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[Kichi :: Angel Grove :: Outside Red Rose]

Kichi, at this point, was calm outside, but still obviously furious underneath. That was, until he heard Alan's voice behind him, and turned around to getting a huge hug. It took him a second to process what was going on, but when it did, he hugged back, tears forming in his eyes. He kept his voice steady as he spoke to Alan. "Thank you, Alan...I'm...I'm sorry. I keep acting like this. It's just...I've gotten used to having no one I really knew enough to call a friend in the group. And then just as I was making friends with Timmy, Cory took him...and convinced him to stand by and watch as Cory tried to drop a stone from one of the towers of beasts castle on my head. Then I started to talk to Louis and Jenny...and they went on the other quest....I was one again with no one. I've been trying so hard to make friends, that by the time you arrived...it was all I could do...try to find someone I could rely on. I've practically acted like you're not here....I'm sorry."

He just sat there quietly for a few seconds after that, before letting go of the hug. "I'm alright for now. Thank you." He had noticed how tired Alan was. "Here, let me grab you an Ether, get you some strength back." And with that he jogged over back to the red rose, and hopped up to the kitchen window. He went inside and started rummaging around for an Ether.

{Kyle : Angel Grove : Outside Red Rose}

"It's nice to meet you Dani...wait. Did you say Earth? Yes!" He shouted as he gave her a hug, feeling relieved that they'd found another Earthling. By that point his suit would have disappeared, revealing his normal clothing. "That guy you fought...his name is Cory. And right now it would be better to not mention him. Not until some things get sorted out." Letting her go, he walked over to the rest of the group, once again motioning for her to follow.

Considering he'd only been a little kid the last time he'd watched Power Rangers, it was hard to think of them as only high school kids. God, he was older than them for chist's sake. Soooo weird. "You did fine. You did help out. And for as to who we are, that's a bit complicated. Well, for introductions, my name is Kyle. He started, intending to finish the introductions. However, before he could, the mental conversation began. He listened to all the raging going on, all of the anger. What he didn't understand was why they instantly assumed Cory didn't want his loved ones to come back. Maybe they hadn't been paying attention, but he doubted Cory would lie about losing his loved ones. Everybody had somebody special to them. Even Cory. He even said that he wouldn't make Kyla fight against them. He just wanted help. Did they really have the right to deny him that?

And Kichi...he'd gone about the wrong way to approach that situation. Yelling at Riku was not something that would be helpful. And he couldn't have known when Riku learned of this. Maybe he had learned it last night. Maybe this morning. Not like they would have had time to talk this morning. And even in the battle, he couldnt' have explained it all. It would have taken to long. And, regardless, why would having that knowledge prevent Kyla from having been kidnapped? He certainly wouldn't have known to automatically protect her from Cory. Sure, he tried to go after her, but that was because he attacked her and kidnapped her. And why would helping him with his hallucinations mean that she was against them? He needed to know more about the past few days. What exactly had happened to make everybody instantly assume Cory wanted to kill them all?

Too much was going on. People were keeping secrets. And he wasn't a big fan of secrets. With a scowl set on his face, nearly everything was pissing him off, he stood silently, waiting to hear the rest of the conversation.

{Black Waltz : Angel Grove : Moonbase Laboratory}

A portal of darkness appeared in the laboratory, right next to Dr. Lugae as he finished his conversation with Kefka. The Mage floated before him, his golden eyes narrowing coldly at the Lunarian. Intelligence evident behind the sinister gaze as he seemed to analyze him. He would show no respect to this man, only the ones who created him and the Lord that they served.

"I am a Black Waltz, Lord Kefka has sent me to aid you." He spoke, in what sounded like a harsh high pitched whisper.

From his body, it seemed as though sheer elemental power emanated forth, a testament to the mages pure magical power. His design and purpose for one thing only, to destroy.

[Dani :: Angel Grove :: Outside of the Red Rose]
Dani suddenly felt herself enveloped in a hug by the weird power ranger and twitched. It was a reflex of hers since she didn’t really get hugged a lot. She eventually relaxed into the hug and hugged him back. In the man’s regular form he seemed just like her but in weird clothing that seemed to be from the Kingdom Hearts series. “So…. I am guessing you’re an earthling too?” she asked quietly.

