doll then changed to one of a muscular man wearing brown. "You see, I got this pest back home that I would like you to help me get rid of. There is a tournament currently being planned in a couple weeks that will make the perfect opportunity to cut him down to size. He is a strong warrior, no question, but I believe that you're the man for the job, Diablo."
"And if I'm not interested?"
"Oh I think you'll be interested alright! Wait until you hear what you get out of this. If you do this one little favor for me, then I will give you my full support. I will directly help you find the person you're looking for. And I will personally convince Maleficent and the Chaos Squad to never bother you again, I-swear-I-can-be-a-very-persuasive-God. So you'll be free as a bird, unbound by their rules and regulations, and most of all you won't have to worry about them hunting you down for leaving. We-can-discuss-the-full-terms-of-our-contract-later-but-it's-a-great-deal-for-you-I-think-what-do-say-come-on." The Lord of the Dead said some of that in a motor-mouthed manner.
Cloud looked down in thought, this was a really tempting offer.
Lightning couldn't help but scoff. "Are you seriously considering this-" She was interrupted when Hades snapped his fingers and a rope made of smoke wrapped around her, binding her and muzzling her.
"Avatar, stay out of this. This is his decision, not yours. Now then, Diablo, what'll it be?"
After a moment, the blond said, "Fine... Whatever helps me find Sephiroth faster, and gets the stupid squad out of my hair. But don't call me Diablo, call me Cloud."
"Very well, Cloud... Now why don't we go somewhere more private to discuss the finer details?" And with another snap of the fingers, Hades and Cloud disappear in a puff of smoke.
The smoke rope binding Lightning also vanished before she sighed exasperatedly. "That! Figures!"
Serah herself sighed. "Can't say I blame you for being frustrated. Honestly, the only reason I don't give you any grief about your own part in this is because... I'm really scared of what'll happen to me if my powers completely crystallize me. I don't know if I would live or not, if I'd be conscious or not, or whether or not I'd be enduring some kind of torment. Just thinking about it frightens me. Xehanort's tests also proved that my powers automatically protect me from harm without my will, so I couldn't even kill myself if I wanted to, just to free you from this blackmail."
"Please don't say things like that."
"Sorry... I just don't know what I could possibly do about this situation...other than just accept that it's out of my hands. That's how powerless I feel right now."
Lightning clenched her fist. "Yet another reason for me to hate all this crap!"
"I know. Maybe you should go out and clear your head. I'll head back to our apartment."
The elder sister thought for a moment. "...Yeah...You're probably right." With that, she opened a corridor of darkness, not caring where it led, before walking in.
Meanwhile, in the Grand Hall, Maleficent and Dhampir place the sleeping Snow White on a pedestal, where thorny vines bound her in place, along with Aurora and Cinderella.
Soon, a figure in a brown robe walked in. "You have done well, Maleficent."
"Of course... Ansem? Was that what you wanted to be called? Anyway, that's three princesses captured."
"Yes... Soon the Keyhole to the Darkness will start to reveal itself. And once it's complete, the darkness will be unleashed, and all worlds will be yours."
The evil fairy smirked. "Music to my ears."
"Now then, I will have to ask you to delay your campaign. I have located a potential candidate for a new vessel. I wish to observe him for a while. If I deem him worthy, I will send him over to you, and you will prep him for me."
"Of course, as part of our agreement."
The figure calling himself Ansem crossed his arms. "By the way, how is Lycan doing? Any changes to his beast?"
Maleficent shook her head. "None that I can tell. Still, he is proving to be one of our most powerful assets. According to Dhampir here, he and Insetto are always the first to reach the Princesses."
Dhampir chimed in. "However he is getting... restless as of late. Just yesterday, he made his impatience known. He's getting fed up with wasting his time with us instead of directly pursuing his target."
The robed figure chuckled. "Let him get impatient, his anger is key to his power, and thus key to my research in it. I'm personally more interested in how his beast grows than how useful he is to your campaign."
