Chapter Twelve
It was cold and dark in the stairwell leading up to the roof of Second Time Around, but Kay knew that she really shouldn't go outside right now, and experimenting with a cracked Chaos Emerald in the basement of an antique shop didn't sound like such a good plan, either. A faint yellow light gave her just enough illumination to see the gem and its crack as she twirled it in her hand, studying it.
For a long while Kay just thought. She wasn't sure what she was going to do to "experiment" with the Emerald, but from now on she'd decided she was not going to let that stop her. "I don't know" was a phrase she never wanted in her vocabulary again.
The Emerald was cool and smooth beneath her fingers, and the feel of it comforted her immensely. It felt like Mobius. Like home. She sighed contentedly and let her gaze drift to the twin mark etched into her left palm. It didn't hurt; it was just a red scar where there didn't used to be one before. Kay lined the two up as best she could, then placed her hand over the Emerald as exactly as possible.
A sharp, painful jolt shot up her arm, startling her. She whipped the two apart and stared at her hand, which was now glowing slightly and buzzing with what could only be raw Chaos Energy. Kay bit back a cry as the pain intensified. Her arm sang with energy it didn't know what to do with, and it wasn't long before she realized that she had to let it out before she lost her arm entirely.
Moving as quickly as she could without dropping the Emerald, Kay flung the door open and shot her arm forward just as a bright green Chaos Spear ejected from it and drilled into the brick half-wall on the roof, leaving a black scorch mark in its wake. Kay's arm was numb now. She watched as the scar on her hand returned to its normal red color and stopped glowing, then focused on the scorch mark.
A Chaos Spear had just come from her. From her. A human carrier. There was no way that was even possible...right?
"You're brave to come out into the open alone," a smooth voice said behind her. Kay startled on the inside but somehow managed to keep a calm demeanor as she stood upright and turned around to face the kunoichi Karai. The black-haired girl was glaring daggers at her as she stepped out of the shadows, slamming the door to the roof closed before stepping in front of it. "I had hoped you would be as honorable as the Turtles. You owe me a debt, young one." She held out her hand expectantly. "Give me the Chaos Emerald."
Kay instinctively clutched the gem tighter, feeling its ever-cool surface, and set her mouth in a straight line. "I can't do that, Karai."
Without any warning whatsoever Karai lunged for her, sword gleaming in the streetlights around them as it slashed through the air towards her again and again. Kay cried out and instantly went into her defensive mode. Thank goodness she was better at that than offense. She dodged four or five blows of Karai's sword before trying to get her attention.
Karai paused for just a moment. She looked slightly confused – but mostly irritated – at the fact that she had not yet hit her target. In the brief pause Kay felt her heart pounding wildly. Something other than adrenaline raced through her veins. The feeling was alien. However she didn't have time to think about it before the kunoichi came bearing down on her again.
Clutching the Emerald in one hand, Kay expertly dodged every swing and strike that came her way. She couldn't help it when her mind again reverted back to her times in gym class in high school. Dodgeball days were always like this – she never got hit, but she rarely hit her opponents, either. It was the price she paid for staying alive, she figured.
The moment of distraction was enough that Kay stumbled a bit during one of her dodges, and Karai instantly took advantage of the slip-up to swing her sword in a downwards arc towards Kay's head. Kay gasped and lifted her left hand to protect herself, wincing as a sharp jolt of pain shot down her arm. There was a flash, and when she looked again Karai had been thrown three feet backwards from where she'd intended to land.
Kay caught on instantly, though she didn't dare believe it. No way. Did I just use a Chaos Shield?
An instant later she was dodging again, but this time she called out to her opponent with every blow. "Karai!" Dodge. "Hold on!" Dodge. "You have to—" Dodge. "—let me explain!"
Suddenly the kunoichi vanished entirely, without a trace or sound in her wake. Kay spun in a wide circle, keeping alert. She knew Karai wasn't walking away from this one until she had what she wanted. Her heart skipped a beat. Karai was behind her. She spun around to face her and was met with a hard punch to the stomach that knocked the wind out of her and sent her sprawling on her back. The Chaos Emerald was knocked from her hand.
For several long moments all she could do was focus on trying to breathe again. Darkness swam in her vision and she fought determinedly to keep from passing out in such a critical moment. Finally she gasped in a large gulp of cool air and her vision cleared enough to show her that Karai was about to retrieve the Emerald from where it had fallen.
Anger sparked within Kay faster than she could comprehend, and in the next instant she thrust out her left hand, willing a Spear to come between Karai and her prize. And that's exactly what happened.
The kunoichi startled back, then whipped her head around to face Kay, who was now getting to her feet.
"You are making a mistake!" Kay spat at her opponent, quickly crossing the distance to her fallen gem and standing over it protectively. Karai let her sword drop to her side as Kay continued on. "I don't know what it is with you that you think working for men like Shredder will get you anywhere in life, but here's a newsflash for you: Eggman wants to destroy this world. And all you're doing by giving him this Emerald is allowing him to do so! Where's the honor in that?"
