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Chapter Text

To anyone of who had never seen it, the capital of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear was nothing short of amazing. Built within a natural crater created by a falling fonstone, the city's many levels towered above the surrounding mountains. Cobblestone streets lined the many colourful shops and the cable cars that connected the city were incredible as they zipped down their lines carrying the populace from place to place.

Yet, not a single one of these things impressed the redheaded boy who stood before the awe-inspiring heights. He watched them for but a moment, his dirty cloak billowing in the wind. Though his dress labelled him a traveller, his age left those passing by wondering where his parents were. The boy regarded their questioning stares with no more interest than he showed in Baticul's sights. None of it was important to him. The cable cars wouldn't take him where he wanted to go, and he had no use for the frivolous goods the shops were offering. All he cared about was the very top level and what he would find there. And he knew exactly what he'd find; he had 10 years of memories drawing it all out in his mind.

Racing for the lift, no one paid the 10-year old any mind, slipping on just as the machine lurched and began its ascent. He fidgeted nervously, trying to brush the dirt from his clothing, though there was nothing he could do to hide where the fabric was torn. The concern was momentary, swiftly brushed from his mind as the lift came to a stop.

The guard barely had the gate open when he bolted from the lift. Dashing up the short stairs to the stone courtyard, his gaze immediately fell upon the brilliant water fountain at its centre. The sides were lined with trees and other foliage and it all led up to the castle, the heart of Baticul, where the king and his lovely daughter lived.

Natalia...

The castle wasn't what he was looking for, not this time. Off to the left of the castle, sat a manor. It was large, even as far as manors went, but it paled in comparison to the castle in whose shadow it dwelt. It had exactly 56 bedrooms, 39 hallways, an entryway, two kitchens, a library, and drawing room that was used more as a dining room than anything else. At the center there was a courtyard lined with statues and flowers that the gardener carefully tended to each day and if you went around to the side you found an even larger yard that was lined with trees and more flowers. The manor could be considered many things, but right now, only one of them mattered.

It was home.

He raced past the guard who stood dutifully at the entrance, his crimson hair flying out behind him. The guard looked confusedly at the red blur that had just flown past but dismissed it as nothing, probably the young master in trouble with the young princess again. But... no, the guard shrugged off the half-formed thought. The lack of any decent sleep given the whole kidnapping fiasco could clearly dampen even the keenest senses. What games the imagination could play... perhaps it was time to consider a holiday.

The boy looked back over his shoulder; the guard hadn't even taken notice of him... good. He didn't care to deal with that right now. Following the sounds that came from the yard, he didn't even bother to go inside. His sword bounced against his back as he ran, painfully reminding him of the cuts and bruises that covered it. His legs echoed the pain that his back emanated, but he refused to slow down, not now. He was almost there. Everyone was worried, he had been gone too long, and he had no doubt they were all waiting for him. Their smiles, warm open arms reaching out to him while exuberant laughter full of relief and joy filled the air... it was a scene his mind's eye had created, the sole thought that had gotten him through these past months was finally here. They were here... they were waiting for him to come home.

When he thought back on it, he couldn't say how long he stood there. It might have been seconds, it might have been hours. Time itself became completely inconsequential standing there among the shadows of the trees that lined the courtyard. Not even a Score reading could have readied him for what he had come across when he turned that final corner.

It was him.

Only it wasn't. The boy who was sitting in the courtyard looked identical to him in almost every way. His face, his clothes... it was a mirror image that fluttered across the yard, glimmering in the sun like a reflection that danced across the water's surface. But this illusion did not vanish. Playfully chasing a butterfly as his family and a few choice servants looked on with smiles on their faces, no one had a worry in the world. The boy fell. He started to cry.

"Please don't cry Master Luke!"

He had wiped the tears from his eyes before realizing that the servants were at the other boy's side, and that their words had not been for him. How could this have happened? Why...why didn't they care? Years upon years of being told that he was special, that he was needed, it all came crashing down around him as he watched them help the boy back to his feet. The boy took a couple steps before falling again, this time into his mother's embrace.

"Honestly he's just like a baby except with a bigger body," she smiled as she pulled the boy closer and the boy smiled back.

"Yes, for him to suffer from amnesia to this extent... what he knew about being a ruler, his swordsmanship, why he doesn't even remember how to talk," her husband replied softly, with his usual emotionless façade.

"But he's safely home, isn't that all that matters?" She released her hold on the boy and he stumbled off.

"I suppose so."

The entire world froze in that moment. His mother's smile, the servants, the boy, the entire scene before him burned itself into his mind, and echoes of whispered words crept back into his ears.

They don't need you.

"Hey Luke!" A familiar voice rose up, drowning out the whispers of the past that were haunting him. Natalia. Certainly she, if no one else would, she would notice something was amiss. She would wonder where he was and come seeking him. The bond that they shared was between them alone, and there was nothing in the world, including that boy, that could take that away from him.

"Natalia..."

"Where have you been?" she said exasperated, "I've been looking everywhere for you." The young Princess' soft smile lit up the courtyard, but that light shattered him, leaving him beclouded as she pulled out a ring of flowers, the symbol of their promise, and placed them on the other boy.

They don't need you.

He understood now. They didn't need him. Oh sure, they liked the idea of him, but when it all came down to it, anyone who fit the description would do. It had nothing to do with him or any of his talents and abilities. The skills he had spent all these years building amounted to absolutely nothing in their eyes. Because they didn't need him.

A gentle tug on his sword derailed his train of thought. He looked over his shoulder to see the boy curiously trying to lift and examine the weapon on his back, failing to understand it was strapped on and wouldn't move very far. Panicked, he ducked behind the tree before daring to steal a glance over at the others. His parents were caught up in a conversation, apparently disagreeing over something or another; Natalia had gone off to pick some more flowers and was already in the process of lacing them together; the three maids were chatting amongst themselves, giggling about Score knows what; and the sole male servant, a blond teenage boy, sat off to the side obviously bored and staring up at the sky when not shooting a nervous glance at the three maids. No one had noticed the absence of their charge it seemed.

The other boy tried to follow him around the tree but tripped over one of the roots that was protruding from the ground. Instinctively, he reached out and caught the boy by the arm. Their eyes met.

It was like looking into a mirror.

The boy that stood before him was his height and his size. They had the same long red hair and even the same emerald eyes. No. They didn't have the same eyes. The eyes that looked back at him sparkled with a childish curiosity and hopefulness, oblivious to the pain and harsh realities of the world, something he had recently become all too familiar with. He could just imagine what this boy saw in him. Suffering, betrayal, hopelessness, sorrow, a myriad of emotions that were suffocating him, smothering him until all that remained was a shadow of the bright, ambitious person he had once been.

The boy looked at him, almost as if contemplating who he was. The question in this stranger's eyes was obvious: who could he be, looking like he did, identical to the boy's own reflection? But the problem faded as quickly as the unspoken query had come, leaving an innocent smile in its stead. The matter was inconsequential to this person who had taken his place. It was a frozen moment, neither he nor the boy said a word... yet somehow, such a thing was unnecessary.

After a moment of thought, the boy took the ring of flowers off. That sweet smile never leaving his face, the blossoms were carefully placed over him, their white petals mingling with his crimson hair. He felt his tears return.

The boy's hand was soft and warm as it sat on his cheek, feeling tears that were impossible to understand. His reflection looked at him and his tears, not knowing what they were or why they were there. Only knowing that because there were tears, there must also be pain, and pain... hurt. Gathering his remaining strength, he gently placed his hand over the boy's. His once proud voice came out sad and broken.

"Hello... Luke."

Luke continued to look at him for a moment, pondering the situation, but before he could do anything, Luke had stepped closer and he found himself trapped in a soft embrace. He tensed at first completely caught in Luke's unexpected gesture, but then he slowly relaxed and all the pain that he had tried to force away took over. He hesitantly returned Luke's gesture, allowing the warmth to slowly wash all the wretchedness away. He held his reflection for all that it was worth as his tears continued to silently flow.

There was pain, and the pain had to go away. When there was pain, people did this, and it went away. Special people did this and all the pain always went away.

"Family..." he answered gently.

Family did this, and it all went away.

"Master Luke? Master Lu-" The maid froze at the sight she stumbled upon. They had finally noticed his absence and she had wandered over to see what the young master was so interested in. She had no idea.

He looked up at her and Luke turned around, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. He caught Luke before he fell and steadied him on his feet. The maid muttered something that Luke certainly shouldn't be hearing at his age...well his mental state, and ran off to go get the others. Honestly, she should know to watch her tongue around children, much less her master. Well, he couldn't entirely blame her; it was a rather... unique situation. What a fine mess this was becoming.

Still clinging to his sleeve and trying to steady himself, Luke met his gaze and smiled, that same heart-warming, innocent smile, and he couldn't help but smile back. Luke really was a big baby. In that last moment, he debated leaving. It was obvious to him that everyone was doing just fine without him. No one had even noticed he was missing, no had even suspected anything was amiss. He could completely vanish with none the wiser, leaving only a confused boy and a maid who'd seen too much sun in his wake, the only testimony to his existence. He couldn't go back to his old life, that life died the day he was taken away. There wasn't room in the world for two Luke fon Fabres.

He wiped away his tears, the last tears he would let himself shed. It would be a new beginning. With a deep sigh, he gathered what remained of his shattered will and turned his back on all that he loved.

Luke grabbed his sleeve again. Luke didn't want him to leave. He didn't want to leave either, not really. But what was left for him here? Nothing. No one here needed him; no one here wanted him. There was no point in staying where there was no longer a place for him. He looked Luke in the eyes, silently pleading him to let go, but Luke only clutched his sleeve tighter. And then it clicked.

Luke wanted him to stay.

Him and him alone.

There were no complex feelings, no ulterior motives, no reasoning whatsoever in Luke's actions. His feelings were so completely and utterly simple and for whatever the reason was, they were as plain as day to him. His leaving caused Luke pain, and Luke didn't want that. He was someone special. Special people didn't go away.

Family

Yes...Family.

And then the chance of leaving was gone forever.

"Luke? Luke? Are you all right over the-"

It had been the blond, Guy, who got there first. He too froze at what he saw. T-Two of them? It was as if Luke were standing next to a frameless mirror. They were identical, completely and utterly identical, except for the clothes they were wearing but it wasn't like that made any kind of difference. More of the staff had begun to gather around, interested in the source of the commotion. The boys both took an uncomfortable step back. Damn, they even moved the same way.

"What is going on over here? Back to your allotted tasks!" The Duke's voice commanded over the crowd. Luke shrunk back at the commanding voice of their father and inched closer to him. He didn't blame Luke. That voice had the ability to scare off armies. The small crowd immediately dispersed until only the Duke, his wife, the young princess, and a few choice servants remained.

"L-Luke?" Susanne muttered hesitantly. Luke poked his head out from where he had been hiding behind his counterpart.

"Damn," Guy muttered to himself. He still couldn't get over the resemblance. It took him few minutes and even then there were no more than a couple very small differences between the two boys that stood before them, barely enough to distinguish the two. The one that they had been looking after had hair that was a few shades lighter and that almost had a golden hue when the sun shone on it, while the other one had hair that was pure crimson, a difference that would have gone completely unnoticed unless the two stood side by side. The other one wore clothes that were tattered and torn though they had clearly once been fine. Dirt camouflaged the countless bruises and cuts that covered him and it was plain as day that he was very uncomfortable in front of his onlookers.

There was no doubt in Guy's mind that this other boy was in fact the real Luke fon Fabre. Guy had spent enough time watching him to be sure of that. There was no mistaking the aura enveloping him. The look on his face, his piercing cold eyes... there was absolutely no doubt. He wasn't the bright ray of sunshine his counterpart was... no this boy was a lonely winter night, frigid and cut off from the world. He was different than he had been before though, he was sadder somehow, and knowing this only drove home the horrid conclusion that was slowly creeping its way into his mind. Could he have actually gone through with it?

"Goodness! They're identical!" One of the maids finally exclaimed after moments of tense silence.

"Yeah," Guy agreed softly to himself. "He could almost be a replica."

"Replica?" Susanne queried softly turning towards Guy, "Do you know something of this?"

Guy cursed at himself for being so careless. This was the last thing he wanted to bring into an already precarious situation. "No...it's nothing." Guy managed to mumble.

"If there is anything you know about this you will tell me at once!" The Duke's angry voice echoed across the silent yard. Guy cringed.

"I apologize Your Grace," Guy said through gritted teeth, "I was just thinking of something an old friend told me about once. It just seemed too farfetched and I did not want to worry Your Grace with such wild speculations." Guy painfully bit back the words he would have liked to tack on to the end of that statement. Now wasn't the time or the place for pettiness.

"Please." The lady of the house knelt down so she could look the young teen in the eye, smiling gently. "If you have any ideas, no matter how farfetched, please share them."

Guy stood firm for about half a second but any shred of determination he'd mustered shattered under the Lady's gentle gaze. No one could say no to her smile. If she smiled and asked someone to jump off the castle roof, they'd probably do it. He let out a defeated sigh before hesitantly beginning his explanation.

"It's a story someone told me when I was younger, about a technology that could replicate things using fonons. But when they realized it could be used on living things, it was supposedly banned."

Duke Fabre was good at many things, however, controlling his emotions was not one of them. Unfortunately for the young blond servant, he was the easy target of the Duke's growing frustration.

"Just what exactly are you implying? And do remember exactly who we are speaking of! I'm not going to stand here as you insinuate that someone has been using fomicry on my son!"

Fomicry. He had never heard of any such thing before and made a mental note to look it up at the first given opportunity. His father obviously knew, or had at least heard of the technology in question; else he certainly wouldn't be so outraged. Or know its name. That was so like Father. He almost felt bad for Guy. Almost.

"But Dear," Susanne interjected, still sitting at Guy's eye level. "Certainly you can't deny the possibility." She looked at the two boys. Even she could scantily tell them apart. "If our enemies indeed had access to such a technology, wouldn't they-" her thoughts followed through to the inevitable conclusion of her idea and she was unable to finish.

"L-Luke?" Susanne called, on the verge of tears, obviously referring to him. He waited a moment before hesitantly shaking his head. He wasn't their Luke anymore. They had taken their Luke back; it was someone he could no longer be.

"Enough of this nonsense!" Duke Fabre took control of the situation. "You are my son, are you not?" He returned his father's gaze but offered no response. "Good then," his father said decisively, the lack of response apparently good enough for him. "Then what are we doing with that atrocious thing?" He demanded, his finger pointed straight at Luke.

"What?" The Duke's statement drew Guy's attention away from the hatred he had been focusing onto seven very specific blades of grass to keep him from doing something he'd regret. How could he say such a thing? Five minutes ago that boy had been his son! Now he was going to take him out with the rest of the garbage? Fortunately, it seemed Susanne shared his outrage at the statement. She had stood up and was ready to intervene, but as they watched the scene play out before them, they relaxed. Luke, it seemed, had an unexpected defender.

He had taken Luke's arm and pulled it behind him, adopting a somewhat defensive stance in front of his counterpart. His hesitant look had become a determined glare, matching the intensity of his father's. The message was very clear; he wasn't letting anyone so much as lay a finger on Luke.

He surprised himself by how quickly and how naturally he came to Luke's defence. Exactly why, he would never know. Perhaps it was because Luke was the last thing he had that gave his own existence any meaning whatsoever, or perhaps it was just that Luke seemed so utterly defenceless, or maybe even just because Luke was someone special.

Family.

Duke Fabre let out an exasperated sigh. "So what do you suggest we do? We can't have two Lukes running all over the place."

"Don't be silly dear," Susanne sad softly as she came up and placed her arm around her husband's with a smile. "You heard him before, he isn't Luke."

"Well then who is he?" Duke Fabre's voice was escalating along with his frustration.

"A-" The sound echoed as everyone fell silent and their attention all turned to its source. Luke hesitantly stepped back at the sudden focus of attention on him.

"Well would you look at that," Guy exclaimed as he approached Luke. "He's trying to say something. I wonder what he's trying to say?" He looked at Luke. "Well there little guy, what is it?"

Luke contemplated it for a moment. "A-" but stopped, letting out a small sigh, obviously unable to come up with whatever sound he wanted to.

"Oh well," Guy ruffled Luke's hair playfully, "I guess we'll never know."

"No."

Guy jumped at the unexpected voice that sounded behind him. For whatever reason, he never expected the brat to talk. He hadn't said a word since they stumbled upon the two of them. But he completely ignored Guy and went straight to Luke.

"Say it," he said forcibly.

"Oh come on, go easy on him, he doesn't know how to talk yet," Guy finally managed to get out.

He ignored Guy rambling behind him, this time looking Luke right in the eye. "Say it."

"A-" Luke let out another sigh.

"A...se"

"A...the"

"A..." Luke gave up and folded his arms and put on a pout, obviously unable to produce the right sounds. He smiled, then couldn't resist a small laugh. That was the saddest attempt at saying 'family' he had ever heard. Yet somehow he knew that had been what Luke wanted to say. It gave him an idea... and he liked it.

"Asch," he declared, stringing together the sounds Luke had produced and turning to face his parents. He liked it; it had certain degree of irony to it. He was once Luke, 'the light of the sacred flame,' now he was its ashes.

Luke smiled as he grabbed Asch's hand. "A-the" he said with a big grin before running up to his mother, who was now smiling back at him, at them both.

"Well then," Susanne said gently, "I think that's more than enough excitement for one day, wouldn't you agree?" She smiled at Luke and he smiled back. She gently took Luke's hand. "There is much to do now, shall we head inside?" Luke answered with a fervent nod. "Are you coming... Asch?"

The name seemed so foreign as it escaped her lips and she was hesitant to use it, but the grateful smile that her son gave her at the sound of the name he'd chosen, of his name, was more than enough to reassure her.