"You're certain the werewolf will evolve again at all? It has been almost nine years since it was done the first time."
"It's what I intend to find out. Perhaps he needs some kind of trigger. In any case though, if he does betray you in the end, you're free to do what you wish with him, including disposing of him. As valuable an asset as he is, losing Lycan would ultimately be a minor inconvenience to me. With or without him, it won't change our plans."
Maleficent huffed. "If you say so. Anyway, I need to contact my associates about our current plans." She then disappeared in a corridor.
"The greedy are easy pawns," said the figure calling himself Ansem, "don't you think, Dhampir?"
Dhampir smirked. "I couldn't agree more... My Lord..."
Soon Lightning found herself on what appeared to be an islet with a few palm trees, and an unusually slanted tree that was growing star-shaped fruit. She looked around to see that this elevated islet was right next to an island surrounded by an ocean as far as the eye could see. There was a beach, a giant tree at the center, and a few man made structures like a shed, a bridge, a treehouse, and a dock. Seagulls were flying overhead and chirping, the waves were crashing onshore, and a gentle sea breeze was blowing with the scent of salt air.
"Wow..." She couldn't help but say. "This place is beautiful." She sat down and closed her eyes for a moment as she basked in the peaceful air. She could just feel all the anger and frustration she had in the castle chapel just melt away.
As she relaxed, her ears picked up two teenage voices coming from the beach.
"Come on Sora! Just one round...pleeeaaase?" said a girl's voice.
A boy's voice replied, "Oh... Okay, Kairi!"
The pinkette's musing screeched to a halt when she heard that name. "Kairi?" She stood up, and snuck around until she saw the two speaking kids. Ignoring the spiky chocolate haired boy, her eyes widened at the sight of a crimson red haired girl holding a wooden sword.
"Okay, Sora!" the girl said. "Here I come!"
As Lightning watched them, she couldn't help but stare at the redhead's face. The resemblance was uncanny. "No way... it can't be her...can it? But...how?" She looked towards the ocean and spotted a bigger island in the distance. "I need answers..."
Meanwhile in Kai's apartment, he was pacing back and forth in the living room as he heard Lucky still crying in Kairi's room. He was trying to figure out what he should do about this. Emotional support was never his strong suit. The cat, Dawn, had been trying to comfort her, but so far no luck. It was easy with his sister as he rarely even had to say a word to her, but not with anyone else. It was mere luck that he was able to cheer up Aqua after her spat with her friends. Should he even try? He still didn't want to give her a reason to grow attached to him. But he just didn't want to leave her like this. Why did he even care so much? Soon he growled before pounding himself in the head, telling himself 'don't just pace around here, do something'.
He sucked it up and entered the room to see the bug girl sitting on the bed still sobbing. He approached slowly, contemplating what to do. Soon he sat next to her. It took a moment, but he finally decided to do the first thing that came to mind: rubbed her back comfortingly. It took a while but she was slowly calming down.
Once she settled down to the point where she was no longer covering her face and was instead cuddling the cat in her arms, he finally spoke. "Don't listen to her... She doesn't understand anything..."
"B-b-but sh-she's right," Lucky replied. "I a-am a c-coward! I-I want t-to r-run away... I r-really do... b-but I-I'm too s-s-cared."
Kai rubbed the back of his head in thought for a moment. What should he say now? Why did this have to be so hard? He thought and he thought until finally he said. "Lucky... You've stood up for me whenever those creeps, especially Ryu, got on my case. If that's not bravery, I don't know what is."
"Y-you really th-think so."
"Honestly, I find it a wonder how you're even putting up with all this crap in the first place."
Lucky twiddled her thumbs. "B-because of K-Kairi an-and y-you." Kai raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I d-don't like what M-Maleficent has b-been m-making us d-do. I r-really don't. B-but...Kairi was s-so k-kind to me d-despite everth-thing that was g-going on. I-I f-feel like I-I owe it t-to her to w-watch o-over you."
