***NO STOP I REFUSE I NEED MORE CHAPPIES -

Hi, welcome to Chili's.

( ͡° ل͜ ͡°)

And that sums up everything going through my mind right now.

Oh, and does anyone use the phrase "bull hockey" these days? My dad does, but he's older, and I know that term is kind of outdated.

If you're wondering, it's a nicer, less offensive way of saying B.S. (haha, nope, no cursing in this fanfic, thank you very much) or bullcrap.***

***(Skylor's POV)***

When Zane and PIXAL finally relieve me on deck – they take their time out of their fear of the storm – I head right back down to the quarters below. I seriously hope the others remembered that somebody needed to stay with Kai. I was in too much of a rush to remind them when I ran up to the deck earlier.

***Music Cue***

I stalk down the stairs, wasting no time in getting to his quarters. Hopefully, he's well-rested from his headache now. He's been asleep for a few hours.

I reach his door and turn the handle, but it doesn't budge.

Odd.

My hand clasps the cool metal of the handle again, my palm moist from the trepidation of earlier. I shake the doorknob from side to side until the wooden door gives, just a crack.

I press my weight against the structure and give it a shove, causing the door to swing open with a creak.

"Kai?" I ask, stepping over the doorway and creeping inside. I don't want to scare him if he's deep asleep.

I see his form covered in blankets on his bed, and I sigh, walking over to check on him. I wonder what caused such a bad headache.

I untuck the corner of his quilt to find that...

Kai's not under the blankets.

I throw off the comforter to see there's a mound of pillows arranged on the bed to resemble a body.

Weird.

"Kai?" I ask a little more cautiously. I survey the room around me and find that the only light coming in is from the open doorway – the lantern in here has gone out.

I slowly approach the lantern, summoning a flame with my hand and lighting the wick inside. It slowly flares to life...then suddenly snuffs out.

Strange.

I ignite the wick again, but the paltry flame immediately turns to smoke.

"Kai?" The word is concerned now.

I do another scan of the room, but it appears...that I am utterly alone.

Panic grips me, and my tongue goes dry. What if Nadakhan got to Kai?

Stupid! I never should have left him down here alone! That storm could've waited a moment before I ran up on deck. I could've awoken Kai and taken him to Rumi's quarters with others. How could I be so –

The door suddenly slams shut, leaving no light in the bunkroom.

It slams shut...all on its own?

I go on high alert in the dark room, my breathing quiet yet rapid and my pupils dilating to suit the blackened atmosphere. I use the power of sound to tune into every nuance of noise.

Something scuffs along the floor to my left, accompanied by near-silent, schooled breathing.

I'm not alone.

I create a flame with my hand. "Kai, that'd better be you. If you don't reveal yourself right now, so help me, I will scream bloody murder until every able-bodied person on this boat comes to murder you." I watch my flame as its light flickers over the wooden walls of the cabin.

There's not a single noise, not a fragment of sound but for the gentle lulling of the sea and my uneven breaths.

Even with my elemental powers, it's impossible to distinguish a single sound.

I take slow steps toward the door, not wanting the threat to make any sudden moves without my noticing. If I move too quickly, I risk being caught off-guard, and that means –

A hand grips my ankle, jerking me down to the ground. I begin to shriek just as a warm hand clamps over my mouth to silence me.

The scent of too much conditioner surrounds me – a smell I'd recognize anywhere.

"Kai?!" I exclaim, my voice muffled by his hand. What the heck is going on?!

He tucks my body against his and rolls under the bed, not uncovering my mouth.

I feel anger rise in me. "Kai! What is the – "

"Shh," he whispers, his voice barely audible. "Were you followed?"

"Followed by...whom?!" I whisper-shout.

He shushes me again. "We're in danger, Skye. They're here. They're after us. Can you understand me?"

"I – no! None of this makes any sense!"

"No, I mean, are my words coming out correctly? They weren't earlier."

I shake my head. "Kai, your speech is fine. Now tell me what's going on!"

"Shhhhh! They'll hear you. Dad told me about them."

"Your...Kai," I groan. "Quit it with the games already!" Oh, I could slap him in the face!

"I'm not playing," he hisses. "Demons. They're coming for us – to take over our bodies and – "

"What?!"

"My father told me," he explains. "Demons. They want the elementals, but I won't let them take you."

Alarm fills my head with every moment, and I try to read his mind. Without being able to touch his temple, though, all I get is a cursory glimpse.