Asch slowly shook his head. He wasn't going inside just yet. For a moment, a horrible idea grazed her thoughts. What if he was planning to leave? Her worries proved groundless though, as she watched him steal occasional glances at Natalia. Goodness! She had completely forgotten the young princess was even there. She was off to the side, standing with her toes pointed inwards, nervously clutching her hands, and appeared to be very interested in the four leaves that were on the ground by her feet. Susanne simply smiled, and quietly led Luke and the rest of the crowd away. She would leave them be.

Leave it to Mother. Asch watched her leave and take the crowd with her. As much as she intended well, he was rather reluctant to be left alone with Natalia. He knew he would have to confront her eventually, and while now should be as good a time as any, the pain was too close to the surface, and he didn't have the strength to deal with it now, not mentally, not emotionally.

"L-Luke?" Natalia uttered after seconds of tense silence. She waited a moment, but she got no response. He was looking off in the distance at the other boy, the one who looked so much like him. She had listened to the others talking. She wasn't quite sure she understood it all, but this was the real Luke... wasn't it? It was her Luke, wasn't it? The one with whom she had shared so many wonderful moments, the one who made her that promise...it was him...wasn't it?

"Luke?" Still no answer.

"Luke!" She finally said loudly in a very put-on manner. She would never forget the look that he gave her. It was cold, lined with sorrow and a pain that plunged without end into the very depths of his soul. He said nothing as he slowly shook his head. She saw what she thought was the glisten of a tear, but he looked away before she could be sure.

No. He was her Luke and she wasn't going to give up on him so easily. She wasn't going to let him slip away, not like this. "Luke!" she repeated again, but he wouldn't answer. He had heard her, but he wouldn't answer her. She tried putting herself in front of him, where he wouldn't be able to easily avert her gaze, but still he wouldn't even look her in the eyes.

He couldn't do it. Natalia was standing right there but he couldn't bring himself to face her. Watching Luke stumble around the other end of the courtyard was all that was keeping him from taking off. He couldn't handle this, he just wasn't ready yet. He refused to answer to Natalia, so long as she called him 'Luke'. He wasn't going to answer to Luke anymore. It wasn't him, and he wasn't going to pretend. He just wanted, more than anything, for her to accept him, to accept him for who he was. He wanted her to accept Asch, but perhaps he was deluding himself after all.

Natalia took off, returning to the castle in tears. Asch stood alone, feeling horrible. He should have said something to her, but it was just too hard. He knew it wasn't her fault, but that didn't make things any easier, it still hurt. He would make it up to her someday, once the pain wasn't so close to the surface. He would make amends, and he would see her smile again.

"Asch is it? A fitting name." A voice came from the shadows. Asch didn't need to turn around to know who it was. It would be a long time before he ever forgot the voice whose whispers still haunted him. "Look at them," the voice continued "they didn't even notice you were missing. Had they not seen you, they never would have known. And even now, some of them won't even acknowledge you." Asch was silent. "I'm sorry I had to do this, but you needed to see for yourself the lies that these people have fed you for so many years. They told you that you were special, that you were needed, and yet they didn't even notice that you were gone. But it's different for me. I need you, and only you. If it wasn't you, it just wouldn't be right. Won't you consider coming with me? We'll make a place in the world for you alone, away from this void where no one wants or needs you."

"...you're wrong."

"What?" the voice said, completely caught off guard by Asch's response. That wasn't part of the plan. He hadn't taken this possibility into account.

"You're wrong," Asch said simply. "Even if everyone else here replaced me, there's still one person who needs me and only me."

And with that last sentence, Asch walked off before the person in the shadows could say another word.

Family.

Yes...family.

Chapter Text

ND2000 In Kimlasca shall be born one who inherits the power of Lorelei. He will be a boy of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called 'The light of the sacred flame' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity.

The fonstones glistened in the sky as they reflected the afternoon sun onto the manor's residents. Luke fon Fabre watched these fonstones lazily from his bedroom window as the warm summer breeze drifted in, bringing with it the silence that seemed to echo throughout the courtyard. It looked like it would be another boring day at the manor.

But it was always a boring day at the manor. With the castle just next door, anything of any potential interest whatsoever happened there. Not that events at the castle were usually interesting; most were boring. In fact, most were very boring. For the most part, he'd much rather sit around and do nothing at the manor all day then sit through another family history lecture in the castle library.

Maybe he could talk Guy into going out, though he doubted there would be much more to do in Baticul. Despite the city's bustling streets, there wasn't much happening outside of the usual daily comings and goings. Many of the city's residents were friendly and those that weren't so stiff and formal around him were fun to talk with but those people were quickly becoming fewer and further between, making his all too rare excursions less and less interesting.

Luke was forbidden to leave the manor. That was unless of course someone went with him, be it his servant Guy, or some of the White Knights, his family's personal guard. Much to Luke's constant dismay, the guard were all a task-oriented bunch; they wanted him to get done what he needed done and head right back to the manor. Exploring and simply hanging out on the streets watching people come and go was never looked kindly upon, and though they didn't dare say anything, the impatient aura they emitted just left Luke wanting to go back home.

Of course, there was no way he'd be allowed outside the city. That suited him fine though; he doubted anything outside Baticul was all that interesting either, but then again, a change of scenery never hurt anyone. At the very least then he could avoid getting caught up in another of Natalia's 'projects'. That girl never let up, and constantly insisted on dragging him along for the ride. While even he couldn't deny the results the Princess' ceaseless efforts produced, it was still total pain in the meantime.

"Useless as ever I see." Luke heard an all too familiar voice coming from behind him.

"Good morning Asch," Luke responded sarcastically, not even turning to see his unexpected visitor.

"It's not morning, it's afternoon idiot," Asch shot back.

"Right, right, and what drags you all the way over here?" Keeping up his overly annoyed tone, Luke turned around to see his counterpart leaning against the doorway. He vaguely wondered what was up. It wasn't too often Asch came up to his room.

Asch rolled his eyes at Luke's tone. He couldn't deny taking a small amount of pleasure at it. Luke seemed to excel at finding ways to try his patience, so a little payback every now and again was most welcome. Not that he's ever let Luke know that. Their eyes met and they shared a mutual grin.

Asch took a moment to glance around the room, it had been awhile since he'd come up here. It was always Luke knocking on his door looking for something or another, or they'd be out in the city or even up at the castle, so he never really had any need to come up here. The room was small and a bit cramped but it was bright at this time of day with the sun shining in through a couple of large windows on the far wall. The bed up against the wall was made, but the shelves were cluttered and disorganized and various books littered the floor. Luke's sword hung from a hook in the wall next to the window while several older ones were scattered around the room. It was messy, but it wasn't unexpected from Luke.

"We're to be present in the drawing room in about five minutes." Asch finally stated.

"Oh? What's going on this time?"

"Not sure. I didn't get any details, I was just told we were to show up, so I thought I'd be courteous and come drop off the message myself."

"Right," Luke replied sarcastically, unable to keep the playful smile off his face. "You just came up here so you could bug me and we both know it."

"Well, whatever." Asch shrugged off the accusation. "Just make sure you're there on time. I'm heading over right now."

"Well then just wait a second!" Luke whined, earning him a rather mordacious look from Asch. Asch didn't put up with Luke's pointless whining it in the least. Luke shrunk back from that glare before resuming in as plain a tone as he could manage, "I-I'll come with you. It's not like I'm doing anything anyways." Damn it! Asch could be downright scary when he wanted to be.

Luke snatched the sword from its hook but hadn't even made it halfway to the door before a head-splitting pain brought him to his knees.

...fragments...my soul...heed... voice

"Are you alright?" Luke heard Asch say, his voice a comforting warmth amidst the searing pain that was his head at the moment.

"Yeah...about as fine as you are."

"Real funny."

Luke didn't need to look up to know that Asch was in as much pain as he was. They had both been having these so-called 'headaches' since before he could remember, which he reluctantly had to admit was only about the past seven years. Whether or not they had persisted longer than that, he honestly couldn't say. Their parents had dragged them both to every doctor in Baticul, but not one of them could figure out what caused them. It was a mystery to everyone. They shared the same pain, and always at the exact same time. They didn't understand it, but it was still something they shared in, be it willingly or not.

"Hey Luke, are you alright?" Guy's concerned voice came from the back of the room. "Is it another one of those headaches again?"

"Yeah." Luke stood up slowly, the splitting pain now reduced to a dull throb. "But it's gone now."

"You weren't hearing things again were you?" Guy inquired worryingly. It was bad enough Luke got those crazy headaches, but to be hearing voices? It rattled his nerves more than he cared to admit. It wasn't something Luke discussed with others, outside of himself, and of course Asch. As far as Guy could tell, Luke had never even told the Duke or Lady.

"Yeah..." Luke replied as he steadied himself using the bedpost. "Something about fragments and souls... and-"

"And heeding voices," Asch finished Luke's sentence, confirming that they had heard the same thing. Guy just about jumped two feet in the air at the voice that came from behind him.

"A-Asch," Guy choked still catching his breath. Damn it, he hadn't even noticed him. "I- I didn't see you there."

"I figured that much from the way you just hit the roof," Asch said scathingly. "And while you're at it, care to explain why you're sneaking in the window?"

Damn. Leave it to Asch to actually be paying attention to that while he was in pain. "Ah well that's- you see- umm..." Guy was never particularly good at coming up with stuff on the spot, and Asch's talent at putting people under pressure with that look of his, wasn't helping.

"Come on Asch, cut him some slack," Luke spoke up in his best friend's defence. "You know he hangs out with me, and you know how fussy Father is about us 'fraternizing' with the servants."

Asch couldn't deny that fact. Their father was always particularly stringent about who his sons associated with. Not that he seemed to care about much else. He also couldn't deny the friendship between Luke and Guy. Himself excluded, Guy had almost raised Luke single-handedly. Their father was always busy, and never seemed to want anything to do with either of them while their mother was often tied up in social events, if she wasn't ill and in bed. She tried her best to spend time with them, but she never had much of it.

"Just use the door next time," Asch finally answered.

"Come to think of it, just why are you here Asch? You and Luke going to go do some training or something?" Guy inquired finally noticing the oddity of finding Asch hanging out in Luke's room. Given how small Luke's room was, when the two did something together, they would almost always take over one of the larger common areas.

"Something or another in the drawing room," Luke supplied not waiting for Asch to offer an answer. For some reason Guy and Asch never got along very well. They were a lot better now than what Luke remembered of when they were younger though. There was a time when they couldn't even be in the same room together. Still, Luke would rather not give either of them any unnecessary opportunities.

"Yes, and now we're going to be late. Are you coming or not?" Asch asked, clearly starting to get annoyed.

"I see he's as impatient as ever," Guy muttered sourly just loud enough for Luke to hear. Luke responded with an elbow in Guy's side. "Hey! What was that for?" Guy demanded indignantly. Luke ducked out of reach of Guy's answering swing, moving to follow his counterpart that had already decided to leave. Asch was nothing if not abhorredly punctual. Guy would often say that he had a type A personality when Asch was out of an earshot, Luke wasn't entirely sure what that meant but the way Guy said it made Luke think it wasn't good. Whatever it was, Asch definitely liked having everything in order and on time. Luke had definitely learned that the hard way.

"Hey Guy! If you're not busy after all this you want to get some training in?" Luke called back waving his sheathed blade in the air.

"Sure." Guy waved back, watching Luke grin as he took off after Asch. Such an idiot. Guy knew full well that he'd be busy with chores later, but he would make a point to get out of it. As his attendant, taking care of Luke, and technically Asch as well, was his duty first and foremost. Asch had always been the independent one though, and never cared to have someone help him with anything he could do on his own. Not to mention he and Asch just didn't get along. At all. They each had their reasons, but Luke hated it and had made it his personal mission to turn the two of them into friends. While his attempts had been intolerably annoying at best, they had some degree of success. The two had started pretending just to get him to stop.

"Would it kill you to slow down every once in awhile?" Luke managed through breaths once he had caught up to Asch.

"Why would I do that? If I slowed down, you'd never get any exercise," Asch retorted. He never missed a chance to tease Luke, and Luke made it all the more fun by over-reacting to everything. He made it way too easy.

"Hey!" The indignant response came as expected, "I do so get exercise!"

"Following Pere around the courtyard as he tends to the flowers doesn't count, idiot." Asch opened the door on the western edge of the courtyard and allowed Luke to enter before following him in.

"I do more than-"

"Okay okay whatever, we're already late so just shut up and walk already." Asch cut their argument short when Luke had stopped in his tracks to protest.

"Guy's right, you are so impatient," Luke mumbled to himself as he opened the door to the drawing room, letting Asch go in as he followed behind.

The drawing room was a grand room with a large vaulted ceiling. Marble pillars lined the room creating a small hallway from which the guards dutifully watched the comings and goings. At the center a long table sat under a large chandelier that illuminated the room when the light from the windows didn't suffice. At the head of the table sat Duke Fabre, to his right sat the Lady of the house, and today, on his left sat the manor's unexpected guest.

"So how are the twins doing?"

"We're doing fine, thank you," Asch replied, simultaneously answering the question and announcing their presence.

"Master Van!" Luke's exuberant cry almost echoed in the large room. "What are you doing here? I didn't think today was a training day."

"It isn't," Van replied with a bit of a chuckle at his student's enthusiasm. "I'm here on more urgent business today." The man in the drawing room sat back in his chair, a hand on his tan coloured goatee as he contemplated something or another, still sparing a smile for his eager student. His matching tan hair was neatly bound up on his head while his carefully groomed uniform left nothing out of place. His posture as he returned his attention to the Duke and Lady gave him presence and authority even among those who outranked him.

"There you boys are," their mother stated with about as much discontent as she could muster. It was far too difficult to be upset with those two. She was always just so happy to have them there. They'd both grown into such handsome young men, though some days she still had a difficult time telling them apart.

"Take a seat you two," their father said sternly and Asch took his spot next to their mother, while Luke quickly snatched the spot next to Van. Once they had both settled, he motioned for Van to begin.

"I will be returning to Daath tomorrow. It seems that Fon Master Ion has gone missing."

"What?" Asch stood up in outrage, his chair scrapping against the floor, nearly falling over from the sudden gesture. "Fon Master Ion is missing?"

"Calm down Asch," Van said calmly. "It's not certain that this was an act of aggression or anything of the sort. Rather, no details have been issued to any of the divisions whatsoever, which suggests a more non-malicious cause. For now it is simply a summon to Daath to organize a search."

"Then I'll come with you! There has to be something I can do to help."

"Don't be so rash. You and I both know that isn't an option for you."

Asch bit his lip and sat back down, knowing all too well the truth behind Van's statement. He wasn't exactly free to come and go as he pleased. He had his position and rank to consider.

Luke could only listen and watch as the conversation carried out in front of him. It had long since gone leagues beyond his ability to understand or follow. What was going on that had Asch so worked up? He didn't get any of it, and as usual, no one bothered to slow down so he could understand.

"What exactly is Fon Master Ion?" Luke finally gave into his growing curiosity and annoyance at being the only one left out; his question breaking the tense silence. It succeeded only in earning him a rather loud and irritated scowl from Asch as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"I swear you and I are not related," Asch said with an exasperated sigh. "First of all, it's 'who' not 'what'. Secondly, you cannot seriously tell me you have no idea who the Fon Master is! He's the leader of the order of Lorelei! It's thanks to him that there's peace between our kingdom of Kimlasca and the Malkuth empire! You know that!" Asch collapsed back into his chair, frustrated to the point of defeat. Luke was such a hopeless case.

"Yes. Ion's predecessor Evenos was the hero who ended the Hod war, so Fon Master Ion is a representative of the peace that reigns today," Van added. Luke simply sighed; once again, the conversation had become completely beyond him.

"So Master Van, since you're here, will we get a chance to do any training?"

"Luke!" Their father's angry voice made Luke shrink back in his chair. "Dorian General Grants has urgent business to attend to! It's about time you learned some respect!"

"It's alright." Asch stood up drawing the pressure away from his little brother. "I'll go report to Uncle."

"Ah, thank you Asch. I haven't had a chance to speak with His Majesty yet. If you're willing to do that for me, I might have some time to spare for some extra training," Van replied gratefully.

"All right!" Luke almost jumped up out of his chair.

"Well, I'll just be off then. I shouldn't be gone too long." Asch announced, pushing in his chair.

"Alright dear," Susanne said softly. "Have a safe trip."

"I'm only going to the castle, Mother."

"I know, but do be careful anyways."

"I will." Asch sighed, unable to resist a small smile once his back was turned.

"I'll see you off!" Luke offered eagerly.

"Honestly you guys, it's just next door! It's not like I'm going off to explore the world!"

"Well I'm going to anyways."

"I'll wait out in the courtyard then," Van replied as he too got up out of his seat. "Come and meet me when you're ready." With a courteous bow to the Duke and his Lady, he exited the room.

"I can find the door on my own, you know," Asch told Luke who had followed him out of the drawing room.

"I know, but I felt like it anyways. Hey, why don't you come train with us? You can always go see Uncle later."

"No, its best I go now and get it over and done with."

"Awww, come on. Why not?"

"Because," Asch said as he tossed his sword over his shoulder, "I don't need the practice. You do."

"Right. This coming from the one who used to haul me out of bed at the crack of dawn because he wanted more practice. Come on," Luke whined, "just come train with us."

"Just get yourself to the courtyard before Van gives up on you."

"Fine, we'll just see how smug you are when I get better than you."

"Don't aim for the impossible."

"Yeah sure, well don't let Natalia hold you up too long this time," Luke said tauntingly, rewarded when Asch turned several shades redder, though whether it was out of embarrassment or anger, he couldn't be sure. Luke had decided long ago he'd rather not know if his implications remotely hit the mark. What they did on their own time was their business, and he was perfectly happy not knowing the details.

"Hey," Luke spoke up as Asch was halfway out the door, "Be careful."

"That goes double for you," Asch shot back with a smile. "I'll see you later."

"Later." The large double doors closed and the younger Fabre began to make his way to the courtyard.