"...Kairi" Kai said somberly, before summoning his katana, Muramasa. It was a weapon his father forged, and enchanted to enhance the Spellblade art. A weapon that was used to protect those the user loved. But look at it now. What was once a red tinted blade was now pitch black, having been tainted from Kai's constant channeling of the power of darkness through it. He couldn't help but lament at what his father's weapon had become. A sword once meant to protect Kairi...was now little more than an instrument of destruction. "What do you think she would say about all this?"
"I-I wish i-i knew... I miss h-her...s-s-so m-much!"
"...Me too... Not a day goes by that I don't remember her smiling face. I just...wish I had her back..."
Suddenly Lightning barged in with an urgent look on her face. "Kai! You have to come with me! Now!"
Kai sighed in exasperation. "What now? If it's another one of your useless complaints-"
"It's Kairi!" That stopped him in his tracks as he looked at her with a mix of anger and confusion. " I left to go cool off, and...I just found her! She's alive!"
"Wh-what!?" exclaimed Lucky.
Kai was speechless when he heard this. But then he shook in anger. "If you're trying to trick me-"
"I'm not! I swear! If you don't believe me..." Lightning then opened a dark corridor, "...come see for yourself..." She then walked through it.
Kai hesitated for a moment, but ultimately followed after her.
Lucky set Dawn onto the bed. "Please stay here. We'll be right back." She then entered the portal which then closed.
The three arrived on the same islet that Lightning had. The two first timers looked around, feeling the same sensations.
"This place..." Kai spoke in awe.
"I-it's a p-paradise," Lucky finished.
"I know..." said Lightning. "When I arrived here, I almost missed what was over there."
They look to where she was pointing. And they saw two teenagers sitting on the beach, wooden swords resting next to them. Kai's eyes widened as he stared at the girl.
"That was more than one round, Kairi." The spiky haired boy said.
"Sorry, Sora." said the redhead. "Guess we both got caught up in the excitement that time."
"Still, you almost had me that time."
The girl giggled. "One day I'll be better than you and Riku!"
The boy laughed. "I bet you will!"
Kai continued to stare, as he felt something he hadn't felt since that horrible night. "Her light... There's...no mistaking it..." He said as for the first time in nine years, his red eyes returned to their normal blue.
Soon, a third teen approached the other two, one with silver hair. "Hey Sora, Kairi! I think I just found the perfect spot where we can build our raft."
Kairi looked a little unsure. "You really think this will work, Riku?"
Riku shrugged. "Well, do you have a better idea for going to other worlds."
"I guess not."
"But man imagine what we could find out there!" Sora exclaimed. "Maybe we'll even find where Kairi came from!
"Yeah..." the silver head paused a moment. "Kairi, have you been able to remember anything lately?"
The redhead shook her head. "Nothing... even if we do find where I came from, how will we know?"
The spiky head put his hands behind his head. "Well, we can always look for that giant dog, that fairy, or those other friends you keep dreaming about."
Riku looked a little skeptical. "If those have anything to do with her past at all."
Sora shrugged. "You never know! So where is this spot?"
"Right! Follow me!"
The teens left as the Chaos Squad members watched. Kai in particular found himself speechless.
I-it's h-her..." Lucky said as she teared up. "A-all t-these years w-w-we th-thought... H-how can this b-be?"
"I did some digging around before I got you," Lightning explained. "Apparently, nine years ago, that girl just showed up out of nowhere. She was found washed up on the beach by those two boys. But the poor girl had lost her memory of her life before then, except for her first name. She's been adopted by the mayor of the main island, a woman named Hitomi, and is now going by Kairi Suigetsu."
Kai felt his heart sink at the mention of her memory. "She doesn't... remember..."
"No, but you heard that boy. She dreams about a giant dog and a fairy. I even snuck into her room and found drawings of them." Lightning looked pointedly at the two. "I wonder why."
Lucky put her hand over her heart. "Even i-if she d-doesn't remember us... a p-part of her h-heart is still c-clinging to our m-memory..."