Everything is...jumbled.

I calm my voice as much as possible. "Kai, let me go. There's something wrong with you." He's stupid sometimes, but he's not...insane.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry, Skylor. They didn't get to me."

"I believe you," I say calmly. "Now let me go, Kai." I don't want to startle him or frighten him by teleporting away.

"No! I'm not letting anything bad happen to you, Skye. I'm not losing you."

"I know, Kai, but you really have to let me go." I need to read his mind!

His grip only tightens on me. "You can't tell me they already got to you – that they already took you. No! I – I was too late." I feel his fingers dig into my skin as he holds me so tightly.

I wince in pain. "No, Kai, they didn't get me. I just want you to let me go. You're hurting me, and if I have to, I will use my powers to get away from you."

"No!" he wails. "Skylor, I needed you! Dad, tell me there's some way to make them leave. Tell me!" He squeezes me painfully.

I swallow, poofing out of his arms. He wails in response, "Skylor!"

My breathing is ragged. "Kai, you were hurting me. I didn't want to use my powers against you, but I had to."

"Dad!" Kai yells.

"Kai, calm down and look at me." I create a fresh flame in my hand for light. "It's me. I'm not...a demon, or whatever it is you think I am."

He sobs and crawls out from under his bed, begging me to be okay. His lament is loud and long.

"Calm down," I bid him, backing toward the door so I can get it open. I try to send a mental message to Zane – I think handling Kai will be a two-person job.

"Skylor!" Kai cries.

I hold out my hands in defense. "You're not yourself, Kai. I need you to calm down."

"But the demons – they want our elements, Skye!"

I fumble with the doorknob, finally managing to get it open. "They're not real, Kai. They're not here." I think. "Your Aunt Sunny – she called elementals demons, didn't she? Is that what's confusing you?" My words are slow and cautious, as though I were speaking with a frightened child.

"My dad explained everything to me," he argues, trying to advance on me. "Let me help you, Skye. These demons are dangerous. You don't – "

"Is...everything all right?" Zane asks from the hallway.

No.

I swallow, whispering, "Something's wrong with Kai. I need to read his mind so I can see what happened to him. Nothing he's saying makes sense."

"I knew the elves and gingerbread people were behind this," Kai sniffles, wiping his cheeks of tears. "Please, Skylor, come to me. I-I can help you!"

The pleading in his voice breaks my heart. "Kai, I need you to calm down. I can't come to you unless you calm down. You'll hurt me."

"They'll hurt you! I'm sure there's a way to get them away from you, Skylor. I'll ask my dad. He knows!"

"Shh," I say softly. Now that Zane's here, I begin to approach my fiancé with care. "Calm down, Kai. We're okay."

He swallows. "We're okay?"

"Yes. We're fine. We won't let anything bad happen to any of us."

He bites his lip. "Nya? Where is she?" His eyes become panicked. "No. I need to see her! She'll ruin everything if she's with – "

"She's with Jay," I say evenly, coming just within his reach.

"Jay?" he confirms.

"Yes, with Jay. They're together. They'll be fine."

He releases a breath, his features smoothing. "As long as she's not with Ronin."

Ronin? How does he play into this?

I place my hands on either of Kai's temples, moving slowly so I don't scare him. "Kai, may I see some of your memories? I want to know what happened while I was gone."

"I can tell you. My dad told me that – "

"I know, Kai." I gulp, trying to hold back tears at his disheveled state. "I want to see what happened."

He nods. "Okay. Okay, that's fine."

I close my eyes, focusing.

And all I find is a jumbled mess. Unrelated faces, objects, conversations...

Until I see a tanned, wickedly grinning face lit with malice. I search through Kai's mess of memories to see...

Nadakhan. That's whom Kai associates with the face.

I pull back, realizing everything I need to know. "Zane, get the others."

Kai grabs my wrists as I lower them from his head. "You're still my Skylor? The demons didn't take you?"

I clench my eyes shut, taking a deep breath and trying not to let my world crumble. "Yes, Kai, I'm still your Skylor. I just don't know if you're still my Kai."

***(Nya's POV)***

Something shifts under me, and someone whispers softly, "Nya?"

It's Jay.

I don't feel like getting up at all – I'm actually exhausted – so I just relax into the spot he's begun to vacate. Kai must be making him leave or something. Doggone my stupid older brother.