"Young Master," a voice came from the other side of the room.

"What is it? And stop it with the whole 'young' thing!" Luke snapped back at Ramdas, who was now making his way over to where Luke was standing.

"My apologies, but until you come of age in three years, I will still refer to you as 'Young Master.'"

"You don't call Asch 'Young Master'" Luke shot back getting more bitter by the second. While he certainly was the youngest member of the household, he hated how everyone took every possible opportunity to remind him of it. Of course that wasn't the only reason...

"Ah yes...well that's because-"

"Yes I know!" Luke angrily cut him off. Asch's rank was the last thing he cared to be reminded of at the moment. "Is there anything you actually want?"

"Please stop fraternizing with that gardener, Pere. It isn't fit for someone of your station."

Luke bit his lip, it probably wasn't 'fit for someone of his station' to bite the butler's head off, not that it changed how much he'd have loved to do it. Some sword training would do him some good, at the very least he could vent some of his stress. "Stop telling me what to do." Luke answered, punctuating his point by slamming the door behind him as he continued on to the courtyard. It was so stupid! They hardly let him do anything! He wasn't allowed to go out unless someone went with him, and now he wasn't supposed to talk to the few people inside that were actually nice to him. So what exactly was 'one of his station' supposed to do?

"-that time is going to be coming up soon isn't it?" Guy's voice broke Luke away from his snowballing frustration and bitterness. It was coming from the center of the courtyard where he was standing with Master Van. But what was Guy...? Luke moved a bit closer.

"It is, but I wouldn't worry just yet. As long as things-"

"Ah Master Luke! Good day!" One of the servants passing through the courtyard stopped to greet him before continuing on their way. Both Van and Guy stopped their discussion and turned towards him. Not much point in hoping to hear the rest of the conversation now.

"Hey Guy, what's up?" Luke inquired, knowing full well he probably wouldn't get the answer he was looking for.

"Well I thought I'd wait for you here, and then Van showed up. I didn't think it was a training day, so I was asking Van if he'd give me some instruction. He is a master swordsman after all."

"Really? Huh." Luke dropped the issue. It never ceased to amaze him that Guy couldn't tell Luke knew he was lying. That or he knew but chose to lie anyways. Either way, pushing it any further would only get Guy mad at him, and he still wouldn't get any answers.

"Yeah, but since you're here, I'll think I'll just watch for now. Give it all you got." Guy gave Luke a playful punch in the arm and took a seat in one of the many benches that lined the edge of the courtyard.

Luke rubbed his arm here Guy had hit him and plopped himself down the edge of one of the flower beds, careful not to crush any of the flowers, and simply watched as Van proceeded with preparations for his lesson.

"So you have to go look for this 'Fon Master Ion' because you're a member of the Order of Lorelei?" Luke asked as Van set up various dummies that they would be using in their training session.

"That's right." Van replied as he made the last few adjustments.

"So how long will you be gone then?"

"I can't be sure. Why do you ask?"

"No reason really..."

"Don't worry," Van said with a chuckle, easily guessing his student's concern. "I'll send one of my men here to help with your training until I get back."

"That's okay; it's really not the same without you training me anyways. I'll manage while you're gone."

"You and Asch do a lot of training together don't you?"

"Well yeah, but it's not the same as my training with you. Asch never goes easy on me. He just beats me again and again and it's so annoying. It wouldn't kill him to cut me a break."

"In a true battle, your enemy will not go easy on you. It may just be his way of trying to show you what a battle is really like. Not that there will likely ever be a need for you to actually fight." Van stood up finally done setting up. "There. We're ready to begin. Luke?"

But Luke didn't hear Van's words. Something was...coming. A strange yet vaguely familiar feeling seemed to fill the air of the manor; it was like a warm flow surrounded him, but the afternoon air was still. It was coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The world around him dissolved, and all he could hear was the flow of something, somewhere, and whatever it was, it was coming closer.

"Luke!"

"Huh?" Luke looked around confused for a moment. "Oh! Sorry!" Luke quickly took his place as Van patiently watched him from across the courtyard. What had the boy so distracted all of a sudden?

"Now, today-" Van's instructions were cut short by a voice that echoed across the courtyard. The melody it carried soft and entrancing, inviting all those listening to simply lay down and rest. Even Guy who was off along the edge of the courtyard was struggling to stay standing, and Van could distinctly feel his own energy drain from him. There was only one person who could do this to him.

"I've finally found you Vandesdelca!"

Something was wrong. Asch didn't know what it was, but something just didn't feel right. There was no sense of fear or danger, at least not so far as he could tell, but there was something there, and it shouldn't be. Fonons. There were fonons everywhere, they were all around him. No. Not here. Not around him. Asch's mild concern quickly became a distressing sense of urgency. He had to get back, and the sooner the better.

"Asch? Where are you going?" His uncle called to him.

"Sorry Uncle!" Asch called back, "I have to get home right away! Tell Natalia I'll stop by later!" And he was gone without another wasted moment. He needed to get back, and that idiot had better be okay.

Luke looked up at the source of the voice, but he had barely located it before it vanished again, the brown blur moving from the roof to the courtyard, with tan hair flowing behind her, a glint catching his eye as her knife reflected the sun.

"Prepare to die traitor!" she cried, and Van barely got his sword up in time to block her strike, but she wasted no time in dodging his counter and getting in behind him.

"Tear...I knew it."

"Who are you?" Luke demanded, his sword swinging down on the unknown enemy without even waiting for a response.

She easily spun around, bringing her staff up to meet his blow, but as soon as their weapons touched, a bright light enveloped them and Luke was consumed by the agony of an all too familiar head-splitting pain.

Resound...the will of Lorelei shall reach you...and open the way.

"It's that damn voice again..." Luke managed through the pain. Why here? Why now of all times?

"The Seventh Fonon?" The girl exclaimed in shock at the mass of fonons that was now engulfing them.

"Luke!" Asch dashed across the courtyard, nearly losing his arm when Van grabbed him and hauled him back. "Let go!"

"No!" Van snatched the boy before he could get any closer. The last thing they needed was Asch to get caught up in and compound the mess in which his younger sibling was already entangled.

Asch desperately tried to free himself from Van's grip, but his hold was firm. Asch continued to struggle regardless; he couldn't just do nothing! This was Luke. Sure he was annoying, and nosy and whined all the time. But he was still Luke! The one that used to crawl into his bed every time he had a bad dream; the one Asch could always count on to have a smile; the one that no matter was going on, would drop everything just to spend some time together, the only one to see him, to acknowledge him... Luke was his little brother; it was Asch's job to protect him!

The light in the center of the courtyard completely engulfed the would-be-assassin and his brother alike before vanishing altogether, dispersing into fonons that glittered in the afternoon light. But the two in the center of it all were no longer there.

Luke was gone.

Chapter Text

"Luke... was it?" The girl asked gently as she knelt beside the redhead that was still asleep among the flowers in which she herself had awoken only moments ago. She brushed some of his hair out of his face. It was long and was a gorgeous shade of red tinted with an almost golden hue. The gold lining of his jacket almost glowed against the white cloth in the moonlight. The short sleeves and open belly probably didn't keep him very warm though. Not that he seemed to mind at the moment.

He was sound asleep. At least, she hoped he was asleep. Better asleep than unconscious. Not that she couldn't handle either case, but unconscious required healing and healing required energy. Energy she'd rather not have to expend at the moment, especially since she had no idea where they had been blown to, and just how far from any feasible respite they may be. Regardless, he would have to get up soon.

"Luke?" She repeated, louder this time. This time she got a response, though not the one she was looking for. Rather than wake up, he simply rolled over, away from her. She sighed in frustration. Well, at least she knew she had his name right.

"Luke!" She said loudly, this time in a very chafed manner.

"It's not even light out, go away!" The muffled whine came through as the slumbering teen shifted his weight and repositioned his arms in an attempt to get comfortable. Great. He probably thought she was his mother or something.

"Luke! Wake up!"

"Whatever you have to do, you can do yourself. I am not switching again," he grumbled as he brought his hands up to cover his ears. Just as she was about to give in and go grab some water from the river she could hear flowing nearby, he rolled back towards her, and his eyes slowly cracked open.

He looked at her sleepily for a moment, where he was and what had happened slowly working its way through the sleepy haze in his mind. His eyes opened wide and he sat up panicked but stopped, bringing a hand to his now-spinning head, but never taking an eye off of her. Interesting... perhaps he wasn't as completely incompetent as she had previously thought.

Luke watched her suspiciously as he waited for his head to stop spinning in circles. When she made no move, he relaxed a bit and instead took the opportunity to actually look at her. Now that she wasn't a blur in the courtyard, he could see that she wore a brown uniform with a yellow lining, the likes of which he had never seen, though he was hardly in any position to know the first thing about uniforms. The only ones he could recognize were those of the White Knights and the Kimlascan Guard from the palace.

Her tan hair fell gently down her back, and rivalled his own in length. Her bangs were swept to the right and covered one of her blue eyes. The moonlight was reflected off the knives strapped to her legs, and she still held onto her staff. There was something about her that seemed strangely...familiar, but Luke couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Luke also found himself under her intense scrutiny. She eyed him up and down a couple times before crossing her arms across her chest as if displeased with what she saw.

Well Luke wasn't displeased with what he saw. She was rather...well endowed. He knew much better than to comment on this fact though. He had learned quite painfully, from a certain livid young princess, that a woman's chest, or lack thereof, was not a suitable topic for conversation.

"Are you alright?" She finally asked, her hand gently reaching towards the head he realized he was still holding. Her voice was a lot softer than Luke expected it to be, but it still had a touch of coldness to it.

"Yeah I'm fine," Luke replied, moving away from her searching hand, "But where the hell are we? And how the hell did we get here?"

"I don't know where we are. As for how we got here, it would seem that hyperresonance occurred between us."

"A...what?"

"A hyperresonance. An isofon induced resonance. I didn't realize you were a Seventh Fonist too. That was careless of me."

"And that means...what exactly? Look, I don't have any clue what you're going on about but I'm no fonist. Now just who are you?"

"My name is Tear." She scowled. Of course; she was stuck with an idiot. "Now if you don't mind, can we save the questions until later? I'd rather not spend any more time than necessary here; it can be dangerous in the wilderness, especially at night."

"So where do you suggest we go? We have no idea where we even are."

"Look behind you."

Luke got up and walked through the flowers to the cliff's edge. As far as his eyes could see was water. It was nothing like the port in Baticul where the water was murky and dirty. The water was crystal clear and the moonlight glittered off the gentle waves. Luke stood in awe of the scene before him, the potential threat behind him completely forgotten.

Tear watched him and noted how easily he had dropped his guard. So he was still an amateur after all. Gauging his skill level was proving difficult; he hid his inaptitude well. Someone had trained him, though the speed with which he seemed to forget it all made her wonder if he even realized what he'd been taught. Still, he was almost kind of cute standing there smiling at the scenery. She shook the thought out of her head. He was trained by Van; there was no saying what his intentions might be. She wasn't going to repeat his amateur mistake.

"We should be going. The river should take us out to the sea there, from which we should be able to find a road." Tear took the first few steps down towards the valley, but didn't hear a second set following in her wake. She glanced behind her, noting that Luke had turned to face her, but had no intention of following her. "Well, are you coming?"

"Are you going to tell me why you broke into our manor, or tried to kill Master Van, or anything?"

"Look, can we can talk later? Right now, I want to get out of here before any monsters show up."

"So how do I know that you aren't planning something? I'm not going anywhere unless you do some explaining."

Lovely. He was stubborn too. "I'm sorry I can't explain that right now, and even if I did, I doubt you'd understand; but I assure you I have no intention of harming you."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"I'll return you to your home in Baticul, since it's my fault you ended up here. Will you trust me?"

Luke took a moment and considered her request. She seemed sincere, and he wasn't going to get far on his own. He just wanted to go home. "Yeah…I'll trust you," he finally said, advancing towards her.

"Then let's get out of here before any monsters show u-"

The rustle of the bushes was the only warning either of them got as the boar charged them. Tear easily sidestepped its charge, but Luke wasn't nearly as quick on his feet. The boar caught his leg and sent him crashing face-first into the ground.

Great. Just great. Tear wasted no time beginning to focus, before the boar had a chance to recover. She eyed Luke lying on the ground, disappointed. She had hoped that the presence of a somewhat decent swordsman would make this trip a bit easier for her, but he was a total novice. Certainly not someone she could count on. She would have to heal him after she took care of this, but for now, she'd leave him crippled where he was. There were more pressing concerns.

Breaking free from her train of thought, Tear noticed the sudden absence of her foe. She began to look around her, not daring to move for fear of further breaking her concentration. Fonic artes were tricky at best, and hers in particular even more so. The last thing she needed was to loose one beyond her control, but unless she could spot her target again, her hit wouldn't land. She carefully watched, thoroughly searching the grass and bushes for any sign of movement, knowing better than to hope that their foe had simply wandered off; but in the scarce light offered by the moon, her search was fruitless. Then came a noise, and the sound of movement: it had gotten around behind her, and it was charging again.

She immediately halted her arte, dispersing the fonons she had gathered, but in the aftermath of her spell, she was unable to get out of the boar's oncoming charge.

The sound of an unsheathing sword, and then a cry into the night as the boar defied its fate, succumbing to death all the same.

Luke's hand trembled but he willed it to stop and quickly took control of his growing anxiety. There was so much blood. It wasn't as if he didn't expect it after killing the thing, but he didn't expect there to be so much. He was no stranger to seeing blood, usually his own, and if he got lucky sometimes it was Asch's, but it was seldom more than a cut or a scratch that didn't heal within day or so. He bent down, his leg still protesting the unwanted movement, and wiped his sword on the grass before replacing it in his sheathe.

What a strange one he was turning out to be. Tear watched him wipe his sword off and stand back up. He had caught her completely by surprise; he was nothing like the sheltered noble she expected him to be. There was no doubt Luke was an amateur, the soft tremble and unease he showed in the face of battle confirmed that much, but the way he hid his ineptitude was quite unlike anything she had ever seen. He had returned to battle and made it look like he was just fine, only the way he stood, with all his weight on his right leg, betrayed his injury. It wasn't something he picked up from Van. Of that much she was sure.

Damn his leg hurt. Stupid boar, he should have been paying more attention. Asch would have laughed at him for that pathetic display. He was glad that at least he had managed to finish it off, though his leg certainly didn't agree. Then again, he had finished more battles, with a lot more injuries than that before. Stupid Asch, never went easy on him. Half the injuries he has incurred in his life he could attribute to his older sibling. But in the end, he had never sustained any permanent damage, and all that training did manage to save him, so he supposed he couldn't really hold it against Asch.

"Are you alright?" Tear asked, not really waiting for the predicted 'no I'm fine' before kneeling down to take a closer look at his leg. She gently touched it and Luke bit back a yelp from the sudden pain that shot up his leg. Slowly that pain diffused, and soon it was almost gone altogether; replaced by a rather gentle warmth coming from a familiar diffuse flow.

"You're a healer?" Luke asked, surprise lining his voice.

"Well yes. I told you I'm a Seventh Fonist, it shouldn't come as such a shock that I know some healing artes." Luke racked his brain trying to remember what it meant to be a Seventh Fonist. He could recollect being told about it, but nothing in particular came to mind. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I guess I didn't think someone like you would turn out to be a healer."

"What do you mean by 'someone like me'?"

"Well, you snuck into my home and tried to kill Master Van, so I just didn't exactly picture you as a healer."

"Ugh, I can't believe you! Don't you know anything? Or do you even think for that matter? You're a Seventh Fonist just like I am; it shouldn't be that much of a surprise."

"I told you before. I'm not a fonist! I have no idea what you're going on about!"

Tear eyed him suspiciously. He was a Seventh Fonist, whether he knew it or not. Otherwise, there was no way that a hyperresonance could have occurred between them. He obviously didn't know anything. It might explain why him manor was so heavily guarded, but pushing the issue any further now would be a waste of both their time.

The journey down the valley was tedious, but after his first unexpected encounter, Luke somehow managed to rise to the occasion and they didn't have any particular difficulty. For the most part they walked in silence, minus the odd complaints from Luke. But through his whining she did manage to learn a bit about him. He was a year older than she was, he hated getting his coat dirty, his favourite food was chicken (and he was hungry), he didn't like getting his coat wet, he liked the flowers by the river, and he hated how the mud clung to his coat. He did seem particularly avid about the condition of his coat. Were all nobles so...conceited? It must be nice, not to have a care in the world outside of one's clothing.

"Hey!" Luke called, hopping onto a fallen tree to cross the river.

The man who has been drawing water from the river looked up, surprised at the sound of another voice in such a remote place. "You!" The man cried, a shaky finger pointed straight at Luke. "D-Don't tell me you're with the Dark Wings!"

Startled by the man's response, Luke nearly fell into the river just managing to maintain his balance long enough to crash onto the opposite riverbank. "Owww. Don't startle me like that! Jeez. And who the hell are the Dark Wings?"

Tear gracefully stepped off the log beside Luke and the man backed off even further. "Th-They're bandits! Two men and a woman! But wait...there are only two of you."

"My apologies for my companion's behaviour. We were travelling to the capital but got lost and wound up here."

"To the capital? That's where I'm heading as well. I'm a coachman, a wheel on my coach was acting up and we lost our water, so I stopped here to get some more."

"Would it be possible to get a ride from you then?" Tear inquired, anxious for any opportunity to shorten what was already looking to become a long journey.

"Sure but...uh..." Tear noticed the coachman eyeing Luke warily. "What's your friend's problem?" Luke had positioned himself, sitting cross-legged with his arms folded across his chest. He had put on a slight pout and was glaring at the coachman.

"I am not some stupid bandit," Luke mumbled causing Tear to roll her eyes in frustration.

"Oh grow up!" Tear kicked him in the shin. Luke yelped and scrambled to his feet, before launching into a tirade of complaints that Tear simply blocked out. This was going to be a really longjourney.