As Dani followed the man that introduced himself as Kyle, she looked at the group in front of her. They all seemed like they were in pain for some reason. What was even weirder was that her new friend was not affected by what was hurting the others. “Hey Kyle?” she asked pointing to the others, “Is there something wrong with them? They look like they are in pain.”

As Dani looked at them she also thought about the man named Cory. She would not say it out loud but she was thinking about why she was attacked by Cory. “I wonder why Cory did attack me.” she thought to herself. She then refocused on Kyle and the rest of the group.

[Kyla: Hooks Ship: Cory's Quarters]

He had tried to kill the others, Rae was dead- did he kill her?
He declared himself an enemy. Helpinh him, may as well be just as good as being on his side, against the others.

When he pulled her hands away she tried to come up with some kind of excuse.
"...Carbuncle.. she really doesn't like you- and is being very vocal about it."

' HEY! ' Sorry ' Tyue understood- but she still didn't like being blamed.

' If thats the case, tell him if he so much as breathes on you, I'll bite his nose off!
Kyla discouraged Tyue reveal herself at the moment, there was no telling what Cory would do at the moment is he had ot deal with a pissed off summon.
To her own relief, she had managed to reclaim her calm face, but she was so torn inside.
It was hard to define her own actions.
James wouldn't have to worry, she didn't trust him. Helping him would only continue the fortitude on his efforts and assassination attempts on her friends.
So the only thing left to do- was call him on his crimes.
She wasn't going to let Cory paint himself as some kind of helpess victim.

"Cory... you attacked everyone else over and over. And now R-...r-" Kyla took a shakey breath, trying to pass off this part as if she alreayd knew all alone. Not just recieved the news over the connection only moments ago. " Now one of us is dead. Obviously you do not care about this. Judging from your conversation with Kichi before you abducted me, you have no intension of helping anymore... in fact, you plan to stop us all together. You've tried to kill my friends. If that was before you sacrificed yourself to save me, I may have believed any half hearted lie that it was to make for that- but you've done these things since then. Don't look at me as if you hoenstly believe helping you- is somehow ok with what I want. I want Earth back."

She pushed herself off the bed. Wobbled a little on the rocking cabin floor, but soon steadied herself.
"... for some reason, my foolish heart still sympathizes with the fate you face with the decay of your sanity. Perhaps this makes me a stupid person, but I pity you none the less. I don't want anyone to suffer... even if they deserve it. There's is also another thing to consider.. if you continued mental failings...
" Kyla crossed her arms considering the things Cory wasn't makign obvious.
If Cory's mental barriers broke, his attacks on her friends may become more savage. He may even loose the ability to desern foe from ally, and attack Timmy, anyone who got in his line of sight. Including herself if she didn't not escape in time. This depending solely on how fast this supposide sickness was progressing. There was no telling if any of the others would consider this.

"If I said no, you still wont let me go will you?" this sounded more like a statement, then a question.
"I heard your point while you fought Kichi. But even if the chances run against us, even if there is a price to reclaiming our home, I see no reason to run away from it. And there was the dream... foe or not, I suspect you had it as well. Fight it or not Cory, you were thrust into this story along with the rest of us... the truth will come about wether you like it or not."

I'm being naive, but-

" I made a promise to protect everyone.. even you from yourself, and the dark path you're taking. The question then remains.. will staying your minds collapse will really change anything? You're going down a road that I'm sure you know cory will only end in utter destruction. What makes you think you'll be spared?"

There was also the capability of her friends. They were getting stronger, and Kichi was giving Cory was run for his money. Would keeping the leader of the Rogues level headed really so bad? It could give them the upper hand, or could as easily unlock something more dangerious for them in the long run.
Besides...
Would relinquishing aid so simple... would that lower her to his level? If nothing else, she alone owed him.

"And if I did do something for you- would you cease your attack on my friends? Would you stop getting in their way? Dispite everything you've done. You can still stop walking down this path Cory."

