Chapter 243: Ki

"Hmm, this is certainly interesting, but I doubt now is the time to delve so deeply in these matters. Can you posit any other reason for your companion to have such a solid foothold within this dream despite not being native to this world" said Major(?)

Minor's eyes flicked to Kat for a second, before speaking again "I… believe that most likely reason for that would be that Kat has a full and intact soul, while I am less than I once was, and you are only part of yourself" said Minor

Major(?) nodded at this, as she stretched herself out, wood creaking as she moved. "I cannot deny your claims. At least not on the face of it. I do however find it strange that such a thing could occur. How exactly is it that… Kat I believe you said, could possibly place her entire soul within our mind… I would imagine that to be impossible" said Major(?)

Minor's tongue traced her lips trying to stop the dry feeling that was beginning in her mouth "I believe that Grandmother is largely responsible for this. I am unsure if you have my memories as well, but before our body's health deteriorated it was explained she had a spell for it. I do not know the specifics though, she did not have time before things got relatively severe. Perhaps my companion could explain more" said Minor

*Minor why! Don't make me talk to the terrifyingly formal version of Major. I have no idea how to talk to her. Something tells me she is even more dangerous than the Nightmares* "That is acceptable" said Major(?) "And please, refer to me as Ki from now on. It makes it easier for everyone"

Minor nodded and motioned for Kat to step forward. Welp here goes nothing. "Hi Ki, I'm not really sure how to speak properly to someone like yourself so I hope just speaking normally will be fine" said Kat

Minor paled but Kat paid it no mind. *I can be polite, but you guys are being a bit silly about this. You're sisters dammit, even if Ki isn't exactly in full. And man, how many names do these pair have anyway. Shizura, Haruka, Major, Minor, Ki, and surely the other half will get one as well.* 

"This one finds that to be acceptable. I am aware of my verbal propensities and I am afraid to say that I cannot control it fully. It appears that at least some of speaking ability remains locked within my other half, so I may only speak with overly formal prose. I do understand how this must look,

"I do apologise to Minor I likely should not confess to this, but her clear feelings of how uncomfortable it was to speak with me like this was rather amusing. This is especially considering that she still seems to view me as superior despite being in two pieces" said Ki with a slight giggle that seemed to distort slightly.

Minor grimaced at this but didn't say anything. "Well," said Kat giving her explanation before things got too weird… assuming they weren't already "I don't know a tonne of the how or the what exactly, but Enuko, your grandma cast a spell on the both of us

"From what she said to me, it sort of… does two things. It makes your, Major's and Minor's I guess, dreams more real, as well as placing me within them. I'm not fully clear if it puts my body in the dream, or if it puts my mind in but I seem to have a body either way"

"Oh? Truly? Well, that is quite interesting information. What exactly were you told to accomplish demon?" asked Ki without the heat Enuko normally has when using the term.

"Well, I was asked very nicely, and trust me that was a shock, to come in here and bring you both back. Minor couldn't keep the body functioning and Major wasn't waking up so this was determined to be the best option" said Kat

Ki nodded with the slightest frown "Yes but what are you DOing, about it. I understand that you are here and you wish to help in possibly whatever way you can but that doesn't answer what you think you will need to do to accomplish your goal" said Ki

Minor went to speak up, but Ki stopped her "I seek this answer from Kat"

*Well… shit* "I can't say I fully know Ki. I'm mostly following Minor's lead because this is more her wheelhouse than my own. I've never been inside someone else's head before. In fact, I'm not sure I've really ever been in my own" said Kat

Ki bit her lip and nodded "Yes, I find this to be a rather strange state of affairs. Personally, I do believe it unlikely that ones I am whole and awake I will remember these events. I will be curious to know how both your own and Minor's memories are affected.

"Truly I cannot even begin to guess. It seems that this dream is more real, but is it more dream, or more reality. I think it likely that Minor will retain events because as mentioned before, this is her world, especially if all is to be believed…

"But then what about you, Kat, you are here in full same as Minor, and yet it is only by the power of a spell. I suppose that might be the crux of it, the power of the spell…

"Never mind I am distracting myself, the-" Ki was about to continue speaking when a great crash reverberated from all around. The ground quaked and the giant sakura tree started to tremble.

Ki had a pained look on her face, this time both wooden and flesh. After a second to recover Ki slammed her wooden arm into the ground. When it made contact with the grass it seemed to expand, increasing in length and Kat could see tendrils of wood coming off it and seeping into the surrounding grass.

"It seems" said Ki through gritted teeth "That I can not investigate you quite as thoroughly as I may have wished. It seems my other more aggressive half is attempting to push into my domain and overwhelm me"

"Is that bad?" as Minor "I… I have some guesses but I still don't really know what to do. I think joining back together without first defeating the other might be impossible, you are acting too individual for a clean merger…

"But… I don't know what would happen if we deal too significant to your counterpart. That might have some long term consequences, or less likely but I guess still possible, short term ones again"

Ki cracked again "So fast to consider my alternate to be the enemy. Why do you so readily choose to help Ki instead of whoever opposes her? Is it because I have a fancy tree? Or is it because I have managed to convince you that I believe in the existence of my sister?"

*That… that is a dam good question. I was just sort of following Minor's lead wasn't I? I mean… she does know more than me but… I guess in this situation where Major has to be the enemy or one of them, even she might not know why*

Minor however, smiled at this question "I actually do have a bit of a guess that led me to decided you were the one to support" said Minor "You see, the reason is that Shizuka's favourite season is winter, and yet.

"Your final stronghold is instead Spring, which, I believe is my favourite season… though of course, I haven't been in the real world long enough to feel as strongly about it as you must"

Ki laughed, a strange cackling sound as she pulled her arm out of the ground. "Yes, yes indeed. In this world of abstractions and dreams the small details add up to create exception changes… well that and if you saw my other half they would be covered in foul black tar, that might have swayed you as well"

*Well, why the heck didn't you lead with that!* Shouted Kat internally. *I mean seriously, those things have been trying to stop us so many times, why am I not surprised that the final boss looks like it as well… still that was a bit of a rude way to go about it.* 

Kat then looked in Minor's direction and… Kat wasn't sure what she expected to see but anger certainly wasn't it. "It seems that you may have been playing us for fools" said Minor

*What?* "What?" said Ki

"What have you been stalling for? Kat's right, if you had simply led with, 'the other me is a tar monster' you'd have us on your side in a heartbeat. Why did you wait so long to mention it?"

"And what? You'd have simply taken my word for it before laying your eyes on the thing? I think not. Plus, her outer appearance is a bit more pleasant until she is struck a few times" said Ki