"I even found something in the mayor's cellar, a human-sized capsule that matches other capsules connected to this strange machine I found while snooping around the castle a while ago. Might be connected to how she got here in the first place." Lightning turned to Kai. "Now you have no reason to stay in the Chaos Squad. Your sister lives!"
It was then that something dawned on Kai, as looked down at his hands. "She's...been alive...all this time... and meanwhile I was..." His quest for revenge that he spent almost nine years pursuing was moot now. His face morphed into a look of horror as he realized that he helped Maleficent ruin innocent lives...for nothing. "What... what the hell have I been doing?" And just like that, the weight of his sins came crashing down on him... hard.
And with that weight, he was suddenly struck with a massive pain in his heart. He clutched his chest as darkness began seeping out of it, and soon he fell to his knees as he began crying out loudly in pain.
Both women were startled but this sudden shouting. "Kai?!" Lucky cried with worry as she grabbed a hold of him.
"Something's happening!" Lighting exclaimed with concern. She looked around and fortunately no one was around, but she didn't wanna risk those kids coming back and seeing this. Thinking fast, she opened another corridor and grabbed Kai. "Quick! Before someone spots us!" With that Lightning and Lucky drag him through the portal.
However, Kai's shouting did not go unheard, for he was loud enough to be heard from the other side of the island.
"Did you guys hear that?" asked Sora.
"I sure did," said Riku. "It sounded like someone was hurt?"
Kairi, however pause. "That... voice," she muttered, before her face paled as her head hurt slightly. An image of a red haired boy with a blurred face flashed in her mind. Then without warning, she just started running back to the other side of the island.
"Kairi! Wait!" Sora shouted as he and Riku followed suit.
By the time they arrived, the voice had disappeared, and there was no one else around. Kairi had walked up to the islet with the paopu tree, almost on instinct, but still there was nothing.
When the boys caught up with her, Riku asked. "Are you ok?"
Kairi put her hand up to her chest. "I... I think I knew that voice."
"Are you sure?"
The red head paused for a moment. "I...I don't know... but hearing that voice cry out in pain... made my heart ache."
"Do you think it was someone from your past?" asked Sora.
" ... Someone from another world?" added Riku.
"I..." the girl tried so hard to remember, but the more she tried, the more it hurt her head.
The spiky haired boy noticed this and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, don't hurt yourself."
"But... it's important...I just know it. H-he's important to me..."
"If he is, then I'm sure it will come to you soon." said the silver head. "But trying to force yourself to remember is not gonna help anyone. Just be patient okay?
"But what if he's still hurt?"
Riku shrugged. "There's not much we can do now that the voice seems to be gone. All we can really do is hope he got some help."
Kairi looked down with concern. "I hope they're safe..."
"I'm sure they are, Kairi." Sora assured. "Whoever they are, I know you'll see them someday."
The girl sincerely hoped that he was right. She just couldn't stop worrying, but she conceded that they should just continue going about their day.
Lucky and Lightning had taken Kai to the Great Maw, a baron canyon far from the castle. They knew of this particular spot because Kai would often come here to train his werewolf powers alone, or just blow off some steam. The redhead was still crying out in pain, and darkness was still spewing from his chest.
"Wh-what is h-happening to him?!" asked Lucky
"I don't know!" replied Lightning. "I think you should use your-"
Suddenly Kai's darkness erupts, blasting both women away. Kai was shrouded in a pillar of darkness for a moment but when it ceased, they saw Kai in his black beast form, but it had changed again. He was slightly taller than before, now roughly eight feet. His crimson mane was longer and wilder, and now patches of crimson were covering his chest, elbows, knees, and whole tail. The bright red X shaped scar on his chest looked more prominent. His claws looked sharper. And now he also had silver shackles on his wrists, ankles, and neck, each with a few spikes and a short chain attached. The werewolf let out a howl as a dark wind blew around him, before clutching his head in pain.
