Me: Hi! Here's chapter 8~ Enjoy~

Edited - 5/10/2024

Beta'd by IHaveNoIdea8.

….

I woke up yawning; I stood up and put my shoes on. I saw Sync walk into the room and notice me awake. He crossed his arms; he'd probably been waiting for me to get up.

"Finally! Come on, your friends are going to the core with their Tartarus, Van needs me to sneak in there, you're coming with me. They're at Sheridan Port."

I sighed and nodded, knowing I had no choice. Sadly days went by and here we are now. He dragged me down to the Port in Grand Chokmah and took a ferry to Port Sheridan. We got there before the others and hid on the Tartarus. When the others arrived I saw the mechanics from Belkend be killed by Van from where we were hiding.

After the others hurried onto the Tartarus, Sync erased the fonic glyph. I heard their voices beyond the door of the room they were in.

It was three days before we reached the core, I was getting nervous. I had no idea what Sync was doing, but I realized we all may not get out of the situation alive. The core was beautiful though, the many magnificent colors shone gorgeously. I heard the voices of my friends getting closer to where we hid.

I heard Anise speak first.

"Hey...the fonic glyph lemon talked about isn't here."

Sync grabbed my wrist and dragged me forward.

"I erased it for you," he said as he started walking toward them, dragging me along with him.

"So you were the intruder..." I put my free hand to my chest looking down. I was hoping the others didn't notice me standing there. "Kairi!"

Sync ignored the last part Luke said "I won't let you get away. You're going to drown in the sludge here. Die!"

Then everything started going crazy. Sync let my wrist go when he charged at them; I stood back with both my hands clasped against my chest hoping no one got hurt.

"Stone Dragon Ascent!" Sync hit Guy and Luke pushing them backwards but they flipped back on their feet, charging at Sync again.

I clenched my hands tightly, knowing I had to choose between Sync and my friends. I saw Sync get hit by Luke's Arte Fang Blade Havoc, why does my chest ache seeing Sync getting beaten up, even though he kept fighting. He was fighting for Van, a man so delusional... I have to stop this madness! I don't want to choose but if I had to choose-

I knew they would hate me, but to me, it was all worth it! I ran in front of Sync's fallen body making an orb of light and turning it into a sword to block Luke's. I saw his eyes widen in disbelief and pushed my sword against his, making him step back out of surprise.

"Kairi...?" He breathes out my name confused, and I flench seeing the look of betrayal and pain.

I heard something metal fall to the ground. I knew it must have been Sync's mask. I turned around and bent down next to him, putting my hand on his shoulder when he sat up with his knee on the ground, the other foot touching the ground with his hand on his knee.

"H-hey..." they must have seen his face.

"It can't be...There are two Ions'?" I frowned at what Anise said.

'He may be Ion's replica but he's Sync!' I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Sync growl.

I saw Ion walk forward a little "Just as I thought... You are also a replica of the Fon Master."

Guy looked shocked, probably thinking the same thing as the others.

"Wait! What did you mean 'also'?"

Ion looked at Guy, "...I'm Fon Master Ion's seventh replica - - the final one."

I looked at Ion with sadness, it's horrible...but in a way, Ion deserve to live as much as Sync does.

"You're a replica too?"

"No way...Ion..."

Ion turned his head to Anise, "I'm sorry, Anise. It's only been about two years since I was born."

Anise looked surprised "Two years... That's when I became one of your Guardians... Wait...was Arietta reassigned because you didn't have any memories of the past?"

"Yes. The original Ion was sick. Near death. But there was no successor, so Mohs and Van used fomicry."

I looked at Sync when he started to speak. He wasn't looking at anyone.

"...You had the closest abilities to the original. Unlike us trash." I was close to tears when he said that.

"Don't call yourself that!" I scold him, tearing up.

He turn his head a bit to give me a quick look, then look back at the others.

"That's what I am. My powers were weak, so I was cast alive into the mouth of the Mt. Zaleho volcano. A replica that can't serve as a replacement is nothing more than garbage..." I looked down sadly.

"...Don't say that!" Luke shouted, "We may be replicas, but we're still living beings!" Sync stood up and glared at him, I stood up beside Sync.

"I'm not interested in the naive babbling of a replica who has people who need him."

I grabbed his right arm frowning and made him look at me, but he looked at Ion again.

"Don't talk like that. Escape from here with us! You and I are the same!" Ion walked up to Sync holding out his hand for him to take but Sync backhanded Ion's outstretched hand.

"No, we're not." My eyes widened when Sync walked backward towards the edge, "I'm only alive so Van can use me. In the end, only those of us who are useful are kept alive out of pity..." I walked closer to Sync, a scared look in my eyes, he looked at me.

"S-Sync?" I saw his hands clench to his sides thinking over something, "Please don't..." I stepped closer to him, my eyes blurred with tears. I knew full well what he was going to do.

"...I..."

He shook his head and fell backward. I screamed his name running to the edge ready to jump after him. 'If he goes, I go with him!' But then I felt arms grab my waist, trying to pull me backward, away from where Sync fell.

"No! Let me go!" I screamed at whoever was holding me back. After a while, I gave up and allowed the person to hold me tightly so I wouldn't fall. The person pulled me away from where Sync fell. I fell to my knees, covering my face. I didn't want them to see my tearful face. I felt a hand on my shoulder; I looked up through my blurry eyes to see Luke (I could tell by the red hair) with a frown on his lips and pain in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Kairi..." I bit my bottom lip in an attempt to keep any tears from falling; Luke helped me up while I wiped my tears. Mieu jumped in my arms with his ears dropped down and a sad face.