She wasn't listening. No surprise there, but Luke felt better once he had gotten it all out. Life was easier that way. Get it out, put it behind you, and life goes on.

"A coach huh? And he said he's heading to the capital?" Luke asked Tear, not really expecting more than the exasperated sigh that he got. "So are we catching a ride or what?"

"Wow. Slow down," the coachman intervened, "We still haven't discussed payment. To the capital will cost you 12 000 gald each. You have enough on you?"

"That's expensive." Tear sighed disappointedly.

"Well, I can take care of that once we get there." Luke tossed in casually. It didn't seem like all that much money, and it was worth it if it could get him home.

"No good, I'm going to need payment in advance."

Tear sighed and stood silently hesitating before reaching inside her uniform and pulling out a jewelled pendant. The violet gem glistened in the pale light of the impending sunrise. "Take this." She managed with a painful finality.

"Wow. This is quite the gem you have!"

"You're not kidding," Luke said looking over the coachman's shoulder at the treasure Tear had just turned over. Even his mother had few jewels in her collection that compared to this. Sure she had all kinds of expensive baubles and trinkets, but they weren't nearly as pretty as this was. "You're sure you're giving this up? It looks awfully valuable."

"You want to walk?" She snapped, her voice suddenly becoming cold and harsh.

"No," Luke responded quickly.

"Then let's be off," The coachmen said as he escorted the two to his coach and they departed as the sun broke the horizon.

When Luke opened his eyes again, the sun was already high in the sky. The open fields went on as far as the eye could see, the seamless horizon broken only by the odd standing of trees. Luke allowed himself to quietly observe the passing landscape before showing any sign of being awake. The outside world really was an amazing place. There was something about it that all the books Asch had shoved under his nose just couldn't portray.

Asch.

Luke felt a pang of homesickness as his thoughts drifted to his older sibling. What were they up to right now? Guy was probably running around frantically like he used to when Luke was younger and liked to hide on him. Asch somehow always managed to find him, regardless of how well he hid himself. Luke allowed himself a grin. Asch was probably at home, barking orders at the frantic Guy no doubt.

Luke didn't think he would ever miss his mundane life at the manor, but now that it was gone, he wanted it all back. He wanted to get up late and have Asch yell at him for being lazy. He wanted Guy to sit and rant to him about Asch's latest temper tantrum. Hell, he even missed Natalia's non-stop prodding and scolding, even if it was over nothing. He would never understand women. Speaking of women….

"You're finally awake," Tear said as he turned over and sat up wiping the last of the sleep out of his eyes. The coldness in her voice and the harsh short sentences she had been using since they left the valley had vanished as if they had never existed at all. Just great, she was as bipolar as Natalia. That was exactly what he wanted to deal with. There was only one thing he knew about handling women: stay on their good side. It was safer there.

"It's about 2 more hours ride to the capital. Once we get past Rotelro Bridge here it should be a bit of a smoother ride." The coachman called back from his place at the reins.

Luke couldn't resist sticking his head out the window. Looking ahead he saw a huge river cutting across the landscape and just up the road was a huge stone bridge that stretched out across it. Luke watched it approach in awe, equally enjoying the feeling of the cool wind on his face. They hit a bump as the coach's wheels moved onto the cobblestone from the dirt road on which they had been travelling, which succeeded in smashing Luke's head against the top of the window frame. The stifled laughter from inside the coach didn't help his pride much either.

Luke sat back down in his seat, or rather, slouched down in his seat and crossed his arms, refusing to look at Tear who was still stifling a giggle here and there. A huge crack echoed across the open water puyting an end to both Luke's pouting and Tear's snickering.

"What was that?" Luke was amazed at how quickly Tear became serious, despite her unsuccessful efforts to control her giggling only moments earlier.

"I-I don't know," The coachmen replied as he attempted to calm his startled herd. The steady sound of rocks hitting the water, and a second large crack got the coach moving again, this time at full speed. No sooner had they moved, than the bridge began to give way, crumbling under the weight of the coach. On the very last stretch, a stray rock crippled the wheel on the left side sending the coach and its passengers crashing onto the riverbank.

"Owwwww." Luke stood up, his entire body protesting the movement.

"Are you two alright?" The coachman inquired.

"Yes. We're both alright." Tear replied. "But…" Tear eyed the bridge that was now nothing more than a few stones on each side of the riverbank.

"It's strange. Emperor Peony keeps Rotelro Bridge well maintained. Why would it just give out like that?"

"Wait a second." Tear cut in alarmed, "Emperor Peony? You mean we're in Malkuth?"

"Whoa! Wait a sec! You said we were headed to Baticul!" Luke jumped in.

"No. We were on our way to Grand Chokmah, capital of Malkuth." The coachman replied confused. "If you wanted to go to Baticul – that's the other way, but with the bridge out, you'll have to head through Kaitzur or Akzerieuth instead."

"Ugh." Tear sighed, crossing her arms trying to think of something. Nothing in particular came to her. It was such a foolish mistake to make.

"Look, why don't you come with me to Engeve at least. It's not far off from here. You can at least get some food and re-supply there." The coachman carefully untied the two remaining beasts that had gotten tangled in the wreckage of the coach, and so unable to flee into the wilderness with their comrades. "Here," he handed the reins to Tear, "you two can ride that one, and I'll ride this girl here."

"We're riding on those?" Luke looked at the creature suspiciously. It was planning to toss him the second he got on its back. He just knew it.

Tear sent a look over to the coachman, who picked Luke right up and dropped him on the creature's back. Tear swiftly pulled herself up as well and grabbed the reins. She sighed. If this kept up, it would be a painfully long journey, if she still had her sanity by the end of it.

Despite Engeve's small population, the small farming town was almost as lively as Baticul. Children were running about, chasing after their flocks, playing in the midday sun. The small, quaint houses lined the streets behind the stands where foods to suit anyone's taste could be found. Among the houses, crops of corn among other vegetables grew. Orchards of fruits and fields upon fields of grains lined the outskirts of the village.

"There you guys are," The coachman said as he helped Tear down of their mount, leaving gravity to assist Luke in his far from graceful descent.

"Where are you headed from here?" Tear casually inquired.

"I'm going to head on to the capital. I have family up that way. Best of luck to the both of you."

"Thank you very much," Tear replied as the coachman took the reins of the second mount and departed from their company.

"Okay then, with Rotelro Bridge out, we either have to pass through Akzerieuth or take the road to Kaitzur. Either way, we should stock up on food while we're here." Tear said thinking out loud, trying to plan out their route, and how far they'd have to go before the next chance to stock up on food. "What other kinds of things do you like to eat Luke?"

No answer.

"Luke?" Tear turned around to where she had last seen Luke on the ground after falling off their mount and, much to her dismay, but not really to her surprise, he wasn't there. Tear set off, in a quickly deteriorating mood, to find him, feeling more and more like a babysitter. She could only hope he had enough sense to stay in the village. He was going to get an earful when she found him.

Finding him, however, was proving to be more difficult than she had initially thought, in spite of the fact that his red hair should stick out like a lake in the desert. She had gone down every street in Engeve. She had explored waterwheels, through crops, among the orchards, and even among the animals grazing in the fields, but no Luke.

"Hey," Tear heard a voice coming from behind her. She turned around to see a young girl. The girl's jet black curls were a stark contrast to her pink uniform. Purple lines on the front drew out the symbol of the Oracle knights, proving her to be far more than just any child. Tear looked her in the eye to show that the girl had her attention. The girl continued. "Have you seen a boy wandering around? Little dull, kinda out of it?"

Tear fought back a chuckle. "I'm looking for one of those myself. Let me know if you happen across one."

"Boy troubles, huh? I swear, you have to put them on leash nowadays! Well, good luck finding your boyfriend," the girl offered before continuing off in the opposite direction leaving a rather insulted Tear in the middle of the road. She had far better taste than that.

It took Tear another 20 minutes of combing Engeve before finally spotting a flash of red behind the inn. Luke was standing on a fence peering over a small rickety wall. Why of all places? "Luke!" Tear yelled and was rewarded when a rather startled young noble fell head-first over the wall and crashed into the make-shift shed.

"What are you doing?" The infuriated inn-keeper snarled as he dragged Luke out of his storage room by the collar.

"I just wanted to know what was inside. Let go!" Luke yelled, his demands carried out as the inn keeper forcibly tossed him on the floor at the entrance. "Ouch! Easy!" Luke stood up and brushed the dirt off his coat, all the while glaring at the inn keeper.

"I don't go easy with thieves!" The antagonized innkeeper shouted, drawing the attention of several of the village's inhabitants.

"I'm not some petty thief." Luke rebutted. "I'm-"

"Luke!" Tear yelled in his ear, sending him a good ten feet in the air.

"You know him?" The Inn keeper demanded.

"He's currently travelling with me," Tear supplied as Luke caught his breath. Normally, she'd just have let him get chewed out, but she felt a little guilty, seeing as it was her fault he fell in. So she'd help him out. This time. "It is his first time here so he's been a bit overwhelmed by the sights, and got out of hand. Will you accept our apologies?"

"Well, you didn't take anything, so I let you off this time, but don't you dare let me catch you snooping around in my storehouse again!"

"Don't worry. I won't." Luke replied dourly. "Nothing worth looking at in there anyways…" He mumbled once he was out of an earshot.

"What do you think you're doing?" Luke cringed at Tear's reprimanding, expected as it may have been.

"I thought I saw something, so I went to see what it was…" Luke mumbled, knowing it wouldn't do a thing to prevent the lecture he was about to get.

"First of all, you can't just go climbing people's fences! Second of all, don't just go carelessly flinging your name around! Do you have any idea who your father is?" His father? How did his father get dragged into this? Tear's voice reduced to a hiss as she continued her lecture. "Your father is one of Malkuth's greatest enemies. There are a lot of people around here who've probably had family killed by your father." Oh. That's how.

"But wait a second…I thought Kimlasca and Malkuth had a peace treaty…" Luke could have sworn that's what Asch and Master Van had said. There was peace between the two countries wasn't there? So why was anyone, much less his father, doing any kind of killing? He hated how a complete stranger seemed to know more about his own family than he did. It left a bad taste in his mouth. The pointed look he was getting from her at the moment wasn't improving his disposition much either.

"Look, let's just-" but Tear hadn't even finished her thought before Luke began frantically searching through his pockets. "What is it?" Tear inquired.

"Dammit! I must have dropped it when I fell!" Luke exclaimed wasting no time in spinning around and heading straight for the inn. Tear bit back her frustration and followed. This was going to be an excruciatingly long journey.

The crowd in front of the inn kept Luke from getting very far, and the squabbling voices drowned out his protests.

"There he is!" the crowd silenced and all eyes fell on Luke. "He's the one I caught raiding the storehouse earlier!" Two men had Luke pinned before he could utter a word of protest.

"Now, now. What is all the fuss about?" A calm voice subdued the crowd and the man from which it had come approached the boy in question. The man's red eyes offset his shoulder length auburn hair, giving him a creepy air about him. You knew just by looking, no one crossed this man, well, none who lived to tell of it.

Tear made her way through the crowd to where the man was eyeing Luke. His blue uniform spoke of the Malkuth military, the person adorning them, of a higher ranking officer. Someone of his composure and demeanour was no mere foot soldier. He pushed up his glasses with a forefinger before asking Luke his name.

"I'm Luke," Luke replied calmly, despite his air of defiance. Apparently even he knew when not to cause excessive trouble.

"Luke, why is it you are here?"

"He's here because he stole the food from the storehouse!" Concurring cries from the crowd confirmed what the first person had said.

"I'm not some thief! I told you I fell in earlier I didn't take a thing!"

"I was asking our young friend here."

"I caught you red-handed on your first attempt!" the inn keeper shouted completely ignoring the man's statement. "Now all the food from our storehouse is missing!"

"I bet he's a member of the Dark wings!"

"My my, such a lively bunch," the man shrugged.

"He's not a member of the Dark Wings." Everyone turned to look at Tear.

"I can confirm that," the man supplied. "Rotelro Bridge collapsed, and the bandits in question were recently spotted near Chessedonia. There isn't any way for them to have moved that quickly."

"That still doesn't explain why he was caught in the storehouse earlier!"

"Well?" The man passed the attention to Luke.

"I saw something moving, so I went to see what it was." Luke reluctantly mumbled not looking anyone in the eye.

"Was it this colour?" A young voice piped up. The boy from whom it came made his way through the crowd to Luke, holding what looked like a bunch of fur in between his fingers. His green hair stood out against his pale complexion that almost matched his white robes. The boy passed the fur to Luke who examined it for a moment before passing it back to him.

"Yeah, that looks about right," Luke replied.

"I found this in the storehouse. It's fur from a sacred cheagle. I'll bet that's what took your food." The boy stated, passing the fur to the inn keeper. The inn keeper looked at the fur for a moment, and then nodded his head towards Luke's captors, who immediately let him go. The boy was right.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only Luke, Tear, the man, the boy and the inn keeper standing in front of the inn.

"I'm sorry about this," the inn keeper finally said.

"It's okay," Luke answered insincerely, still rubbing his aching wrists. "I guess I did kind of ask for it."

"Why did you come back here anyways?"

"Oh! I dropped something when I fell; I just wanted to get it back."

"Sorry kid, the storehouse is completely empty. Whatever you dropped, those cheagles hauled off with the rest of the food."

Luke clenched his fist and scowled. He couldn't believe he actually lost it. Worse yet – it was stolen! Some stupid cheagle had taken it. Well, whatever the hell a cheagle was, it had another thing coming if it thought he was going to let them keep their grubby hands on it. Oh, or the food, they probably couldn't have that either.

"Is the food here really that valuable?" He finally inquired.

"Yeah. Food here is our only source of income. Without it, we can't sustain ourselves. But don't you worry. We'll find some way to stop those cheagles."

"Thank you both for your assistance," Tear said to the man and the boy who were still standing nearby with a slight bow.

"Certainly. We've met Luke over there, but you are?"

"I'm Tear. We're travelling together, but we got on the wrong coach and ended up here. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm Colonel Jade Curtiss, 3rd division Malkuth imperial forces. If you don't mind, however, we must be off. Come now Ion, we leave early tomorrow. You know Anise will be upset if you don't get your rest."

"Alright then," Ion replied. "It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" He said cheerfully before allowing himself to be shuffled off.

"Thanks!" Luke called after them waving, a huge smile on his face.

Tear watched him waving, the sun setting behind him, making his hair glow golden as it was tossed around by his exaggerated gesture; his emerald eyes alight with the exuberance in his carefree smile.

Tear couldn't help but smile.

Maybe this journey wouldn't be so long after all.

Chapter Text

"So that was Fon Master Ion…" Tear said after Luke had settled down and returned to fretting over the loss of…whatever it was he lost. Luke never did mention what he was so worried about.

"That was Fon Master Ion?" Luke spun around after having checked his pockets for the millionth time. It was definitely gone.

"Well, I've never met the Fon Master myself. But from what I've heard of him, he certainly fits the description. I also ran into a Fon Master Guardian while I was looking for you. I'd say the chances are pretty good he's the Fon Master."

"But that's impossible! Fon Master Ion is missing!"

"Missing? That's the first I've heard of that. But since at least one of the Fon Master Guardians is here, he's definitely here on official business."

"But Master Van said that Ion had gone missing!"

"Well, arguing about it here won't do any good. And for the record, you can't believe everything you're told. Least of all by Van."

"Look, I don't know what your issue is with Master Van is, and frankly I don't even want to know; but I for one have no reason to doubt what he said."

"You mean other than the fact the Fon Master just walked by."

"You said yourself, you've never even seen the Fon Master. How do you know for sure that that's him?" Luke asked, his voice steadily creeping up in volume.

"Well I didn't see you asking him. You've made it quite clear you have a working mouth of your own." Luke said nothing. "You could always still go ask him." Tear pointed out. Luke mumbled a reply that Tear didn't catch. "What now?"

"I don't want to get involved," Luke muttered a little louder.

"What?" Tear repeated, her hands on her hips. "First I can't get you to shut up, now I can't get you to talk! Speak up."

"I don't want to get involved," Luke said loudly. "Did you hear that? I. Do. Not. Want. To. Get. Involved." Luke punctuated every word by inching closer to Tear surprising her by just how upset he was. What in all of Auldrant did he mean by that now?

"I don't think I understand." Tear said, becoming quite serious. Whatever the issue was, even she could tell it was important.

"Do I have to spell it out for you? Going after Ion means dealing with that Jade-guy. Weren't you the one just lecturing me about my status? I don't want to get involved! I just want to go home." Luke bit his lip in frustration. It was bad enough without her making him repeat it three times. As much as it was killing him to go find out if in fact that had been the Fon Master or not, the less he had to deal with that Jade-what's-his-face, the better.

Luke had always thought he more or less understood matters between Kimlasca and Malkuth. He knew that the two countries had a far less than pleasant history, but he thought that peace had been established between the two. Or at least, that's what he had always understood, but as he was slowly learning that things weren't as clear cut as he thought they were. Luke was realizing just how little he really knew about the whole situation so if he could stay out of it, he would. Less chance he'd end up doing something stupid.

Tear understood his reasoning, as odd as it was to see such rationale coming from Luke. Being a Kimlascan noble, it made sense he would want to avoid any unnecessary contact or conflicts with the Malkuth military. The level head with which he'd made that deduction also confused her. So far she'd presumed him to be hot-headed, jumping into any situation without thinking. Apparently he did have a head on his shoulders, even if he didn't use it as often as she'd like.

"So!" Luke finally said, all the frustration in his previous statements completely gone, "Where do these stupid little cheagle things come from?"

"Well from what I heard, cheagles live in the forest north of here. However, I would like to point out that cheagles are the sacred beasts of the order of Lorelei, I wouldn't be calling them 'stupid little things' quite so loudly."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So are you coming with me or not?"