"Nya, wake up."

There's something so serious in his voice...it bothers me.

I crack my eyes open, hoping to see a stupid smile plastered across his face. Maybe he just wanted to tell me I was snoring or something?

Yeah, that doesn't make sense.

He looks down at me with solemn eyes. "PIXAL came and got us. She said there's something wrong."

"Another storm?" I mumble. I don't know that I can take another storm.

"No. Just come with me, okay?" He slides off the bed.

I extract myself from my quilt, my sore muscles protesting. "Jay, what's going on? You make it sound like somebody died."

"Nobody died, Nya. Uh...but..."

I eye him, slipping on a pair of Converse shoes. "Just tell me, Jay."

"Fine." He sits down beside me. "Your brother was approached by Nadakhan and is now mentally insane."

I blink. "I...what?"

He throws his hands in the air. "Your brother. Nadakhan made him crazy!"

I lurch upright, stomping toward the door with a fury. "Seriously?! Where is he?"

Jay follows behind me, a little concerned at my outburst. "Uh...your brother is with Skylor and Zane right – "

"No, I mean, where is Nadakhan? Because now he's totally violated my mouth, he's plotting to kill you, and he made Kai go bonkers! And if he doesn't think he's going to get what's coming for him – "

Jay places his hands on my shoulders and tries to speak over me. "Nya, Nadakhan's no longer on board, so we need to – "

I ignore him. "If he doesn't think he's going to get what's coming for him, he's crazier than he made Kai!" I clench my fists.

"Nya, we can't do anything about him right now! But we need to go see your brother. Seliel just poked her head in and told me he's been asking to make sure you're okay for the past twenty minutes. She thinks that if you visit him, he'll start to calm down. He's talking about elemental demons or something."

An angry huff escapes my throat, and I throw open the door and march out into the hall. Jay grabs my hand, trying to stop me, but I wrench out of his grip and continue my trek through the ship.

"Nya," he warns, "you shouldn't be so volatile when you go to visit him! He's out of his head, remember? You don't want to disturb him any more than necessary!"

"I can't help but be mad!" I yell. "Stupid Nadakhan, and stupid us for leaving Kai alone! How could – "

"Just listen to me!" Jay exclaims, yanking me backwards before I can storm into Kai's room. He stumbles back into the side of the ship, unwilling to release me.

I wrestle against him. "Let...me...go!"

"No! Nya, I get that you're upset, but showing that to Kai isn't going to help anything. He doesn't know his own strength right now, and he'll end up going ballistic and hurting someone. Calm down!"

"I can't just 'calm down'!" I exclaim. "Let me in to see my – "

"Nya, please listen to me. Somebody's going to get injured if you go in there right now. I know you're usually right and all, but not this time. Take advice from someone else for once, okay? Just take a few deep breaths and collect yourself before you walk in there."

I want to argue so badly. I'm done with all this Nadakhan bull hockey.

But Jay's right. If I go in there and upset my brother, somebody could get hurt.

Seeming to notice that I've calmed down, Jay loosens his grip on me. "You're not going to blow up now, right?"

I mutter something incoherent under my breath and turn the doorknob, heading into the room where Kai is.

Harumi Jade sits bound on the bed in the room, trying to read a book with tied hands. Seliel, for lack of anything better to do, tries to paint Harumi's nails. Zane watches the door, probably because PIXAL's steering the ship alone, and Skylor is very obviously trying to keep Kai from going nuts.

As soon as Zane sees us, he nods and makes his exit.

I clear my throat, which is suddenly clogged with emotion. "Kai?"

He looks up from Skylor and smiles with relief when he sees me. "Nya! They didn't hurt you, right?"

I bite my lip, wrapping my arms around my stomach. "Whom do you mean, Kai?"

"The demons. They want you, but Skylor told me you were okay." His eyes bug. "Who were you with?"

I feel an electrical presence behind me, and I nod my head toward it. "I was with Jay."

"But not Ronin, right?" my brother confirms.

I furrow my forehead. "No. Ronin's not here, Kai."

He sighs with relief. "Good."

I shake my head, totally confused by his rambling. I walk to his side and gently embrace him for a hug. "Do you know whom everyone is in the room? You know me and Skye, obviously, but I want to see if you can point out everyone else."

He nods, using his finger to point out each person as he goes. "That's Jay, Seliel, and..." His features darken. "Harumi?"