I hugged Mieu close, "I'm okay Mieu..."

"Mieuuuuu..." I put Mieu down and heard Anise say Ion was crying.

"I'm not crying," Ion said to Anise, looking at her.

"But, those tears..." Anise said. Ion wiped his face and looked at his wet fingers curiously.

"...You're right."

"It's like losing a brother..." Natalia said.

"I guess I was sad...This is the first time I cried. I understand now... All this time, I had it wrong..."

"We're out of time," Jade said making everyone but me look at him.

"But Sync erased the fonic glyph," Guy said.

"I'll draw it again. But a circle of this scale will require significant concentration. Luke, Tear, please assist me."

Jade concentrated on making a ball of fonons that Luke had to move around using Mieu's fire. Tear was giving him instructions the whole time.

After a few rushed moments, the glyph was made. Everyone but me sighed in relief; they had almost run out of time because Luke had screwed up and they had to redo the whole thing.

"Looks like we drew it. Now, let's get to the Albiore - - Aagh..." Luke fell to his left knee holding his head with one hand, he looked like he was in pain. "Asch...? No...this voice is..."

Tear walked over to him and bent down, searching for the source of his pain.

"Luke? Are you all right? I'll try healing you." the second Tear touched him, she started to float from the ground, glowing slightly. When she spoke her voice sounded slightly different.

"Luke, my isofon. I can finally speak to you."

Luke stood up, confused, "Tear? No...you're not Tear..."

Tear bowed her head, she had her hands clasped against her chest.

"Your kind knows me as Lorelei."

"The aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon! Its existence was hypothetical, but..." Jade stopped talking and Lorelei continued.

"I am the Seventh Fonon itself. And you, Luke. Your fonon frequency is the same as mine. You and the other you are both my perfect isofons. I am you. That is why I ask this of you. Right now, something enormous is absorbing my power. It is shaking the core and causing the Sephiroth to go out of control. Your actions have quieted the core and stabilized the Sephiroth, but as long as I am trapped here..."

Tear stopped glowing suddenly and fell to the ground.

"Tear!" Luke ran over to Tear and placed her head on his lap, "Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine. I just feel a little dizzy... What happened?" Tear asked Luke.

Jade spoke up before Luke could say anything.

"It's dangerous here. We should get to the Albiore now."

Everyone went to the Albiore and started talking about what just happened. I blocked out all their voices, looking forward in a daze. I kept seeing Sync falling off the ledge, each time I saw it my heart broke a little more. Just yesterday I was with him, talking, smiling, and laughing with him and now he's... I snapped out of my daze as I heard Luke saying they were headed for Belkend to see if Tear was okay. I just followed them like a puppet on its master's strings.

It turned out Tear was ill because of the miasma, but even though her life was at stake, Tear still wanted to lower the Outer Lands. I listened to them saying they were headed for the Meggiora Highlands to find the next Sephiroth. We were at the Meggiora Highlands, and I was following them from behind to exit the Albiore when I stopped, I looked down at the ground thinking.

"Kairi...?"

I look up to see the others watching me with concerned looks, set for Jade...there was a glare on his lens.

"What is the matter, Kairi?" I look at Natalia she is frowning stepping over so she's standing beside Luke, one hand clenched against her chest.

"I...I um..." I struggled, feeling myself breaking. My vision was blurred by the tears building up. I blink the tears away before they fall, as I look at Jade begging him to do something or say something.

He pushes his glasses up his nose "I believe we should head out. Kairi can stay, and watch over Noelle. Can you do that, Kairi...?"

I nodded, I needed to remind myself to thank him somehow. I bow, apologize to Luke and the others, and turn around to head to a room to let out the pain. I lean my back against the metal wall next to the door as I closed it, then slowly slide down on my butt hugging my legs to my chest as I let out a heartbreaking cry. I didn't know if the walls were thin or thick...I didn't care if Noelle heard me... Why does my chest ache so much? It hurts! I wanted the pain to stop, but how? I don't like this feeling...it's agonizing.

I don't know how long I was crying, I didn't even hear the door opening and someone standing by my side until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I sniffle as I lift my head to see Noelle through the tears. She was bent down at my side, giving me a look of concern on her face.

"Kairi, why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

Wiping the tears from my face, shaking my head sniffling.

"N-no...I don't know. I was just with him yesterday, a-and now he's..." I choke up covering my mouth with my hands, feeling more tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Oh, Kairi...I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say to make you feel better, but...you shouldn't be sad. I don't know Sync, like you do but...would he want you to be sad...?" She told me with a soft tone and eyes.

"..." I stayed silent looking down, shaking my head.

"Than, smile...live for his sake."

I look up at Noelle, giving her a small smile. I thanked her when she helped me up on my feet walking me to the bridge with her.

….

Hours went by, and Luke and the others came back, they informed Noelle and me what went down as we chased Spinoza to Belkend. I stayed back behind everyone. So I was walking around until they finished talking to the old man.

but as I walked close to the middle of the city, I saw a teenage girl with short red hair and a black dress. She had small pink flowers in her hair and on her dress as well. She wore knee-length boots, but the thing that stood out the most was the sword she had hooked on her hip; it had a pink flower on it as well. I was about to walk over to her when Luke and the others approached me and said they were leaving for the next Seal in Daath Cathedral, so I went with them instead.