The Invaders

Hunting For Clues
''Screams of terror. The crashing of crumbling buildings. Fires burning. Pleas for help. A look of pure hatred on his face as he slaughtered several high ranking officials. He would end it here. Everything would crumble and burn in these flames.''

"..son."

''The target was the castle. Hiding at the top, his so-called "Highness". With a splash of blood, he cut down several Exceed that crossed his path — as if they would be of any use here. They were next, anyway."''

"...ason."

''It wouldn't take long. Everything would be fixed with this.''

"JASON!"

Jason snapped out of his dazed state, looking around slowly. "I'm sorry, what?"

Iris tapped his shoulder; about to knock the living daylights out of him. "Come on then, if you're so willing to save that blue-haired bitch then nobody has the time for your little daydreams. Come on, I'll bash your head in, I swear on my mum if you don't hurry up."

Jason let out a sigh. While he was certainly pleased not to have to remember any more of that, Iris' attitude was what was putting him off. "You do know you could have just stayed? This isn't an attitude we need here, Iris."

Iris scowled, "Well, you wouldn't let me go rescue Viv by myself, and I'd be doing nothing if I stayed here, so if I have to suffer, then you do too. It's your fault, after all."

Jason actually stopped, and the entire group stopped with him, curious. "You could have done nothing by yourself, Iris. All you would have done is run off, and on the offchance you actually found the Shadow Remnants, you would have made it back to the guild, of course, but it would have been what was left of you — sent back to us in a matchbox. Not one of us can take on the full might of the entire Shadow Remnants, so stop flattering yourself and focus on the task at hand."

"Well, if I stayed back you wouldn't be able to stop me from running off and tearing that masked son of a bitch limb from limb. Ah, well, that was my loss, wasn't it?" She sighed and crossed her arms. "The sooner we get Viv back, the sooner I can be...me again. I don't like being this Iris..."

"The fact that you're this Iris is no one's fault but your own." Jason was wondering what happened to the adorable ball of fluff that had interrupted his studies just this morning. Why was his Iris replaced by this?

"The fact that I'm this Iris is that masked asshole's fault. Once I tear him limb from limb and get Viv back, I'll be fine. Understand that?" She snarled like...an actual wild animal. "I need Vivian with me. She was the one who saved me from hating this world, amongst the ruthlessness of humans, always looking down on me for just being a squirrel. She showed me the light; this world isn't all that bad with that special somebody by your side."

Jason was a bit taken aback by this, and bent down on one knee, his eyes softening up. He wrapped his arm around Iris' neck, and shoulders, bringing her close. "I can understand how you feel, Iris. And, I can relate to your frustration. The Akatsuki Guild...having all of you has shaped my world in ways I wouldn't have thought possible years ago." He reached behind her head to scratch her ears, something he knew she enjoyed. "Which is why I cannot abandon a comrade when I know they are in trouble; and Gaikou needs us much more than Vivian does at the moment." He pushed her gently away, looking at her dead in the eyes. "That's why I need you, all of you, to help me save Gaikou now. And after this, rest assured our full attention will be turned to Vivian. Even if I am bleeding from the neck, and missing limbs, we will go her aid immediately after Gaikou. So please, stomach this and bear with me, Iris?"

Iris nodded slightly, but doubtfully. While she did indeed appear optimistic, her mind was still drenched in darkness. She had to save Vivian, no matter what. "....Okay, okay. Okay-okay. Ooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaay, oooooooookaaaaaaaaaaay." She stretched out those last words. "I will save Gaikou. I remember, I was the only one she was nice to. It would be mean to just let her die...."

Jason smiled. "Thank you, Iris." He decided to reward her by stroking her tail, once again something she enjoyed.

Iris' face suddenly turned a bright red- as she closed her eyes in pleasure, shaking her leg like a ...dog's?, before she immediately returned to her normal behaviour. "It's fine, it's fine. Just only do that when we're alone because I make myself look like a damn animal..."

Jason chuckled. His Iris was slowly returning, if just a bit. He heard an impatient click, and turned to see Mary looking at him with a face of murder. Olivia let out a sigh.

"Master, I think we should get a move on." She jerked her head in the direction of Mary. "We are dawdling, and timing is everything." There was something behind that sentence.

Jason eyed Mary for a moment, and frowned. "Of course. We're nearly there anyway."

Iris's ears suddenly perked up; as a faint ringing noise could be heard- naturally, only Iris herself could hear it. "....Yes, we...are." If by some sort of precognition, several flashes occured within her mind; was it the past? The future? All she realized was, it had Gaikou in them.