"Going with you? It's almost dark out! Where do you thinking you're going?"

"I'm going to go to the northern woods, then I'm going to find one of these little buggers and then I'm- hey! What are you doing? Let go!" Luke struggled against the firm hold Tear had on his collar as she dragged him in the opposite direction.

"It's almost night, and unlike some people, not everyone slept until noon. Besides, what do you think you're going to find in the dark? Not to mention the added danger of being out in the wilderness at night." Luke finally stopped struggling, instead just slipping out of his jacket.

"I'm not scared of some stupid monsters!" Luke protested. It figured. Of course she didn't understand. No one ever did. All he got in response to that statement was his jacket thrown at him.

"Look," Tear finally said, "I don't know what the cheagles took, and I'm guessing by that look that you aren't planning to tell me; but that's no reason to rush out at all hours of the night into untamed wilderness. Whatever they took, they will still have in the morning. So let's just go to the inn, get a good night sleep, and if you're dead set on going, we'll head out first thing in the morning."

"Fine," Luke conceded. Tear was grateful; she didn't want to resort to using her hymns to keep the idiot from hurting himself. As much as he certainly seemed to trust her, she doubted that trust would last if she had to pull something like that. "But we're going first thing!" He added as an afterthought.

"Alright," Tear agreed, though she didn't really think about it as the two headed towards the inn. Somehow she got the impression she would be the one waking him up in the morning.

Tear didn't realize just how early Luke Fon Fabre could get up when he was on a mission, but by the time she crawled out of bed at sunrise, he was up, ready, and impatiently tapping his foot on the floor while leaning on the door frame. He waited without saying a word while she quickly freshened up and gathered together her supplies.

"You're up early," Tear said in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you sounded surprised," Luke taunted in return. He really hadn't been up that much longer than her, but it was more than a test of his patience to wait for Tear to wake up. He didn't know how much of a morning person she was, and the last thing he needed was a tired, cranky woman on his back all day about everything because he woke her up before she was ready.

For the most part, he himself wasn't really a morning person. He was much happier sleeping himself out, but the consequences of not showing up on time to one of Asch's morning practice sessions, which usually involved being forcefully hauled out of bed after being doused with a substantial amount of very cold water, had him able to get up at the crack of dawn if needed for several years now. Besides, this was important.

Tear stifled a chuckle. She supposed she had that one coming since the conversation they had the last time they had awoken in each other's presence. Not much point in wasting time, the sooner they got going, the sooner they could begin the trip back to Baticul, despite her sneaking suspicions that this little detour was going to take all day regardless. "Shall we be off then?" She finally offered as she grabbed the last of their supplies.

"Yeah, let's go!" Luke threw in enthusiastically.

"You two heading out already?" The inn keeper inquired.

"Yeah, we're going to go check out the forest north of here." Luke offered.

"You're going up to Cheagle Woods?"

"Yes, is that a problem?" Tear asked concernedly.

"No, not at all. I had a young fella looking for directions to the Cheagle Woods late last night. Told him he shouldn't go. Ever since that fire up north, things haven't been right in those woods. Make sure you watch your step."

"We will. Thank you for your concern." Tear replied with a slight bow to the innkeeper as she and Luke headed out the door. Tear could only wonder what she was getting herself into this time.

The appropriately named Cheagle Woods weren't as far from Engeve as Tear had initially thought, and they were at the forest's edge before mid-morning. The forest itself didn't seem overly daunting. There weren't any traces of the fire they had been told about; it must not have reached this far south. The forest was bright and overgrown with lush vegetation painting it a world of greens. The sun still crept through tree tops so the forest was well lit and didn't seem especially treacherous. In fact it seemed rather peaceful. No sooner had the thought grazed her mind, when an unidentified cry filled the air.

"Tear!" Luke called to the melodist and without waiting for a reply, turned around and took off in the direction of the cry.

Luke saw the boy first while Tear was still somewhere around the nearby outskirts of the woods. His familiar green hair was a mess and his white robe was dirty and stained. Ion was on his hands and knees and breathing hard, having given a good chase to the five ligers that were now circling him.

Luke had his sword drawn and through one of the beasts before having even stopped to consider the situation. A second one pounced, but he swung around and his momentum sent it crashing into the earth. In the brief pause, Luke could hear Ion's breathing behind him get heavier.

"Luke! Get out of there!" Luke heard Tear's voice call out. Luke instinctively jumped back; noticing for the first time the huge glyph that had appeared on the ground. A bright flash of light and a surge of fonons ensued, throwing Luke even further back, completely obliterating the remaining three ligers.

"Wow." Luke stood stunned for a moment staring at the void where his opponents had just stood, before running to the young boy's side. "Hey are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ion hesitantly stood up, swaying from side to side for a moment before passing out all together.

"Whoa!" Luke managed to catch him before he hit the ground. The boy, for he couldn't be any more than 14, was unbelievably light in Luke's arms. His green hair almost blended in with their lush surroundings, though his skin was several shades paler than Luke's. Really, if he weren't wearing white robes, he'd almost look sickly. He had a slender build and had Luke not known any better he'd have almost mistaken him for a girl. He seemed so weak and fragile, but at the same time, the remnants of what he was capable of still clearly evident in what was now a clearing at the entrance to the woods.

"What the hell was that?" Luke cried out once Tear had gotten closer.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen anything like it before. That was a very powerful fonic arte." Tear looked over Ion who was still out cold in Luke's arms. "Is he alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. He's just worn out, but after that…I'm not entirely surprised," Luke replied with a new found respect for the boy he was holding onto. "So now what?"

"I suppose we should take him back to Engeve."

"Whoa whoa a second! If we take him all the way back to Engeve, it'll be almost afternoon by the time we get back. There's no telling how far those cheagles will have gotten!"

"So what? Are you saying we take him with us?"

"Well...yes."

"Luke… are you really sure about this? There's a really good chance that that's Fon Master Ion. And if it is, they will be looking for him. Didn't you say you didn't want to get involved?"

Luke hesitated for a moment before replying very firmly, "This is important."

Tear simply sighed. There was no point in trying to convince him otherwise. Just what did he lose that mattered so much to him? The way he hesitated reassured her that he at least somewhat understood the consequences of his choice. What bothered her is that even after everything he'd said last night, he decided to go ahead anyway. Just what did he want to get back so badly?

"Hey, you're up," Luke said, helping the unsteady Ion back on his feet. "Are you okay? That was quite the stunt you just pulled. Where did you learn something like that?"

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you hurt? I didn't mean for you to be attacked as well. I didn't realize anyone else was in the vicinity."

"Hey don't worry about it, I'm totally fine." Luke cut the apologetic boy off, "That's what I get for not paying attention. Though I've got to say, I would love to know where you learned a trick like that! That kind of skill would come in handy!"

Ion chuckled, "That's a Daathic fonic arte. Only Fon Masters are allowed to learn Daathic fonic artes, so I'm sorry I can't teach it to you."

"Damn. Oh well." Luke sighed disappointedly. Man, if he could learn an arte like that, he'd finally be able to get one up on Asch…but no such luck, at least not today.

"Wait!" What Ion just said finally registering, "So you're the Fon Master?"

"That's right," Ion confirmed, "I am currently the Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei. Your name is Luke correct?"

"Yeah, that's right." Luke answered.

"Luke… In ancient Ispanian that means-"

"Light of the sacred flame," Luke finished. Like he hadn't been told that enough times in his life.

"So you do know. It's a nice name."

"Th-Thank you," Luke happily stuttered before changing the subject. "So what brings you all the way out here by yourself?"

"I'm here to investigate the cheagles. They are herbivores, and very gentle by nature. It's not like them to be stealing food. Since the cheagles are the sacred beasts of the Order, I felt it was my responsibility to at least look into the matter."

"That's great! I'm looking for the cheagles too! They snatched something of mine up along with the food they stole, so I'm going to go get it back. We can go together then!"

"Luke!" Luke cringed at Tear's reprimanding voice. "You can't just go dragging the Fon Master into your crazy games! Besides, these woods aren't safe."

"Oh relax. He can take care of himself! Besides, he has just as much right to be here as we- Whoa!" Luke caught Ion as he just about fell over again. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm sorry," Ion replied with a gentle smile, gratefully accepting Luke's arm as support. "Daathic fonic artes use up a lot of my strength, that's all. I'll be fine in a little while." Luke hadn't considered it before, but now that he thought on it, Ion was a lot paler than when they'd seen him yesterday.

"Okay, then no more using that crazy arte. I don't need you passing out on me again. Let us take care of the fighting, and you can keep an eye out for cheagles."

"You'd do that?" Ion asked incredulously, "You'd protect me? Why thank you Sir Luke!"

Luke turned several shades of red but as what Ion said sunk in, he positively beamed. "Sure I would….but just call me Luke. The whole 'sir' thing is just weird."

"Okay then Luke!" Ion chuckled.

"Oh great," Tear mumbled under her breathe. Just what she needed, someone to inflate Luke's ego. Well, she knew more ways than one to keep him grounded. The more pressing concern was the presence of the Fon Master in such a remote place. Luke had been under the impression that Ion was missing. Granted that it had been Van that had told him that; and while she wasn't one to take his words at face value, it was still enough to cause her some concern. Something was up.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Ion turned towards Tear, "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"My apologies Fon Master," Tear said with a slight bow, pushing her worries to the back of her mind for the moment, "I'm Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants. 1st Platoon, Oracle Knights Intelligence Division, under Grand Maestro Mohs' command."

"Whoa, wait! You're a member of the Oracle Knights?" A rather shocked Luke spat out.

"Oh! I know you," Ion replied completely oblivious to Luke's outburst, "You're Van's little sister."

"What?" Luke squeaked. He cleared his throat trying to bring his voice back down the octave it had just jumped. "If you're his sister, then why the hell were you trying to kill him?"

Luke never got an answer though; startled by his shriek, a little green cheagle popped out of a nearby bush and took off deeper into the woods.

"Look! It's a cheagle!" Ion pointed out.

"Alright! Let's go get them then!" Luke took off after it, not willing to miss out on the opportunity that, quite literally, just jumped out at him.

"Thank you" Tear whispered, as she and Ion moved to follow Luke.

"Would it be best for me not to inquire about you and Van?"

"It something between us that relates to my homeland. I don't want to get you or Luke involved."

"Alright then," Ion answered with a smile, "We'd better hurry though, or we'll be left behind."

"He really does have a one-track mind, doesn't he?"

"I can't believe we lost it." Luke sighed.

"Who lost it?" Tear taunted.

"Shut up! He was green….and in case you didn't notice, so is everything else around here!" Ion laughed as Luke got defensive. He had lost the little creature a scant few minutes after he and Tear had caught up, but it had led them to a slightly worn path that they were now following in hopes of finding the cheagle's home.

"Don't worry," Ion offered, "I'm sure their nest isn't very far from here."

"Yeah, I suppose. We've got to be getting close by now."

"Thank you for protecting me so far."

"Oh, it was nothing. No problem at all," Luke lied. Giant snails, ligers, and more large deformed birds then he could shake a stick at really wasn't nothing, but he was finally getting a good feel for real fights, so he didn't mind all that much.

Tear watched from a few paces back as Luke and Ion continued to happily chat. They had been doing so since she and Ion had caught up with Luke, probably almost an hour ago now. The noise they were making was probably scaring off the cheagles, but she didn't really want to tell them to stop. She was amazed at how well the two of them got along. She had expected Luke to look down on Ion as somewhat of a nuisance and a third wheel, but Luke, it seemed, was getting into the habit of surprising her.

The two had completely hit it off. She was amazed at just how comfortable they both seemed around each other. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have thought they'd been friends their entire lives. Of course, it helped that their personalities fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Ion, humble and never without some kind of complement, and Luke who just couldn't get enough praise. That wasn't all though; there was something else there, some sort of unseen connection between the two that she couldn't quite figure out, and at times, despite their opposite demeanours, they seemed so alike.

"Look there!" Ion called out, pointing to a large tree with an opening at the base of the trunk. The tree easily stood twice the height of the trees around it, and its trunk looked wide enough to fit a small house. Despite its large size, leaves only seemed to grow at the top, while its lower branches stood bare. The vegetation at its roots was also sparse and stunted despite the lushness of the vegetation in the surrounding woods. "I'll bet that's where the cheagles live." No sooner had he said it then, a small cheagle, a pink one this time, came out of the opening, and upon seeing them, scrambled back in.

Despite the cheagle's smaller size, the opening at the base of the trunk was big enough for Luke to walk in unimpeded. The entrance was littered with fruits and breads all that bore the mark of Engeve on them, assuring Luke beyond all doubt that this was where he would find his missing treasure.

The inside of the tree was just as large as the outside suggested it would be. Moss grew on the inner walls and mushrooms of every size and colour dotted the earth. There were dozens of cheagles all over the place, jumping, running, eating, playing, all the while making the most hideous racket. Thankfully for Luke, as soon as he stepped inside, they all fell silent. Luke hadn't even gotten a sigh of relief out when all of them suddenly swarmed around the visitors.

They were so…so… cute! Tear watched them bouncing around and playing, and even as they swarmed around her, they made the most adorable little sounds. And they way the flapped their little ears! She just wanted to cuddle one and take it home with her.

"Could you please let us through?" Ion asked gently, kneeling down so he was closer to eye level with them.

"I don't think they can understand you," Luke offered.

"Actually, it's said that Yulia formed a pact with the cheagles and gained their aid."

"Are you of relation to Yulia Jue?" A voice called out. A couple of squeaks and the crowd of cheagles calmed down and parted, revealing a single purple cheagle that was obviously much older than the others.

"Ah. Are you the cheagle elder?" Ion asked.

"That is correct."

"Whoa! It talked!" Luke stepped back in shock.

"That is the power of this ring that we were given by Yulia as proof of our pact. Are you of relation to Yulia?"

"I am Ion, the current Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei."

"So you're the one in charge around here?" Luke demanded, tired of waiting on formalities. He'd waited on more than enough formalities in his life to last him...well several lifetimes. "Cause if you are, I've got a few bones to pick with you. Starting with the stuff you stole from Engeve."

"So you have come to exterminate us then."

"Hardly, look, why are you stealing stuff anyways? I mean, don't you eat the grass and stuff?"

"Not long ago, one of our own started a fire that burned the woods in the north." The cheagle elder explained, "Since then, the ligers that lived there have moved down here, and we have been in danger."

"Yeah, and? You can deal with that without stealing!"

"Luke!" Tear interjected angrily.

"What? It's only fair. You heard them. It was their fault that the forest burnt, so they have to share their home. What's wrong with that?"

"But Ligers prey on cheagles," Ion pointed out. "Did you steal the food from Engeve so that you wouldn't be eaten?"

"Yes. It is as you say."

"Wait a second." Luke threw in, "If I remember right, doesn't Engeve supply food to everywhere? These guys can't just be taking it all!"

"What if we were to do something about the ligers?" Ion suggested, "Then they wouldn't have to steal food."

"Whoa there. I didn't come to go liger hunting. I came to get what these guys stole from me!"

"What is this about stealing something of yours?" The cheagle elder inquired.

"You hauled off something of mine with all that food you stole last night! And I want it back!"

"What is this 'something' that was stolen?"

Luke answered by simply bending down and glaring at the cheagle elder causing it to take a couple nervous steps back. "You'll know it's mine."

"Then le u's make a deal. We will search for this item that you lost, in exchange; will you go and negotiate with the liger queen for us?"

"Can these liger-things talk too?"

"No." The cheagle elder made a few more squeaks and a small blue cheagle came to the front of the crowd. "This little one caused the fires up north. He will accompany you as a translator." The cheagle elder removed the ring and passed it to the little cheagle who placed it around his belly.

"Hi there!" The little cheagle's voice was almost as high pitched as its incomprehensible squeaks, and Luke figured he would just about rather listen to nails on a chalkboard than this thing talk for any length of time. "My name is Mieu! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Luke cringed, but bit back the harsh reply he had been formulating. The little thing hadn't really done anything. So instead he watched as Tear and Ion introduced themselves and with a defeated sigh, the three of them and their latest tag along set out towards the liger's lair.

After having fought liger upon liger on the way to the queen, Luke thought he had been ready for just about anything. He was wrong; the liger queen was easily three times larger than the grandest of the ligers he had seen in the woods and looked a hell of a lot tougher. She sat curled protectively around a nest of eggs, glaring dangerously at the intruders.

The cave in which she had built her nest didn't make the best of places to fight either, should she decide she was hungrier than she was talkative. The rocks were mossy and slippery, which made it hard to get, much less keep any decent footing. The lighting wasn't all that great either, but at least it was still good enough to see.

"Mieu, can you go and talk to her?" Ion asked.

"Certainly!" Mieu hopped down from Tear's shoulder, where she had happily been carrying him since they had left the nesting grounds.

Watching the young cheagle talk to the liger queen was indeed fascinating, not that Luke could make heads or tails of the assortment of squeaks and growls, but it slowly became obvious that things weren't going well.

"Uh...uh-oh!" Mieu finally said, "She says her eggs are about to hatch. She's really mad. She says she's going to kill us and feed us to her children!"

The liger queen proved Mieu's words true by standing up and letting out an earth-shattering roar. The resonating echo shook the cave and loosed three small boulders from the ceiling.

Luke watched as everything played out before him as if in slow motion. He grinned. It had been years since he'd played this game...

Asch held up two identical rubber balls. "When I say go, I'm going to throw these up into the air. You throw yours at the same time." Asch added indicating the third ball that was in Luke's hand.

Luke looked at the ball for a moment, not exactly sure what was going on. He looked back at Asch confused. Asch let out an annoyed sigh.

"When I say go. Throw it as high as you can."

"M'kay!" Luke answered with a smile. This sounded like fun!

"Then you have to take that stick," Asch pointed to the wooden sword-like stick in Luke's other hand, "And hit all three before they hit the ground." Asch continued.