"K-K-Kai...?" the bug girl muttered as she slowly stood up.
"My...sins..." the werewolf growled before he started flailing his arms wildly.
Lucky timidly approached the beast. "W-wait. K-Kai... i-its m-me... please c-calm d-down." She released a small amount of pheromones to try and soothe his pain. However, the dust couldn't get close as the intense darkness he was emitting simply blew it all away.
"My...vengeance...meaningless... My...sins...for...nothing... It...hurts!"
Lucky then began to piece together what was happening. The realization that all these years Kai had been committing horrible deeds in his sister's name while said sister was still alive the whole time must've put his heart in turmoil. And his chaos powers responded to his pain and despair, and now they were going out of control.
Lycan then glared at her with a feral look in his glowing red eyes and let out a roar before charging at her. She panicked before bracing herself for the strike.
However a dark spectral knight appeared in front of her and held the werewolf back by the claws. Lucky looked to see Lightning stand near her with her hand on her chest which emitted a dark glow. "Pull yourself together, Kai!"
Lycan only growled before charging dark energy from his mouth. However, the armored phantom unleashed an intense electric shock, canceling the charge, before kicking him back. It then summoned a long shield and a dual bladed sword. The beast then swiped his claws a few times, unleashing a slashing wave each time. The knight deflected them one after another, before spinning its dual blade and unleashing several spiral cutters. Lycan took the hits, but they only made his angrier as he coated his paw in flame and slammed it onto the ground, unleashing several pillars of fire. The knight dodged before calling down several bolts of lightning. Dust kicked up during the assault and when the bolts ceased, there was a short pause. But as the dust settled, Lycan charged darkness in his mouth and fired a beam. The knight successfully defended, but was sent crashing into the canyon wall.
Lucky looked to Lightning, and could see that using the full-bodied spectral knight was really straining her heart. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hold him off.
The beast held his head again. "Scum... Sinner... Destroyer... Monster!" He roared and started flailing about once again.
The bug girl just couldn't stand seeing Kai like this as she slowly approached him. "P-Please! Kai! Y-you can't l-lose yourself like th-this! N-Not now! Not when y-you just f-found K-Kairi!"
The moment he heard his sister's name, the werewolf stopped flailing as his red eyes turned blue. "Kai...ri..."
Noticing this, Lucky thought for a moment before she called out, "W-would K-Kairi want y-you to b-beat y-yourself u-up l-like th-this!?" She then noticed the intense darkness surrounding him had died down, and took the opportunity to try her pheromones again. Thankfully, they reached him this time, soothing his pain. "Sh-she would f-forgive y-you! Y-you know this!"
Lycan then fell to his knees and in a burst of dark fog reverted back to human form. As Lucky ran to him, Kai looked down in a defeated state. "I did those horrible things... things she would never approve of... for nothing... What kind of brother am I?"
Lightning stood up as she dismissed her armored phantom. "A brother who was lost and in pain. But now you can make up for it."
"Make up for it?" Kai fumed. "How could I possibly face her now after all I've done? What could I possibly do now?"
"Well you could start by taking Lucky and getting the hell out of here! You have no reason to continue working for the Chaos Squad, and I know she mostly stuck around because of you. Neither of you have something tying you down. You shouldn't have any part of Maleficent plans. You two should leave now while the others are none the wiser. I'll tell Dhampir you found a lead on Xehanort. That should buy you a few days."
"A-are you s-sure?" asked Lucky.
"Absolutely."
Kai paused for a moment as he thought about what Lightning was doing. "You'd be taking an awful big risk covering for us. You know that, right?"
It wouldn't be the first time. Lightning thought back to her meeting with Skadi. "I know... but I don't think Serah and I will ever escape this place with her condition. But if you can, then that's something."
"I...don't know what to say."
"Don't... I'll grab your things for you. I'll be right back." Lightning left via a dark corridor.
Now that it was just the two of them, Lucky asked Kai. "Wh-where sh-should we g-go?"