"She's coming with us to help get Lloyd back," Skylor reminds him carefully.

"But she's evil! She – "

"She cares about Lloyd," Skylor says, her mouth in a tight line. "She may not always be the purest person, but she wants to help him."

"I want to get revenge on Nadakhan," Harumi says aloofly, not bothering to look up from her book.

"I can read minds," Skylor snaps. "And I have no qualms about reading yours and calling your bluff."

Harumi's eye twitches as she continues to read.

I look up at Skylor. "So it seems like he recognizes most everyone."

"Right. He knows faces and words, but he can't seem to string them together coherently." She sighs, her voice a mess of emotions. "And it frustrates him that he can't communicate with us correctly."

Kai's expression turns to one of joy, and he looks at me. "Nya, dad's back. I thought we'd lost him for sure, but he's here!"

My face falls. "Kai...dad's...not here."

"Yes, he is," he insists. "I thought the same thing, Nya, but he's okay! He's here. And mom, too. And we can all be together again."

I try to form words, but my mouth...it opens and closes, and no sound comes out.

I look up at Skylor. Her expression is almost as distressed as mine.

I pat Kai's shoulder. "Hey," I say softly. "I...I forgot that I needed to do...something. I have to go."

He frowns. "Nya, you can't go. You shouldn't be alone. They're after you – Aunt Sunny warned us about them. The demons. They want elementals!"

I shake my head, standing. "I'll be fine, Kai."

"I'll go with her," Jay says, trying to help.

I place my hand on his arm. "I need a moment alone."

"We can't be alone. Nadakhan's still a threat, remember?"

"Of course I remember. Now as I said, I need a moment alone." I step away from him, stalking out the door and into the hall.

Where do I want to go? Up on deck? Back to my sleeping quarters?

I don't really care, as long as I'm not in that room with Kai anymore.

"Nya," Jay says gently, coming out after me. "I know you want to be alone, but that's not possible right now. We have to worry about – "

I swivel. "Why'd you follow me?" I demand.

"Because I don't want you making wishes with an evil Djinn. You know we shouldn't be alone right now."

I turn my back on him. "Jay, I'm not going to make wishes with the guy who just made Kai go nuts."

"What if he forces himself on you again, like when he tried to make out with you this morning? I don't want – "

"I had that taken care of." Holding my head high, I pivot, walk right past him, and head into the living quarters.

Before I can lock the door, Jay shoves his way in. "You don't have to talk to me unless you want to, but you do have to stay with somebody at all times. I'm not leaving."

"Fine!" I walk over to the bed and flop down, staring at the wall like it's the most interesting structure I've ever seen.

I count every notch in the wood, every grain and ring and swirl. I even try to identify what tree the lumber was derived from. But then, I'm not a tree expert. I'm just killing time because the guy who raised me has gone nuts.

I'm rudely interrupted by the clearing of a throat. The clearing of Jay's throat, specifically.

His footsteps scuff toward me along the floor.

"I don't like seeing you upset," he tries, running his hand up and down my back in a tingly rub.

I close my eyes. "I'm not talking about this."

"Why?"

"I just said I wasn't talking about this." Gosh, boys!

"Okay," he says placatingly. "But I am. And I promise, Nya, that we'll fix this when we get to the Dark Island. We'll find Nadakhan and make him reverse his wishes or something. And we'll get Cole, Lloyd, and your brother back – promise."

I swallow.

I might've been kind of selfish. Yes, my brother is out of his mind, but I have to remember that Jay also lost his best friend out of this.

I say quietly, "You can sit down."

He accepts my invitation, the mattress bending slightly under his weight as he sits. "Thanks."

"You don't need to thank me." Gosh, I can be a spoiled brat at times.

He continues to massage my back. "But I'm grateful, so I'm going to thank you anyway. I know it's hard for you to let people in anymore."

"Yeah." I take a deep breath. "I'm...sorry." The word comes out with a whoosh of breath.

It's almost as though I can hear his expression change to one of happiness. "It's okay. Thank you for apologizing."

I shake my head in lieu of a response.

I have a feeling I'm going to be very bad at communicating in this relationship. I just hope Jay is willing to be patient with me. The first day you date someone shouldn't have you arguing with them in such a heated way – that doesn't bode well for a romance at all.

***I did it. I made a chapter thing for you. Here you go.

I should have your next chapter out tomorrow. Next stop? The Dark Island...***