"Don't talk to me about honor," Karai snapped back. "We made a deal. I fought you fairly, one-on-one. I went easy on you. I even told you who I'm working for though I had no obligation to. The price for losing to me was this Emerald. I'm simply here to collect my payment."
"Do you not comprehend what you're doing? This Emerald contains more power than you could possibly imagine, and giving it to Eggman is signing this world's death warrant. Do you want that guilt on your shoulders?"
"I will not talk to you about guilt. Have you no guilt for betraying your word?"
"Of course I do." Kay frowned, remembering how she had almost considered handing it over despite the danger. "But you don't understand. Eggman cannot have the Emerald. It's broken. A broken Chaos Emerald in the wrong hands can have disastrous consequences that you've never even considered."
Karai sneered. "And you think you're so special that you can handle a broken Chaos Emerald without bringing about the end of the world on your own? Perhaps it is safer with the doctor."
Kay clenched her fists and stood up as tall as she could. "I can control a broken Chaos Emerald because I am the Emerald's Chosen."
"That name means nothing to me, you dishonorable brat." Karai lifted her sword again. "Now, hand it over. This is your last warning."
Kay's anger was rising quickly. She actually began to shake from the force of it. She stared as hard as she could at her opponent and shook her head. "I can't, Karai."
"Very well then. Ready yourself, young one."
Ready myself how? I have no weapon, Kay thought to herself just a split second before the answer dawned on her. No more 'I don't knows.' I am the Emerald's Chosen for a reason. The Chaos Emerald has already given me the only weapon I need.
Karai darted forward, and without thinking about the possible stupidity of it, Kay darted forward as well. The kunoichi attacked right away with her sword, but Kay brought her arm up and willed a Shield into existence. Without any delay, it was there to protect her. Karai struck again, and again Kay deflected, this time coming back with an offense of her own: a Chaos Spear, which Karai deflected.
I am a human using the Chaos Force to fight another human. The two girls danced around each other on the rooftop for several paces, attacking and deflecting in turns. What has my existence turned into?
At one point Karai leapt into the air and spun around in an attempt to throw off Kay's groove, but without hesitation the younger girl willed a small Chaos Blast to knock Karai off course. The attack hit its target dead-on, sending Karai to the ground with a thud. She was on her feet again instantly, looking only slightly unsure of herself. The brief pause only fueled whatever was pumping through Kay right now. Ignoring the fact that her vision was becoming blurry on the edges, she spurred forward again, this time swapping roles to quickly become the more powerful opponent. Karai deflected as many attacks as she could before drawing a second sword and attempting to come down on Kay again.
Kay held up both hands and willed a Shield into being. The defense was there instantly, but instead of moving on to another attack, Karai held her ground and pushed into the Shield with as much force as she could. Kay's arms began shaking instantly – only slightly at first, but with more force with each second that passed. Her heart raced wildly and Chaos Energy coursed through her like she had never felt before, even at the peak of Chaos Control.
I'm losing control, she realized with a gasp. The next thing she knew her vision was completely green, and Karai's outline was nothing but a black splotch that needed to be erased from the world. She shoved back against the double swords with a mighty push, kicked hard at Karai's chest, and heard the weapons clatter to the ground as a rush of power overtook her. She felt a Chaos Spear form in her hand, and Tikal's voice screamed in her head.
"STOP!!"
Kay's bright green vision began to clear, and when it did she was both in awe and mortified at what she saw. Karai was beneath her on the ground; Kay had somehow managed to pin her to the rooftop with one hand while holding a Chaos Spear just inches from her throat with the other. Her heart was racing, but with each new breath it began to calm down.
Though she was shaking hard, Kay stared at the weapon in her hand and used every last ounce of energy she had to will it away. When it vanished from her grip, so did all other traces of the Chaos Force. She collapsed suddenly, falling to the ground beside Karai, still gasping for air. She spent a few moments just convulsing and trying to regain some semblance of control before she was able to lift her head to meet Karai's gaze.
The kunoichi stood over her, both swords in hand once more, one pointed at her throat and the other at her prize – the Chaos Emerald.
She could take it, Kay realized helplessly. She could take it right now and I would not be able to stop her. Not when I'm like this. But, her gaze hardened as she thought, I would fight to the death to get it back.
Karai sighed, obviously frustrated with herself, and sheathed both of her weapons. She gazed at the Emerald for a long moment before turning back to meet Kay's eyes. After holding the position for a few seconds, she turned on her heel and vanished into the shadows.
Kay sighed in relief, fighting back a cry of pain as she struggled to her hands and knees. She was still shaking hard from the sudden exit of Chaos Force from her body and fighting off faintness when a brand new sound ruptured the quiet night, drawing her attention to a position directly in front of her.
What started as a purple swirl in the middle of the air rapidly grew into a large portrait-like oval. Before she could process what it was, two jet-black creatures with glowing purple spots flew through from the other side and hovered above her, obviously readying to attack.
She gasped, fighting down a sudden wave of panic. These were Dark Gaia Creatures. From Mobius.
And in her weakened state, there was nothing she could do when they lunged at her with a roar.