[ Kyle ; Sora ; Zexion ; Guards : Port Royal : Clearing ]

As the others began screaming around him, Kyle snapped from his reverie and glared upward. Chaos. The others seemed to be on it, however. "Noelle, just get to the train and get some rest. We won't be on this island long anyway."

Kyle nodded in Sora's direction, and the Keyblader nodded back, about to charge off after James and Dawn- then, however, 3 strange blurs of steel-gray rushed past the group, past the bo-staff, seemingly vanishing. Kyle didn't care, though- he was reabsorbed in the mental conversation.

'Sorry for the shout. Temper. Some of you probably have no idea what the rest of us our talking about. Well, here's what I've experienced.'

Kyle thought for a moment, thinking of the people who were probably out of the loop that came to mind. Riku, Sora, and John didn't know the first half; then there were the people that joined with them at Beast's Castle: Amy, Dawn, and Kyle. He didn't know if it was possible, but he tried to link with everyone EXCEPT a list of people he knew that knew... in case they'd found someone else.

'The first day I joined the group, I watched behind a barrier of vines as Cory tore Maggie to shreds. The next day, he attacked our train, empowered by a deal with Hades. After that, he 'helped' us, only to get us into trouble with Saix. Later, when the Replicas attacked us at the Castle- you were there for that- he seduced Timmy into accepting Darkness in his heart, and flat-out TOLD us that he didn't want Earth to come back because he liked it here. Some of you were busy pulling the Castle back toward land, so I suppose you missed that. Finally-'

Suddenly, the next few words were sent to the entire other group- they weren't there last night, after all. 'Last night, after our friend Rae's heart was taken by the Replicas, he said, and I quote-'

"Let me make this as clear as I can, Kyle: I hate all of you. You're all too optimistic when the situation doesn't call for it. You're all too trusting. You trusted me, who should have been viewed as the enemy I have been from the start...

You're all a waste of time.'

It was relatively easy for Kyle to replay Cory's own words through the link, considering it had all been last night.

Call me judgmental. Call me subjective, biased, what-have-you. Normally, I'd be insulted. But I've had enough of being open-minded with him. You'll learn yourselves. Go ahead and trust him, if you're willing to risk it. Kyla... do what you think is right.

---

Meanwhile, as this was going on, the two guards were joined by a third, who looked more strict than the other two- almost making them seem foolish by comparison. "What are you two doing, just shoot her!"

"Aye, sir!" both of the man said, slinging large rifles around and aiming to fire- only to have one of the men knocked out by the bo-staff. "What the-"

The man's rifle went off pre-maturely, and the bullet missed Sayrike... and hit the branch she was on, weakening it enough so that it cracked under her weight- forcing her to fall or try to catch a lower branch.

"What- MORE OF THEM!" the second guard said, suddenly very afraid. He turned, planning to run. "Thar's too many! We need more men-"

"You won't be going anywhere."

The two guards found blades to their necks as two Zexi-clones stood at their backs. A third held two pistols identical to Amy's, one at each guard.

"Drop your weapons. Now."

The second guard immediately dropped all weapons, including his sword and rifle. The third guard hesitantly dropped his blade, having not carried a rifle with him.

[Cory .:. Hook's Ship .:. Cory's Quarters]

"Carbuncle... Right..." Cory was no fool, but he wasn't one to spoil the fun. Something was up, but things would be a lot more interesting if it were a surprise, right? The rogue made his way around the room to the cupboards full of potions. He pulled one out just Kyla accused him of not caring for Rae's "death". He would interrupt the pictomancer, turning and sending the bottle crashing into the wall behind her as he said under his breath, "... Don't care? I don't care about the first one to believe me more than just a dog of Hades? I don't care that I was held in place by a whore of a Replica as I watched her tear the heart from that person? Watch your words... I called you here to ward off my insanity, and claiming I an unable to feel remorse for the deaths of people who show me the kindness I so rarely receive would only serve to end this dream you call life. For you, myself, and anyone caught in the crossfire."

