A/N: Hello, fellow readers. While doing any tweaking, I discovered a new ending for Ch. 20, so I decided to take this portion seen below and make it a new chapter. Fear not, though, as everything else will remain the same.

Disclaimer: I do not own Killer Instinct nor Carrie.

Weeks passed with peace at the Night Guard base, but the gang remained vigilant for any unusual activity. At a waterfall basin, Jago continued his training with Carrie, unaware of his sister's surveillance.

Today's drill was creating a water ball: a simple task but with meaning. Carrie started small, but as she accrued the mass, the heart strains returned, signaling her limit. The water ball dispersed, splashing into the source.

Carrie placed her hand on her chest, drawing deep breaths. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Jago massaged her back into circular motions. Gold auras surrounded his hands, lessening the pain. "You're doing well so far. We need to figure out how to combat the heart strains."

"You're having trouble?" Orchid said, approaching them.

"I'm letting Carrie take a break. She's improving, but the heart strains are still a problem," Jago said.

"How long have the strains been happening?"

"For quite some time. I skimmed through my book to find a solution, but so far, nothing. It might be the wounds."

Orchid crossed her arms, recalling when Jago informed her of Carrie's old wounds—one of them setting off cardiac tamponade. That damn monster…she cared more about personal salvation than the girl's well-being. "I doubt her injuries are causing the strains. When you two start your meditation sessions, does she think positive thoughts?"

"I try to," Carrie said before Jago responded, "but the pain remains."

"Oh, Carrie…" Jago rubbed his student's shoulder.

Just as I thought. "Brother, you mind if I take the reins?" Orchid said. Jago fell silent as though musing until he nodded. "Hey, Carrie, I might have something to stop those heart strains."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes, but I have a question. Are you afraid of your powers?"

"Every time because of my emotions, especially anger."

I figured as much. Carrie's emotions fuel her abilities, and given her past, the negativity is rampant. "'Anger, though a powerful emotion, is useless in battle.' My father stated those words when he was training me."

"Your dad trained you? To do what?"

"This." Orchid closed her eyes and focused. A soft yellow glow covered her hand, and the FireCat appeared.

Carrie's eyes widened as she stepped back. She always assumed people like her existed, though with unique powers. Orchid shouldn't be an exception, but something was different. Is she like me but taken another route?

Orchid motioned the FireCat to come. The creature did so and rubbed its body against her, earning a few pats from its owner.

"Aren't you worried about being burned when it is near you?" Carrie asked.

"The FireCat is more energy than fire, but it can start one," Orchid explained. "Like you, I inherited this ability from my grandmother, but on my father's side. She was a test subject on a project during World War II."

"Could Jago do that too?"

"I wish, though it'd be astonishing."

"Hmph," Jago uttered while Orchid continued.

"My father understood its existence and taught me to not only control my rage but to channel it. With your case, Carrie, your powers link with the negative emotions. You need to wean yourself from that."

"How?"

"Instead of connecting yourself with something negative, try to immerse with anything positive or something that makes you happy. Then, you channel it to your powers, so let's start with the water ball training."

Carrie stretched her hands toward the water as droplets rose and merged. She focused until dark images of her past etched in her mind, syncing with the heart strain. Before the pain emerged, Carrie shed the water ball to its small size.

"Carrie?" Jago said with a concerned tone.

"I'm fine. I had to stop before it happened."

Orchid rubbed her chin. "When you were creating the water ball, what came to your mind? What positive stimulation did you use?"

"The first time I took place in a cultural festival," Carrie replied.

"Oh, that's not good enough. Not even close."

Carrie sighed while morphing the water ball into various shapes. "There's one other. I'm not sure if this feeling is a memory, but it makes me…happy and alive."

"Is it strong?" Orchid inquired as Carrie nodded. "Let's give that a shot. Remember: you're in charge of your power, not the other way around."

Carrie returned the water ball to its original form and slowly increased its mass. After drawing a deep breath, she closed her eyes. At first, her tragic memories emerged, but Carrie pushed them aside, imagining herself as a bird, flying free. She was so immersed at that moment that she didn't sense someone tapping her shoulder.

"Carrie? Carrie," Jago's voice echoed.

She opened her eyes, but before she could respond, a small gasp escaped her. The water ball she created was now the size of a planet. The half-siblings couldn't be more pleased with the results.

"Okay, Carrie, you can let go," Orchid instructed.

Carrie gave off the expression of "Are you sure?" Once Orchid nodded, and after a small hesitation, she dispersed the water ball, creating a brief drizzle on the trio. "Sorry about that."

Orchid waved it off as if it was nothing; her brother was no different either. "So, how do you feel?"

Carrie stared at her hands, trying to process what had happened. What shocked her more was that the prevalent heart strains never resurfaced. "Alive…empowered even. What did you make me do?"

"I had you create a mental trigger—something my father taught me during my FireCat training. Since you and I have emotion-based abilities, it's crucial to have that conditioning. Hopefully, my brother learned something."

"Don't rub it in, but I appreciate your help," Jago said.

A comm device buzzed as Orchid answered. "Yes?"

"I'm having a small meeting at the vault tonight," Maya said, "and TJ wants to know about the planet-sized water ball."

Orchid, Carrie, and Jago didn't think the latest training would bring forth attention. She pressed the comm radio, suppressing her laughter. "I was helping Jago teach Carrie something new. We'll be there."

The dungeon stayed lit with torches as the gang gathered around for the meeting.

"Before I go into the plan, what's the news on Ultratech?" Maya said.

"Security is tight, according to Jean," Orchid reported. "ARIA isn't aware that we've gone into hiding, and we want to keep it that way."

"Good. Now, this mission's dangerous, but if successful, we should discover the visions." Maya pressed a few buttons on a device. The machine came alive as it showed the image of a bipedal wolf-like beast wearing tattered pants.

"Is that…a wolf?" Carrie queried.

"A werewolf, to be exact. Baron Konrad von Sabrewulf was once human until he received a cut from a trophy claw, changing him into the monster his family hunted." Maya switched the screen, showing a desolate castle. "In a secret chamber below the library at his castle in Ravensburg, Europe is a relic. With it, we can track Kan-Ra. One of us must go to retrieve it."

TJ shifted from his perch uneasily. "One doesn't walk into the lair of a werewolf. Not to mention, Ultratech still has a bounty on us. The odds will not be in our favor if we cut the numbers."

"Numbers don't decide which side will survive. I'll go on this mission, for I don't fear the himiinhaama," Thunder said.

"I'll go too. Though I should stay, Thunder will need someone to cover him," Aganos added.

"Very well. You and Thunder will leave at dawn," Maya said.

A/N: It's great that Orchid could help Carrie with the training and dealing with the heart strains. Time for my brain to rest, so I'll see you later.

*Himiinhaama-"Wolf-Man" to the Nez Perce tribe.