"Why?" Luke looked at him confused again. Asch cringed. He hated that question, and it was Luke's favourite question.

"Because that's how the game works! If any of them hit the ground before you hit them, then you lose." Asch replied somewhat disgruntled. Everyone thought it was too soon to train Luke in any way, but Asch insisted. If they refused to train Luke he would do it himself. Luke may have the mentality of a 1 year old, but he was physically capable of anything Asch himself was. Besides... someday Luke would have to be able to protect himself.

Asch smiled.

"Okay. Ready?"

Luke nodded eagerly.

"Go!"

Two of the rocks went flying harmlessly into the wall, the third crumbled from a well placed blow, its pieces falling harmlessly around the little cheagle it would have crushed. Luke spun around, throwing Ion out of the way as the liger queen pounced on her would-be prey. Luke barely managed to get out of the way as she doubled back, much faster than Luke though possible for something so huge, and took a good swipe at him.

Luke noticed Tear focusing and lured the queen in the other direction. Her claws and fangs were nothing to laugh at, and it took all of Luke's focus just to stay out of their way. There was no way he was going to be able to get anywhere near her. Getting close enough to land a decent hit meant losing a limb…or an organ, all of which Luke would much rather keep….and keep intact.

Things were only getting worse as the battle drew on. Tear's artes weren't doing much better at slowing it down, and both of them were quickly tiring. If this kept up, they were going to end up as food for the liger queen's kits.

It happened so suddenly, Luke wasn't entirely sure exactly what had happened. The ground beneath them opened up, and sharp stones shot out from within its depths, skewing the liger queen on the spot as she prepared to pounce. Luke fell backwards, partially due to the minor earthquake that the arte had caused, but mostly just out of pure shock. What the hell-

"Hmm." The Malkuth Colonel approached the liger queen's body and examined it for a moment before confirming her death.

"Oh no!" Luke stood up and brushed himself off before carefully heading over to the liger's nest. "Look what you did!" Luke yelled at the officer, "The eggs all broke!"

"And a good thing too." He replied.

"What?"

"Luke, liger children eat human flesh." Tear supplied.

"Yes. They would have been hunted and destroyed even had you not interfered. Or of course there is the possibility that they could have gone unnoticed, hatched, and slaughtered half of Engeve." The man who had introduced himself the night before as Jade offered.

"Aren't we the optimist…" Luke mumbled, "Still... it leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Luke eyed the broken eggs before returning to the group.

"You really are kind, or maybe just soft." Tear quietly noted.

"Oh shut up you cold-" Luke snapped back at Tear's statement.

"My my, what's this? Lovers' quarrel?"

"Colonel Curtiss!" Tear almost hissed, "We don't have that sort of relationship!" Ouch. Luke winced at her statement. Sure they were about as far from being a couple as one could humanly get, but did she have to be so…venomous about it?

"I'm joking. And please, call me Jade. I'm not accustomed to be called by my family name." Jade turned to face the entrance, "Anise, come here please."

"Yes, Colonel?" The girl Tear had met in Engeve the previous day almost skipped all the way to the man that had just summoned her. Jade leaned down as whispered something in her ear.

"What? No way! I want to stay here with Ion!" She protested after a moment of whispers that, despite all his straining, Luke couldn't make out. Jade let out a sigh.

"Alright then, but it will cost you." Jade extended an open hand.

"Fine," Anise pouted and handed over a large leather pouch that looked too large to be a wallet. "But I want it back later!"

"Of course Anise, are you implying I would keep it?" Even Jade's innocent tone sent chills down Luke's spine. How was it possible to be that…creepy?

"Well then, I will be going on ahead, Anise, Ion, I trust you know where to go?"

"Don't be silly Colonel! Of course we do," Anise replied with a bit of a giggle. "We'll be right behind you! Once we get Ion all fixed up, look at you! You're a mess!" Anise turned her attention to Ion and was trying to wipe some of the dirt off his white robes. "Then we'll head straight there!"

"Alright then," Jade said with a mock bow, "I trust Anise will take good care of Ion, so to our other wonderful friends, I wish you all the best." Jade turned and left. Somehow, good wishes from him felt more like death wishes. Luke couldn't tell if that man took anything seriously, or if he took everything seriously. Either way made him downright scary.

"Ion!" Anise yelled as soon as the Colonel was out of an earshot, "You were using your power again weren't you! You know the doctor said you're not supposed to!"

"I'm sorry Anise." Anise sighed at his apology. Not much she could do about it now, so there really wasn't any point in hounding him on it.

"Did the letter finally arrive?" Ion asked her.

"It did! We should head out after the Colonel. We don't have a whole lot of time to waste after this little detour."

"I'm sorry Anise, but you know that the cheagles along with the Score make up the Foundation of the Order. I had to do something about the trouble they had been causing."

"You never change. Well whatever, we had best hurry up. Come on!" Anise tugged on Ion's sleeve urging him to hurry.

"Wait!" Luke cut in. "No way! We're heading back to the nesting area so these things can give me back what they took." Luke exclaimed a finger pointing at Mieu who was shaken up, but otherwise no worse off for their misadventure.

"That's right!" Ion confirmed, "We should report to the cheagle elder as well."

"If you say so Ion," Anise conceded, "But let's make it quick. I'd rather not find out what happens when we make the Colonel wait."

"Thank you." The cheagle elder offered her gratitude. "I heard what happened from Mieu. You faced great danger on our behalf, for that we are very grateful."

"Certainly, helping the cheagles is a part of Yulia's teachings after all." Ion smiled, accepting her gratitude.

"I'm sorry to say Master Luke," the cheagle elder turned to Luke, "We were not able to find what it is you lost. However, we cheagles do not easily forget our debts. I hear that you also saved Mieu's life. As punishment for causing the fires in the north, Mieu will be exiled from our tribe. As a form of repayment, he shall serve you, Master Luke, for one full cycle of the seasons."

"I want it back, I don't want a pet!" Luke spat bitterly. He couldn't believe this, after all that, it was really gone.

"Try to look on the bright side Luke," Ion offered in consolation, "Cheagles are the sacred beasts of the Order of Lorelei, I'm sure Mieu will be well received by your family."

"And he's cute," Tear mumbled to herself.

"What was that Tear?" Anise inquired.

"N-Nothing." Tear crossed her arms and became very interested in the left wall.

"Master!" Mieu jumped up, once again in possession of the sorcerer's ring. "I'm sorry you didn't get what you were looking for. I haven't had it long but if you want you can have my treasure instead!" The next time Mieu jumped up, he was holding a small piece of gold attached to a golden chain. It was old and worn and had long since stopped shining.

Before anyone had a clue what had happened, Luke snatched it right out of the young cheagle's hands. "That's it! You mean to tell me you had it the entire time?"

"Mieuuuu…" Mieu shrunk back "I'm sorry, I didn't know it was yours…"

"I don't believe this! All that work..." Luke turned around and stormed out of the tree. All that for nothing! Well granted they had saved the cheagles… and the people of Engeve…and had put an end to the food thefts. Damn, sometimes he wished he could just be generally pissed off about something without his conscience tugging at him. Oh well, it was probably for the best anyways, he'd take an annoying conscience over being a total ass.

"Well, I suppose since we've finished up here, we should probably go after him," Tear suggested.

"Yes, we should be going. Thank you very much for everything," Ion added as Mieu hopped up and headed after Luke.

"Master! Wait for me!"

Trekking back out of the forest seemed to take a lot longer than the trip in, possibly because Luke was in such a foul mood. Not only was he still mad from before, but Anise had been taking up all of the Fon Master's attention, so he didn't even have anyone to chat with. So he tromped down the path twirling what Tear could only guess was a locket, around his fingers. Every now and then he'd catch it and look at it, then return to twirling it. At the very least, it was keeping him entertained.

Tear's curiosity finally got the better of her and the next time he caught it, she peaked over his shoulder. It was a locket, just like she thought, but it was broken, and only half the locket was still on the chain. The picture inside was worn, and of a very familiar someone. His hair was a bit shorter and he wasn't quite as tall, but it was most definitely him.

"I can't believe you!" Luke jumped, not realizing she was right behind him. "You mean to tell me you went through all that trouble to get back a picture of yourself! How self-centered can you get?" Tear's yelling drew the attention of the others who were a few paces ahead. "I took you for a lot of things, but a narcissist wasn't one of them. Don't you realize you could have gotten one of us killed? Over that?"

"Seriously?" Anise asked, "You mean you put up all that fuss over a picture of yourself? Man, that's conceited."

"Hey wait!" Luke called after her.

"I don't even want to hear it!" Tear cut him off.

"Please don't fight." Ion said trying to calm them both down, but Tear continued, oblivious to the Fon Master's attempts to settle them down.

"You went and put us all in danger, not to mention deciding to get involved after all the fuss you put up last night about-"

"You should listen to the Fon Master." A strangely familiar voice came from behind them, cutting her off. Tear spun around to see a young man standing in the clearing where they had first run into Ion and started this crazy little adventure.

Tear racked her brain, but couldn't for the life of her figure out why his voice sounded familiar, she had never seen him before in her life. His crimson red hair flowed down the back of his black coat that was gently flapping in the breeze. His bangs were pulled back out of his emerald green eyes, which were narrowed and locked on her, a fact that was making her very uncomfortable. The sword at his side was in a stylized sheathe and he looked ready to draw it at any time. His stance and the way he carried himself made it very clear that he was no amateur.

It was Asch.

Luke could have cried he was so happy to see a familiar face. Though he had only ever seen Asch with his hair pulled back like that a few times, there was no doubt that it was him. There was just something, like a sixth sense Luke couldn't quite explain. It didn't matter how well disguised he was, Luke would always know it was him.

Luke wanted nothing more than to run up to him but the glare he got, then the suspicious looks he then gave the others, especially Tear, was clear as day to him. No associating just yet. Luke just hoped he wouldn't do anything rash. Ironic, coming from him since that was usually his department. Admittedly, he could understand Asch's harsh distrust of Tear. The image of Asch's panicked expression as he and Tear got whisked away was still clearly emblazoned in his mind.

Tear remained silent and stepped back under the intense scrutiny. Whoever this was, he didn't like her at all. The dangerous looks she was getting were nerve-wracking at best, and they made her ill-at-ease. Whatever he had planned for her however, was cut short as Malkuth soldiers burst out of the trees around them. They were completely surrounded.

"Ah there you are." Jade's smooth voice snaked around the clearing. "You took longer than I expected you would."

"Sorry Colonel," Anise apologized, grabbing Ion's sleeve and dragging him towards Jade. "We took a detour to report to the cheagle elder."

"That's alright, I suppose," Jade replied, never taking his eyes off Luke, Tear and Asch in the center. "Now, who have we here?" Jade eyed Asch, but Asch didn't dignify him with a response, only a harsher glare. Jade shrugged, if he wanted to be like that, he could go down with the others. "These two were the source of the Seventh Fonons," Jade called out, indicating Luke and Tear, "Soldiers, restrain them!"

"Wait!" Ion interjected, "Please don't do anything to hurt them!"

"Don't worry, we won't kill them… assuming they don't resist," Jade taunted.

Unfortunately for Jade and his plans, Asch intended to do no such thing. The soldiers that had approached him were out cold and the ones trying to grab Luke didn't even see what hit them. The remaining soldiers turned their attention to Asch. Luke wanted to jump in and help but refrained from doing so after yet another glare from Asch. Over the years, Luke had become rather fluent in the language that was Asch's glaring; especially since the results of misunderstanding involved yelling, pain, or usually a combination thereof.

A soldier swung at Asch, and he spun around, their swords meeting in midair. Asch watched the remaining half dozen soldiers out of the corner of his eyes. A second soldier, trying to take advantage of the opening, charged at him. Taking one hand off his sword, Asch pulled out a dagger and met the second blow mid-swing. Both soldiers remained firm, refusing to back down.

The third soldier came from behind, and though Asch knew full well that he was there, he had no way of blocking or evading the strike with the other two still pinning him down from either side. He winced as the sword swung down on his back.

The sound of metal on metal rung through the clearing as everything else fell silent. Luke was shaking slightly at the weight of the soldier's blade on top of his, but managed to throw the soldier back. He now stood back to back with his counterpart. Oh he'd get yelled at later for sure, but he didn't care. This was where he belonged.

"Heh… idiot."

Next thing anyone knew, torrents of water crashed down on the two boys, the fonic arte successfully subduing them both. Sopping wet, they were both hauled to their feet and restrained.

"Now that the two of you have cooled down a bit-" Jade halted mid-sentence as the two boys were placed side by side. "Oh my…now this is interesting."

"What is it Colonel?" Anise looked up at Jade before seeing for herself what had the man's attention. "Oh."

Even Tear couldn't believe her eyes. Water was dripping from two identical sets of bangs into two identical faces. Had they not been wearing opposite colours, she wouldn't have even been able to tell them apart. It then struck Tear as to why the other boy's voice had been so familiar, both in its first statement, and in the soft whisper that had reached her ears before the crashing of water. It had been Luke's voice she heard in him, just as she now saw Luke's eyes in him as he stood defeated for the moment.

Luke on the other hand had a grin from ear to ear, as if that had been the most fun he'd had in days. Despite the fact that he was restrained, he looked more relaxed than since she had met him.

"Take them aboard the Tartarus!" Jade commanded, regrouping his soldiers. "We'll get this all sorted out there," He added more for his own benefit than for anything.

Tear watched as the two boys were hauled out of the forest and aboard the massive landship. She followed escorted by a half dozen soldiers. But despite the fact that they were being taken captive by the Malkuth military, Tear's thoughts were stuck on one thing: Luke's locket, and the boy in it who looked just like him.

Chapter Text

Much to Asch's surprise, when they were finally released, it wasn't into one of the cells in the ship's brig. The room in which they were placed looked more like sleeping quarters than any type of containment area. There were four bunks nestled up against the gray walls. Uniforms and other clothes hanging on designated hooks showed that the room was actually in use.

The soldiers that dropped them off here hadn't even locked the door behind them. He had probably figured that with so many soldiers aboard the ship, that any attempt at escape was completely futile. Damn that stuck up, prissy Colonel. If Asch hated anything, it was being believed to be incompetent.

Luke shuffled through the stacks of clothing on one of the bunks before grabbing what he had been searching for: a towel. He tossed it to his older sibling, who gratefully accepted it and used it to dry out his hair as best he could. Luke wrung out his hair and then his coat leaving a nice puddle of water on the floor. He then appropriated a couple of the hooks on the wall where he hung his coat to dry.

"Careful, don't slip there." Luke casually offered as he passed Tear, indicating the water on the floor. He continued past her, hopping up and taking a seat on one of the top bunks, where he was quickly joined by Mieu. The young cheagle hadn't said a word since their capture; the reason why becoming obvious as he curled up on the pillow and promptly fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.

Tear opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come. What would she say? What would she ask? She didn't know what she could possibly offer to either of the boys, one who seemed to distrust her so violently, and the other to whom she had been so inconsiderate. So she remained silent.

Asch finished drying his hair with the towel, tossing it back to Luke who made what use of it he could. Asch then proceeded to wring out his jacket as well, adding to the growing puddle of water on the wooden floor.

Luke hopped down from the bunk and caught Asch's coat as Asch tossed it to him, placing it on a hook beside his own.

"You-" Asch said loudly, breaking the tense and considerably awkward silence, his gaze fixed on his little brother, "Have a lot of explaining to do. But-" he said cutting off Luke's impending ramble. His gaze shifted to Tear and turned hard, "Not nearly as much as you do."

"Are we all settled in now?" The r creaked as it opened, allowing four figures to enter. First was the Colonel who had arrested them in the woods, followed by the Fon Master and his Guardian, and then by a regular soldier, presumably there for support in case they decided to make a break for it. Like he would make a difference.

Asch's biggest concern was undoubtedly the Colonel himself. He loathed being underestimated, and therefore assured that he did not make that mistake with his own opponents. There was an air to this man, a dangerous one, and Asch didn't like it. His flawless confidence spoke of the vast gap in their skills and even the confident redhead knew this wasn't an opponent he could overpower. Though Asch was hardly dissuaded; he may not be able to match the man in battle but Asch knew better than to think a sword was the only way to settle a conflict.

"What do you want with us?" Asch snarled.

"Now, now, settle down. You're hardly in a position to be making demands; especially when you're the ones in the wrong here."

"Excuse me?"

"The Seventh Fonon hyperresonance came from the direction of the capital of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear and converged inside Malkuth Territory. That would make these two," Jade stated pointing to Tear and then to Luke who was now standing behind his overprotective counterpart, "Guilty of illegally crossing the border." Jade finished with a grin. "And you," Jade returned his attention to Asch, "You are guilty of resisting arrest as well as aiding criminals sought after by the military."

"Hmph." Asch shrugged off the accusations as if they were completely meaningless to him.

"So what does that all mean exactly?" Luke hesitantly asked.

"Ah yes, we'll get to that in a moment," Jade replied. "First, perhaps you'll do us the honour of introducing yourselves? I'm sure that I'm not the only one wondering." The last statement seemed more like a jibe at the young Fon Master guardian than anything. Anise confirmed it by glaring at the Colonel, her cheeks flushed in anger at being picked on.

"If I recall correctly, it's rude to ask one's name before offering your own." Asch threw back at him.

"My apologies then, I am Colonel Jade Curtiss, 3rd Division, Malkuth Imperial Forces."

Jade Curtiss, huh? Asch knew that name well. Despite his modest rank, he was a force to be feared within the Malkuth Military. Rumours of his prowess, as well as some of his….quirks, were widespread.

Asch sighed, at least he felt a little better about being defeated and captured so easily. "I'm Asch Fon Fabre," Asch finally offered. "This is my twin brother Luke." He added indicating his younger sibling who was positively hovering behind him.

"The sons of Duke Fabre, who married into the Kimlascan royal family? That certainly is interesting… I didn't realize that Duke Fabre had two sons."