Kai sighed before replying. "I'm not sure. We could start back on that island... But we probably shouldn't stay for long. I don't wanna risk Maleficent or the Chaos Squad tracking us there and finding Kairi in the process. You sensed it too, right?"
Lucky nodded. "Sh-she's a P-Princess..." One thing the whole squad was taught was how to sense the light and darkness within others, including how to identify a Princess of Heart. "They'll c-come f-for her."
"Yes. And lingering there for too long, we'll risk making it easier for them to find her."
"W-we should k-keep ch-checking up o-on her though. T-to make s-sure sh-she's s-safe. Wh-whether we are th-there or n-not, it won't st-stop M-Maleficent from f-finding her e-eventually."
"I agree."
"W-we c-could tell h-her n-new m-mother about th-the d-danger t-too."
Kai paused for a moment before shaking his head. "No... Telling anyone won't do any good. If anything it'd risk causing a panic."
"B-but m-maybe only th-the mayor c-can kn-know..."
"And we shouldn't be seen there, not even by Kairi."
Lucky looked at Kai with concern. "A-are you sure?"
Kai looked down to the point where his bangs shadowed his eyes. "It's better this way."
Before any more could be said, Lightning returned with a large backpack and a basket with Dawn's head poking out of it. "Figured you'd want Kairi's cat too, got as much of her food and toys and I could in a short time."
Lucky took the basket and petted the cat's head. "Th-thank you!"
Lightning then handed the backpack to Kai. "Packed as many supplies as I could, including sleeping gear, Lucky's potion kit, and a couple of cloaks so you two can lay low."
"Don't tell them anything about the islands, alright?"
Lightning nodded. "Because your sister is a Princess. I know. Now, you two should get going before Cyclops comes back from this patrol. And..." She hesitated for a second. "I'm...sorry...for what I said earlier."
"I-it's okay, Lightning" said Lucky. "I-I don't b-blame you for b-being m-mad at us."
Kai looked away before sighing. "As far as I'm concerned, you were right to say all that to me. You've nothing to apologize for. Just...keep taking care of your sister."
"I will...Good luck, you two."
"Thanks... And good luck, yourself." With that Kai opened a corridor and he and Lucky walked in together, the portal closing behind them.
Lighting paused for a moment before saying to her herself. "Don't do anything reckless, Kai." She then returned to the castle via her own corridor.
...
Little did any of them know, a certain figure clad in a brown robe had watched the whole thing.
"Magnificent!" he spoke. "Once again, your pain evolves the beast! First it was the loss of your sister, and now it is the weight of your sins. I wonder what it will take for you to reach your peak. You continue to prove invaluable to me, Lycan. If you survive long enough, then I cannot wait for when the time comes to fulfill your purpose!"
With that, the figure disappeared in a corridor of darkness.
KAI: I used to be a man on a mission, and would go to any length to accomplish it. Then a complication arises, and now... I am little more than a sinner."
A/N: And so Kai and Lucky find out that Kairi is alive, leave the squad, and go into hiding. How will this turn of events affect what's coming?
I think I'll also tell you the VA's chosen for the OC's in the Chaos Program.
Voice Actors:
Kai Hikaru (Lycan): Crispin Freeman (Itachi Uchiha from Naruto, Winston from Overwatch)
Lucky Holt (Insetto): Erika Harlacher (Ann Takamaki from Persona 5, Elizabeth Liones from Seven Deadly Sins) (c) to Kristen Verne
...
Skadi Thurston (Gigas): Letitia Wright (Shuri from Black Pather/MCU) (c) to DinoWriter23
...
Ryu Kurai (Reptile): Josh Grelle (Tyrian Callows from RWBY)
Jack Hawk (Cyclops): Yuri Lowenthal (Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto, Mercury Black from RWBY)
Ejder Gölge (Dhampir): Keith David (Chaos from Dissidia Final Fantasy, Dr Facilier from Princess and the Frog)