He listened to the rest of her words, reaching for another potion and this time drinking it, hoping to recover more of his stamina that he'd lost through the multiple Bursts. His demeanor made a complete 180 from the violent man from before, chuckling a bit before saying, "I've tried to kill two of you. And I haven't really tried to kill anyone since then. It's too much work. Yeah, I misfired a rock at Kichi. My bad. Didn't mean he had to attack me for having a friendly non-violent conversation whilst helping wipe out the Heartless. And I don't care if Earth it brought back, as long as I can stay here. But the way the others are rushing into things is like trying to take a shortcut through a china shop while riding a rhino. Sure you might get there in time, but you're going to **** a lot of **** up and piss a lot of people off."

He walked back over to her, making sure to keep her hands in his peripherals. If she summoned her pen and sketchpad, he needed to be ready to strike them from her hands and sending her into a another surprise nap-time. And then she said that nasty little p-word. "You pity me? Let me make one thing clear, I didn't bring you here to feel sorry for me. I'm not some injured dog on the side of the road for you to feel sorry for. I'm a person asking for help. And now that you mention it? No, I probably won't let you go if you refuse. Your magic is an easy kind to restrain, since you require your hands rather than your voice. A rope would fix that problem quick, fast, and in a hurry."

When she mentioned the dream though, he was a bit confused. The rogue had already forgotten about the dream he had the night before, quickly replying with, "So everyone had that dream. I actually kind of enjoyed it. It was a nice break from the nightmares I normally have. And yeah, I was thrust into this story. The difference is I'm writing my own parts. I'm not letting a fictitious mouse write it."

And then she came to the destruction aspect of her speech. He didn't immediately respond. He only stared at her, as if disappointed in her. Like he'd expected her to figure it out by now. He would give no verbal response, instead responding to the last of her monologue with, "Stop attacking your friends? I haven't attacked any of your friends since I died. Unless Kuja's your friend, but I had a bone to pick with that flamboyant tranny. No pun intended. But I won't stop getting in their way. I have my own plans, and I've chosen my path. I don't know all the answers, but I know the ending already, Kyla. I'm just asking you to keep me sane until then."

[Kyla: Hooks Ship:Cory's Quarters]

The bottle sailed by her head, and smashed into the wall behind her. Kyla kept her steely resolve, staring almost coldly at him, as if his sudden emotional rant didn't impress her one bit. In fact, she found it down right irritating.

Too bad for him; Kyla had delt with people who flipped out and flipped moods from one moment to the next. His erratic behavior and threats only stirred more darker side to the pictomancer which she wasn't proud of.
And she felt angery.

Dispite his terade about Rae demise, claming remorse and grief...with the way he did it, nothing in this world suddenly felt more FAKE to her.

The dark chestnut spheres would seem to get darker as he continued to talk. They narrowed into a very cold and menacing glare that simply didn't belong on a face like hers. It revealed a much heavier train of thought that perhaps Kyla had been keeping in check for a long time now. It bubbled from the deepest part of her heart, where the fabric which wove her replica together existed.

Tyue tensed nervously, sensing the change in her partner. ...Kyla? Aibou-don't let him get to you. He's not her.

..he may as well be... the fact he has the audacity to talk to her like that... in light of everything thats happened. It mad Kyla just... livid.

"...you say you want no pity? Fine. Shame then, cause that was the only card you had left to play. The only thing that could have possibly convinced me to do anything for your sake in the very slightest- just flew out the window!"

Tyue didn't need a signal, she felt the rush of anger and adrenalin. Kyla's hands didn't move yet, she stayed motionless. Then suddenly a ruby glow surounded her, flaring nice and bright before Cory's face. (Hopefully enought o make him blink, not that it mattered) Then Tyue(Carbuncle) was right there in his face, meer milimeters!
She would dive right at him, fangs and claws slashing and scraping. Her ruby igniting with a basic attack holy attack (Searing Light). At this close range there could only be a 99.9 % chance she'd miss.
Kyla leaped back, her book was in her hand. Flipping the cover open, her qwill practically stabbed the page, ink searing across it and completing the Flight of Blades which emerged all around her. Their deadly phantom blades diced through the air like a metaphysical blender, with her safely in the middle between them. Tyue bit and scratched and reached for anything her tiny claws could get, once she saw Kyla had her book, the summon returned to her, perched on her shoulder. Her ruby glowing dangeriously.
"I will never help you Cory for any other grounds. This debate is over! I'm leaving!"