"Dukes? Wow…." Anise cooed in the corner. The Fabre boys? Ion sure had good taste in friends.

"These aren't the friendliest times," Jade noted, ignoring Anise's fawning in the corner. "What are you two doing in Malkuth?"

Asch passed off the question with a suspicious look at Tear. "Luke and I are only here because our Seventh Fonons caused a hyperresonance. It wasn't an act of aggression by Duke Fabre." Tear offered, seemingly satisfying Asch who ceased glaring for the time being.

"I'm here looking for him." Asch added nodding towards his sibling.

So he was Luke's brother, Tear realized. That explained a lot, especially why he seemed so hostile towards her. She had broken into their home, and dragged his brother halfway across the world. She was losing her touch. In retrospect, it should have been obvious the two were brothers, but everything had happened so fast, she just hadn't been thinking. But isn't that how it always was? Hindsight is 20/20.

"I believe them," Ion pitched in, breaking off Tear's train of thought. "I don't feel any hostility from them. Why don't we ask for their help?"

"Hmmm," Jade thought on it for a moment. It was a good idea, but there was no saying what was going through his mind at any given time. Jade finally sighed. "Recently several skirmishes have broken out along the border-"

"That may be true," Asch cut him off, "and while the intensity of those skirmishes may be increasing, they hardly warrant the presence of a landship such as this one."

"Ah, so you are aware of the situation." Jade realized.

"Of course," Asch replied, insulted. "Tensions between the two countries are almost as high as they were when the Hod War broke out."

"Yes, that's correct. You're quite knowledgeable." Asch scoffed at Jade's taunt. "We're currently headed to Kimlasca under orders from His Majesty, Peony the Ninth, Emperor of Malkuth."

"For what?" Asch demanded suspiciously.

"To declare war?" Tear inquired.

"Hold up! A war's going start?" Luke said panicked. He had remained silent for the entire conversation since, as usual, he hadn't a clue what they were talking about. He knew nothing of border skirmishes or such elevated tensions between the countries. No one ever told him anything anymore and the few things he was told were never explained, so it didn't matter. All the news always went straight to Asch, who seldom bothered to share. Then they chastised him for never knowing anything! It wasn't fair.

"No way! You've got it wrong! We're the ones trying to stop the war!" Anise butted in, indignant of what she saw as an accusation.

"Indeed," Jade continued into an explanation, it was pointless to turn back now, they already knew far too much, so divulging more information at this point really wouldn't matter. "Emperor Peony has proposed an official peace treaty. We bear a letter from him to His Majesty King Ingobert. I assure you, we are on a mission of peace."

"A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed," Asch rambled off.

"What?" Anise inquired confused.

"I see, you don't trust us." Jade replied tauntingly. "Alright then, I will give you access to all areas of the ship that don't contain military secrets. Feel free to wander and see for yourself our intentions. Then if you are willing, we would ask your assistance."

"No. If your intentions are honourable and true as you say, there isn't a decision to be made. We'll help you out. And if your intentions aren't honourable, I'll simply cut you down myself." Asch added.

Jade chuckled, "If that were to be the case, you would be most welcome to try."

"So Jade's delivering a letter from the king of Malkuth to Uncle, in order to try and stop the war right?" Luke inquired, doing his best to keep up.

"That's correct." Tear confirmed for him.

"So where do we come in?"

"Don't be stupid," Asch answered him, "They're soldiers from an enemy nation. Emissaries of peace or not, they aren't going to be able to waltz right in."

"Oh, I see. By the way, what are you doing way out here Ion?"

"Ah, Emperor Peony requested my aid as a neutral ambassador," Ion provided.

"Master Van was under the impression that you were missing. He's gone looking for you!" Luke was confused; things were getting more and more complicated. He didn't like it at all.

"That's due to matters within the Order of Lorelei."

"If you could provide us with more information, it would be helpful. There's obviously a reason you snuck away, and I'd like to aware of whatever or whoever is planning to get in our way." Asch asked, his words much softer and kinder then when he spoke to Jade.

"A conflict is unfolding between the reformist Fon Master faction, centered around Ion, and the conservative Grand Maestro faction, centered around Grand Maestro Mohs," Jade cut in, only further annoying Asch.

"Yes…" Ion said apprehensively, "Mohs is looking for war. I escaped his custody with the help of the Malkuth military."

"Fon Master!" Tear stood up, surprising everyone by her outburst, "There must be some sort of mistake. Grand Maestro Mohs would never desire such a thing! He prays only for the fulfillment of the Score."

"You're with the Grand Maestro faction Tear?" Anise carefully asked after a moment of silence, "No way…."

"I'm neutral." Tear replied, subdued by the renewed suspicion that she had just earned herself from Asch, "The Score is important, but so are the Fon Master's wishes."

Now Luke was really confused; so many names, positions, and things he didn't understand. All he knew is that he didn't want a war, and neither did Asch. So he would just follow his older sibling's lead. They had to go back to Baticul to give the letter to Uncle, so either way they were getting home, and that's what mattered. Besides, this way would be much easier than walking the whole way back, and they could help Ion out a bit too. Things looked good to him.

"Regardless of the state of affairs within the Order, this letter must be delivered safely," Ion said once everyone had settled down a bit.

"It will," Asch assured him. "I'll see to that myself."

"For someone who doesn't trust us, you are awfully determined to see us succeed," Jade taunted.

"For someone you've never met before, you seem awfully willing to trust us." Asch threw back.

"Nothing I'm not able to handle, should it take a turn for the worse." Jade smiled creepily.

Suddenly, the entire ship lurched and an alarm blared, effectively putting an end to all discussions. Jade immediately excused himself and left the room, grabbing two soldiers as they ran by, and sending them into the room in his place.

"Master! Master I'm scared!" The young cheagle awoke startled at the sound of the alarm and dove into Luke's arms shaking from head to foot.

"First, shut up. Second, don't worry; it's just the alarm going off." Luke said as he untangled the little fur ball from his top and set it on his shoulder. "If you stay quiet, you can sit right there."

Luke noticed the look of utter confusion on Asch's face. "Long story. Don't ask."

"I wasn't going to." Asch replied, shaking his head.

"Ion, I'm going to go see what's up. You stay here with everyone else." Anise instructed the Fon Master.

"Okay," Ion conceded, "Be careful Anise."

"Of course I will! You don't have to worry about me," Anise said, talking to Luke and Asch rather than Ion, "I shall return safely to your side, so await my return." With that statement, Anise too left the room.

"Oh boy…." Luke sighed.

"Come on," Asch said. "We're going too."

"But wait! If we leave, who's here to protect Ion?" Luke whined.

"We're not leaving; we're just going to see what the fuss is about. We'll be back. Besides, there are other soldiers here to protect him."

"Well then why don't you go, and I'll wait here!"

"Not a chance. The last time I let you out of my sight, you ended up halfway across the world. You are coming with me." Asch stated as he grabbed their jackets from the hook on the wall. He handed over Luke's and then grabbed their swords that had been left for them against the opposite wall. Luke hesitantly stood in the middle of the room after putting on his jacket, that was still pretty wet, and re-equipping his sword. Asch let out an annoyed sigh, grabbed him by the wrist and began to forcefully haul him out of the room.

"Ouch! Okay! Okay! I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Asch let go and turned to face Tear, "You coming or not?"

Tear broke out of the daze she had been in. "Yes. Yes of course! My apologies Fon Master," she said as she hurried after the boys.

"Don't worry about it," Ion replied. "I'll be fine." Tear smiled and left. "I'll wait for your return."

"Large swarm of monsters 20 kilometres ahead. All hands, battle stations! Repeat! All hands, battle stations!" A voice came through a strange pipe sticking out of the wall.

"What's going on here?" Asch demanded.

"A large swarm of griffins are attacking the ship!" Anise told them.

"It's just some monsters right?" Luke couldn't figure out why it was such a big deal. This was hardly a little ship, and not likely to fall victim to some random encounter to a few monsters.

"It's dangerous when monsters act unusually." Tear told him, "Griffins don't normally work in packs."

"Oh no!" Mieu piped up! "Griffins eat cheagles!" Luke cringed at Mieu's voice right in his ear, and was grateful that his eardrum made it through that statement more or less intact.

"Nothing is going to eat you you stupid thing, so stop yelling in my ear!" Luke snapped.

"I'm sorry…." Mieu said after jumping down off Luke's shoulder.

"Bridge! Respond! Bridge!" Luke heard Jade yelling into the same pipe from which the voice had come earlier.

"What? What's going on?"

"They released ligers onto the ship. Based on what we know, we can only assume they are causing trouble at the bridge." Asch responded. "Damn, and it's too dangerous to go outside."

"Some of you have some good sense." A deep voice came from the direction of the stairwell. The man to whom it belonged was easily almost seven feet tall and strongly built, made even larger by his stylized red and black armour. His beard was reminiscent of a lion's mane, befitting of the man known as 'Largo the Black Lion'.

"Well, well," Largo continued, "Jade Curtiss Commander of the Third Division of the Malkuth Imperial Forces...Or maybe I should just call you 'Jade the Necromancer'."

"Jade the Necromancer!" Tear exclaimed, "That's you?"

Jade simply shrugged, "It seems I'm famous." Famous indeed. Rumours of the Necromancer and the way he scavenged corpses after battle had made their way well into Kimlasca.

"I had been hoping for the opportunity to cross blades with you, but now is not the time. I'm here for the Fon Master."

"You aren't laying a hand on Ion!" An outraged Luke charged the man, but didn't even have his sword out before he found himself pinned to the wall, the air completely knocked out of him. Luke froze, the blade of Largo's scythe a scare few hairs away from his neck.

Asch tensed; managing to hold his ground for about three seconds before he couldn't simply stand there anymore. Asch was slightly more successful than Luke had been. Largo had to withdraw his scythe from Luke's throat to block Asch's oncoming strike, leaving Luke a half-collapsed nervous wreak on the floor.

Asch didn't last much longer, taking a sharp blow to the stomach, he too found himself defeated. Laying on the ground gasping for breath, he could see out of the corner of his eye that had at least succeeded. Luke was no longer in danger, and that was what mattered.

Jade, who was never one to miss an opportunity, took full advantage of the distraction the boys had created. "Anise!" He called, the young guardian came running. In passing, she grabbed from him the same pouch she had handed over in Cheagle woods. "I trust you know where to go."

"You got it." She replied, before doubling back towards the room where they had left Ion.

Jade immediately took used what time he had left, to begin casting.

"Fool!" Largo noticed the opening as Jade hadn't quite gathered the fonons he needed for the arte. Largo tossed a small box at Jade. Upon striking him, the box expanded, emitting a rainbow light and fonons that engulfed the fonist, bringing him to his knees.

"A fon slot seal?" Tear couldn't believe it. She had heard of such things, but had never seen any put into action. Their ability to lock a person's fon slots and eliminate their ability to cast fonic artes was to be feared.

"I had hoped to use that to seal the Fon Master's fonic artes; I didn't expect to use it like this." Largo stated.

In that moment when he had dropped his guard, Jade attacked, pulling a spear out of seemingly thin air. Largo reacted, their clash meeting in an explosion of light that left nothing but a large hole in the ship wall, and a rather tussled Necromancer behind.

"Anise will take care of Ion, we should head for the bridge." Jade said, his nerves not the least bit shaken by how close he had just come to finding out how sharp Largo's scythe really was.

"But your artes are sealed," Tear stated concernedly.

"Yes, but this seal will probably take months to undo. Right now, we need to take back the Tartarus. With your hymns and their swords, it should still be possible." Jade said indicating the two boys who were still recovering.

"He-he stabbed him." Luke muttered, unable to get over the events that just occurred before him.

Asch pulled himself to his feet, still somewhat out of breath. "Better him than you," Asch said offering Luke a hand. Luke reached out and took his sibling's hand, but he couldn't stop shaking.

There were far more monsters aboard the Tartarus than any of them had originally expected. Luke had finally managed to regain some of his composure after a few rounds, but the hesitation he was starting to show when delivering a fatal blow was beginning to worry Asch. Hesitating like that would get him killed.

Jade still proved to be somewhat useful, being apt at handling the spear he was able to manifest at will. At best he was on par with the rest of them, a fact that Asch missed no chance to remind him of. Served the stuck up bastard right.

Admittedly, the fon slot seal also put a lot of Asch's nerves at ease. He didn't like having someone like Jade around who was so completely beyond him. He still didn't trust the man any further than he could have thrown him, and knowing he could match blows in the worst case scenario, made Asch feel a lot better.

Getting to the rear entrance of the bridge involved taking a rather tedious route and climbing several ladders that, to be generous, could have used some maintenance. They almost lost Mieu to the wind three times before a rather disgruntled Luke conceded to letting him nestle into his jacket.

When they finally made it to the door, they found it guarded by an Oracle Knight. Tear easily dispatched him using one of her Hymns.

"Wow Tear!" Mieu bounced over to where the soldier was sound asleep. "You're amazing!"

"Alright, we need to take back the bridge." Jade drew their attention to the task at hand, "But it would be wise to have a lookout in case any reinforcements show up."

"I'll stay," Luke offered.

"I will too," Asch added.

"No," Luke argued, "You go with them. They'll need your sword anyways."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm just the lookout, all I have to do is yell if anything shows up right? I mean this thing can hit undiscovered octaves, we'll be fine." Luke said with a grin as he pointed towards Mieu.

"Okay, we'll be right back, yell if there's trouble."

Luke stood alone on the deck, watching for signs of movement but nothing caught his attention. The thick doors to the bridge blocked any sounds from within, leaving Luke with no idea how the others were making out, or how much longer they would be in there.

"So why do you think he's out like that?" Luke asked out of curiosity, kneeling down beside the unconscious soldier as boredom got the better of him.

"It's because Tear's fonic hymns use the Seventh Fonon!" Mieu replied. Luke fought back the urge to injure the young cheagle; he was only answering his question after all. But that voice was so damn annoying!

"The Seventh Fonon huh? That's been mentioned a few times now…is that the fonon of sound?"

"That's right! It was just discovered! The Seventh Fonon is really special! See...it can even do this!" Mieu began bouncing up and down on the fallen soldier's chest showing that he was out cold.

"Okay okay enough!" Luke reprimanded the creature, "I really don't think you should be doing that..."

The soldier roused, causing Luke to jump back in shock. Luke drew his sword, barely blocking as the soldier wasted no time attacking the intruder. Luke parried the attack and swung, staying his hand at the last second. This was a person! He couldn't do this!

Seeing him hesitate, the Oracle Knight took the chance and threw him to the ground. Luke could only watch as the sword came down on his head.

Was this how it was going to end? Would this be how he would die? He couldn't. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to be alone! He didn't have anyone else. He needed to stay! But where did these feelings come from? One can't be lonely when dead. No. None of that mattered. He couldn't leave, he'd never be forgiven.

He didn't want to be alone again.

The next thing Luke knew, his sword was through the soldier, the blood running down the blade dripping at his feet. He dropped his sword, his hands shaking uncontrolably. Luke fell to his knees.

"What going on?" Asch came running out the door followed by Jade and Tear.

"I-I killed him…" Luke stuttered, oblivious to his surroundings, or to his brother's hand that was now resting on his shoulder.

"Luke!" Asch shook him, "Snap out of it! This isn't the time!"

"I-I….I killed him" Luke stuttered.

"Luke!" Tear called.

"Watch it!" Asch managed to haul Luke out of the way as a huge liger pounced. Tear jumped in, trying to lure the liger away but the liger was not deterred by any of their schemes. It took one more lunge at Asch and look before getting around behind them, blocking their escape.

"You won't escape!"

The young girl dropped down from a griffin, standing in such a way as to block the door to the bridge. Her soft pink hair and the doll that she clutched offset the anger in her matching pink eyes.

"You!" She yelled, the unknown levels of fury buried in her voice. "I finally found you! You killed mommy!"

"What are you talking about?" Tear demanded, confused at the young girl's statement.

"You broke into mommy's home, and then you killed her! Now I'll make you pay! I'll kill you all for what you did to mommy!"

"Easy there, little one." A second voice came from the side lines.

"I'm not a child!" The girl yelled back, pouting and stomping her foot on the ground.

"Child or not, Arietta, aren't we forgetting orders? We have custody of Ion now, they are not to be killed."

"It's not fair! They should die for what they did!"

"Well," the second God-general said as she brushed some of her violet hair out of her face, "no orders were given on their condition, so by all means have all the fun you want. Just don't kill them."

Arietta didn't take her comrade up on her suggestion however, instead opting to storm off into the bridge, taking out her frustrations on the few unfortunate soldiers within that were still breathing.

A squad of Oracle knights took the place vacated by Arietta's liger.

"Lock them up!" A third voice arose, this time coming from a blonde also bearing the uniform of a God-General. Though she was shorter than her remaining companion, she clearly had more authority and immediately took command of the confused Oracle knights.

Asch let go of Luke, who was completely useless for the time being, his attention on the oncoming Oracle Knights. Two of them had fallen to his blade when he heard the voice come from behind him.

"Stop!" Asch turned to see the violet-haired God-General with her long blade drawn, inches away from Luke's throat. He froze. "Now," she continued with a maleficent grin. "No more resisting."

Asch dropped his blade, and was immediately restrained. His heart stopped as, despite her implicit promise, she raised her blade on over Luke. Asch cringed and looked away, his heart still not beating.

Rather than bring her blade down on the young noble, she turned her blade, using the hilt to knock him out. She handed him over to a couple nearby knights, who took him and his relieved brother away; followed closely by Tear and Jade, who had also been restrained.

"So the second-in-command herself is overseeing this mission?" She said as she sheathed her blade.

"Back to your station." The blonde ordered.

"Hey, my wing is already cleared, Legretta."

"Then make yourself useful on the bridge. And do something about Arietta. We can't have her destroying the controls."

"Yes ma'am," she conceded, not bothering to question why Legretta herself didn't undertake the task. She also didn't point out that one of them ought to be watching the prisoners. If she knew anything, it was they weren't going to stay captive for long.

As she headed towards the bridge, she stopped and was staring out into the distance.

"What's the matter Cantabile?"

"Nothing…" Cantabile responded still distracted, her gazed fixed on that single space. She thought….no. It couldn't be. It was nothing. Nothing at all.

Chapter Text

"Do you suppose he's really asleep?" Tear asked Jade as she cautiously eyed Asch who was leaning against the wall of their cell with his eyes closed. He hadn't opened them in awhile and his breathing has become soft and rhythmic. Tear approached him to get a closer look, but as soon as she was within a foot of him, he opened his eyes. He didn't say a word, simply watching her, wondering what she wanted. Slightly embarrassed, she apologetically backed off. Asch glanced over at his sibling who was still out cold on the bed beside him, and once again closed his eyes.

Did Tear imagine it or was his gaze warmer than it had been before?

"Oh I imagine so," Jade replied once Tear had returned to the other end of the cell where he was patiently awaiting for Luke to regain consciousness.

"What makes you so sure?" Tear asked, still watching the slumbering boys. They really were identical; she just couldn't get over it. She had just begun to be able to tell them apart when awake. Asch was harder than Luke was; that was the only way she knew how to describe it. When he was asleep though, Asch's hardness and suspicion melted away, and they were both so peaceful, and so very alike.

"I would think it was rather obvious," Jade commented, pushing his glasses back up with his forefinger, "the boy must be exhausted."

"Why do you say that?" Tear wondered, made only more curious by Jade's taunt.

"Let me ask you this Tear, how long has it been since you and Luke disappeared from Baticul?"

"Well," Tear thought on it a moment. To be honest she wasn't too sure. There was no saying how long they had been out in Tataroo Valley before they had awoken. "At least two days, probably no more than three."

"And he met up with you in the Cheagle Woods. Have you ever heard of anyone making the journey from Baticul to Engeve in so short a time?"

"No, I haven't," Tear replied finally realizing what the Colonel was getting at.

"Neither have I. I highly doubt that he's slept much, if at all, to have made such a journey in so short a time. And exhausted several steeds in the process no doubt." Jade replied, his studious gaze never leaving the two boys.

"So what do you think?" Tear finally asked vaguely indicating the slumbering siblings.

"I think a great deal about many things, you're going to have to be more specific then that." Jade teased, knowing full well what she had meant.

"About them…" Tear said sheepishly.

"Oh I don't know," Jade said after a moment of silence, "they certainly are a lively pair. If I had to take my pick, I'd say Asch is the older one."

Tear rolled her eyes as Jade completely dodged her question. She didn't push the issue further. Whatever it was about them that held the Colonel's attention, he obviously didn't feel like divulging.

My….heed…my voice….Please! …

Asch reached up and held his throbbing head, the motion drawing the attention of both Jade and Tear who were now quietly waiting for the redheads to awaken. Luke also shuffled uncomfortably in his sleep, curling up and grasping at his head.

Now that was interesting. Jade watched the two, patiently awaiting Luke to come to. They really didn't have much time; action had to be taken soon. The two boys had proved to be an interesting enough study to keep his apprehension at bay for the time being, but there was no way of testing his theories just yet.

Luke slowly opened his eyes and sat up with a start. "...where-" Luke confusedly looked around the room, his nerves noticeably settling when his eyes met Asch. Luke reached up cradling his still aching head, fingering the lump that was partially the cause.

"Thank goodness," Tear let out a sigh of relief as Luke woke up. His continued state of unresponsiveness was beginning to worry her.

"A cabin aboard the Tartarus." Asch replied as Luke stood up out of the bed. Luke managed a weak smile at his sibling as he tried to remember the chain of events that led him to the place where he'd awoken, and then it all came crashing down on him.

"I-" but Luke hadn't gotten the other two words out before a blow sent him crashing to the ground. Luke glared back up at his assailant, whose hand was still clenched in a fist, his emerald green eyes narrow with fury.

"What the hell did you think you were doing up there?" Asch yelled, "You could have been killed!"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Oh I don't know, fight back maybe?"

"In case you didn't notice, those weren't monsters, those were people!"

"And what's your point? It doesn't make much difference what the hell killed you once you're dead!"

"But! Those were people…. I killed someone! These are human lives!" Luke yelled back on the verge of tears.

"So what? Its okay if they just kill you then? Stop and think for a second! If you think your life is that worthless, fine, but stop being so damn self-centered and think about the people around you who still need you!"

Luke fell silent and looked away, unable to face Asch. He knew Asch was right, but was it really kill or be killed? He didn't want to have to take anyone's life. Sure they might be his enemy... but they were someone's son, someone's brother or sister... they had families and people that cared about them too! He didn't want to kill. Not now, not ever. "But…" he finally spoke up, "They'repeople."

Asch let out a frustrated sigh. It was too damn hard to stay mad at him when he was like that. Sometimes he wondered if Luke knew and did it on purpose. No, Luke was genuinely bothered, and if he knew his brother, Luke was far more bothered than he was letting on.

"At the same time, if we fail, then a war will start, and more people will die. Things aren't as simple as not fighting and no one will get hurt." Asch said painfully. He wished, if only for Luke's sake, that the world really was that simple, and he missed the days when he believed it as such. No matter how much he wished for it, the reality was that the world wasn't so kind and as hard as it was going to be on his naïve little brother, it was the reality that they all had to deal with.

"He's right," Tear added. "On the battlefield, they won't hesitate to kill you if you don't kill them first. There is no good or evil, just life or death. And it's not just here. Even in everyday life, one could be attacked by monsters or bandits. Those who lack strength do things like hire mercenaries, travel together, or travel by coach. Those with the strength to fight do. Sometimes even children." Asch looked away. "People do what they must in order to survive."

"As much as I hate to interrupt such a magnificent opportunity for reflection on the meaning of life," Jade broke the restless silence that had settled over them, "But now that Luke has rejoined us in the land of the living, I'd like to discuss getting out of here, and getting Ion back."

"Ion?" Luke finally stood up off the ground, his worried gaze never leaving the colonel, "What happened to Ion?"

"According to the Oracle Knights we overheard, they took Ion away." Tear answered.

"The problem is that we don't have any idea where they took him." Asch added, pointing out the obvious problem.

Ion was captured. That fact drew Luke away from his moral dilemma, and gave him a problem to focus on. Not that it made him feel any better. He had abandoned Ion after promising to protect him. Luke wanted to save Ion and keep his promise. After all, he'd never had a friend before. "We have to save Ion! It's-I should have stayed with him, it's my fault he was captured" Luke declared.

"Don't be stupid, it's hardly your fault he was captured," Asch argued. "Besides, what would you have done if you had stayed? They probably would have just killed you."

"No, Anise would have tried to escape with Ion. If Ion was captured, then she likely failed in that regard. Either way, Ion would no longer have been in that room for you to attempt to protect." Jade also divulged.

"Do you think Anise is okay?" Tear asked.

"Oh I imagine so. I can't see anything happening to her. She is rather stubborn that way."

"So then what's the plan?" Asch asked; more then ready to get out of this score-forsaken place.

"Well, they should be returning soon, so the most logical plan of action would be to ambush them as they return and get back Ion."

"Okay then, so how are we getting out of here?"

"Ahh, leave that little detail to me." Jade grinned, taking what looked like a small fon-machine out of his pocket.

"Do I want to know what you're planning to do with that?" Asch asked one eyebrow arched.

"Let's find out," Jade replied, tossing the small machine over his shoulder. As soon as it hit the bars, it burst into a bright light and vanished, taking the cell's bars with it.

"Bastard," Asch spat as Jade made a run for one of the communication devices on the wall opposite their cell.

Jade ignored Asch's comment, instead yelling a series of commands into the device. What, did he actually think that there was someone left alive on the bridge to obey whatever orders he was giving? Nothing was going to come out of that. Asch only scowled at being proven wrong as, no sooner had he finished the command, then the entire ship seemed to shut down, from the dim lights that lit the halls to the ships engines that fell silent.

"I've initiated an emergency shutdown system. It should take them awhile to get things back up and running."

"So where do we head from here?" Tear asked.

"To the port hatch. It's the only one that will open manually."

"Then let's get going before anyone notices we've escaped," Asch stated.

"But... that means more fighting." Luke hesitantly pointed out.

"It can't be helped." Tear said matter-of-factly.

"But-!"

"Enough!" Asch cut in, "You want to save Ion but you don't want to fight. Has it crossed your mind that nothing that convenient exists in the real world? To rescue Ion, means fighting and killing the people that took him, and that have taken control of the Tartarus. Because if you don't kill them, they will kill you. There's no in between, no halfway; either you fight and kill to survive, or you die. And if you choose to die…" Asch trailed off, no one but Luke hearing the last whisper as they slowly made their way to the exit.

"…I'll never forgive you."

Then sun was just beginning to set as the four escapees opened the hatch on the port side of the Tartarus, whose engines still remained silent. They still had time. Luke found it hard to believe that just that morning, he and Tear had been heading up to the Cheagle woods to get back his locket. If he had known…. Oh who was he kidding, he would still have gone. As much as he complained about how embarrassing it was to be carrying around jewellery, it really was one of his greatest treasures, and he couldn't imagine leaving it behind.

"Get ready, here they come," Jade whispered.

The first thing Luke saw was Ion. He wasn't forcefully restrained or bound, but he was surrounded by an escort of about a dozen Oracle Knights. Beside him stood the pink-haired God-General, Arietta, accompanied by the same large liger they had seen near the bridge. A couple feet ahead of them stood the blonde God-General with another half-dozen soldiers or so.

"Can I help? Can I help?" Mieu bounced behind the group. Without even turning around, Asch grabbed Mieu mid bounce and rather forcefully put him back on the ground.

"Luke, make it be quiet."

"Be quiet," Luke dutifully ordered, "You'll give us away." He added, also keeping his eye on the approaching group. They were leery as they approached the ship, but as expected they proceeded straight to the hatch.

"Open the hatch!" The command came from the blonde.

"Yes Major Legretta!" Two Oracle Knights immediately obeyed the command, releasing the switch that opened the hatch.

Once the hatch was open, everything happened so fast, Luke had a hard time following. Jade was the first one out, spear in hand, coming down on Legretta. Legretta looked up at her assailant, but something was wrong. There was no look of shock or worry or anything of the like on her face. Rather, a grin, as if she had already achieved her victory.

A huge blue bird swooped in, sending Jade crashing to the ground. Asch and Tear jumped out of the hatch and were swarmed by several of the Oracle Knights.

"Damn that Cantabile for being right," Legretta muttered to herself before calling out. "Arietta!"

"Yes!" The young God-General replied needing no further instruction, "Come on Ion! We have to go now."

"No!" Jade attempted to get closer to Arietta but was cut short by a shot that just barely missed his foot.

"Not so fast Necromancer. You still have me to contend with." Legretta wasted no time pushing Jade back away from Ion who was being helped onto the liger's back. Jade took up the challenge, drawing both her attention, and her guns, away from the others. He could only hope they were bright enough to recognize the opportunity when they saw it.

Luke could only watch as the chaos unfolded before him. Ion was being taken away, everyone was fighting for their lives and he wasn't doing anything. Tear kept trying to use her hymns, but the Oracle Knights kept attacking her, not leaving her enough time to cast. Jade was completely caught up in surviving Legretta's onslaught while Asch was making every possible attempt to free himself and get to Ion, failing as soldier after soldier took him on.

One of the soldiers decided to take advantage of the fact that Luke was neither attacking nor defending, but was stopped mid-strike by Asch who had managed to fall back in time. It was like a dream; a reality in which he didn't belong. Nothing seemed real. Not the sword that Asch had plunged into the attacking knight, not the blood that pooled at his feet along with the crumpled soldier, not even Ion who was now almost out of sight, taken away by Arietta and her liger.

Asch took a moment to look over his shoulder. His gaze met Luke's. Though it was only for a second, time seemed to stop. Luke looked back, finding in his reflection, a piece of reality he could grasp a hold of.

He was being a burden. Everyone else was fighting so hard, trying to get Ion back, and yet here he was, the one who wanted to rescue Ion the most, doing nothing. No, doing worse than nothing. Not only was he doing nothing to help, but he was something else that they had to worry about. He couldn't even hold his own.

The clash of metal as Luke's sword met that of the Oracle Knight's was drowned out by the sound of battle around him, but he still felt the weight of the soldier under his blade. He couldn't afford to be a burden now. Two more soldiers had joined the fray around him he looked to his sibling for help but Asch was surrounded. Tear had managed to free herself from the fray but still had one knight to contend with, and Jade was doing a surprisingly good job keeping Legretta occupied.

One hit, then another, and another. One was disarmed, and then two of them were. As long as he stopped them, then maybe they wouldn't have to join the growing number of their lifeless companions littering the earth.

"Luke!" He heard the distracted Asch calling, still surrounded by his three opponents, "What are you doing? Finish them off!"

"But-"

One of the soldiers that Luke had disarmed, picking up a stray sword, had renewed his attack on the Kimlascan noble.

"Luke! Watch out!" Without even thinking, Tear jumped in front of Luke. She didn't know what had possessed her to do so. She hadn't been thinking. She promised she'd bring him home, and she had every intention of fulfilling that promise. In that brief moment of time, that was all that mattered.

"Tear!" The young melodist fell to her knees grasping the gash in her shoulder where the blade had landed. Luke stood frozen on the spot, his ineptitude in itself was bad enough, but to have it be the cause of suffering in his friends was downright unbearable.

Damn it, now Tear was hurt. Things were going from bad to worse. Asch was catching a glance over in Luke's direction whenever he could, and had caught the series of events. Luke was managing to hold up a weak defence, but he was beyond his breaking point, he wasn't going to last much longer, no matter how determined he was to protect his injured companion. It was all Asch could do to defend against the three on his tail.

From the corner of his eye, Asch saw one of the knights disarm Luke, its blade coming down on him. Distracted, he suddenly found himself under the descending blade of his own opponent.

The familiar sound of metal on metal sounded in the clearing and an enemy sword went flying through the air, sticking in the ground next to the lifeless body of its former wielder. The blond offered his hand to the redhead and helped him back to his feet. "Are you okay Luke?"

Blood trickled down Asch's arm where he hadn't quite managed to dodge the blow. He impaled his foe and swung around sending the lifeless body crashing into the other two knights who stumbled back giving him sometime to recover.

"G-Guy!" Asch heard Luke say in surprise at finding his best friend here of all places.

"It's good to see you're alright." Guy spun around, impaling the last soldier. Before he could return his attention to his best friend, another squadron of soldiers came out of the Tartarus. "There's no end to this!" A frustrated Guy yelled out after a few more minutes of fending off soldiers.

Then a soft melody came from behind them, slowly increasing in volumes until its entrancing melody started to subdue the attackers, including Legretta.

"Now!" Jade called as Legretta had become too drowsy to maintain her onslaught, subdued by Tear's fonic hymn. "We need to escape!"

"But what about rescuing Ion?"

"If we don't back down now, there won't be anyone left to rescue Ion," Jade pointed out.

"He's right, let's go! Come on Luke!" Guy called back to his friend.

Luke carefully helped Tear to her feet and led her after the others, away from the battlefield, the whole time unable to look her in the eye.

Once they were a safe distance from the Tartarus, everyone stopped to catch their breath. Well, everyone but Jade. Despite the ordeal they had just been through, he was as calm and collected as if he had just spent the day relaxing aboard the Tartarus. Once everyone else had regained their composure, their attention turned to the unexpected addition to their group.

The blond, Guy, as Luke had called him, was also observing them. His blue eyes weren't nearly as cold and suspicious as Asch's had been when they had met. He wore a smile, standing just a bit taller than the twins, and looking a few years older than them too. His orange vest and beige top stood out against the green bushes and trees that lined the clearing where they were taking shelter. Tear followed his gaze as it passed from her, to Jade, and then-

"You know you could have waited before taking off like that!" Guy yelled as soon as his eyes met Asch. "The rest of us were just as worried too, you know!" Asch cringed at Guy's steadily increasing volume. Asch cringed. Guy made Asch cringe. There are many things one only sees once in a lifetime, and that had just been one of them.

But in a moment, that apprehension was gone, replaced by scoff as Asch averted his gaze, pretending not to care in the least.

"Um…" Tear hesitantly interrupted, "I don't mean to be rude but…."

"Oh I'm sorry!" Guy smiled, the anger he had just displayed gone in a flash, "I haven't introduced myself have I? My name's Guy. I'm Luke's servant. I was sent by Duke Fabre to look for him after he disappeared from the manor."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tear." Tear approached Guy and offered her hand in greeting. As she stepped closer, Guy took a step back. Weird. She took another step, and another, and he kept moving back. Finally, she took a big step forward.

"Gyah!" Guy cried outright before diving behind Luke for protection. Now Tear was just confused.

"Sorry Tear," Luke apologized, a huge smirk on his face, "Guy doesn't like women."

"I'd say it looks more like a phobia." Jade noted amusedly.

"I'd say it looks pathetic" Asch looked down on the shaking mess that Guy had become, taking great pleasure in making him jump ten feet in the air just by placing his hand on Guy's shoulder. It was too easy, especially when he was such a nervous wreck.

"Hey!" Guy yelled at Asch after recovering from the heart failure Asch's little game always sent him into.

"Oh grow up and get over it, it's just a female. You're so pathetic."

"Oh come on, what kind of person picks on a guy when he's down like that. Besides, what's with you always sneaking up on me from behind? What kind of underhanded tactic is that?"

"A good one. And if you knew the first thing about swordsmanship, you'd know that."

Luke stifled a small laugh as the two continued to argue, the familiarity calming his rattled nerves. However, it did nothing about the growing pit in the bottom of his stomach.

"Can we stop here?" Luke hesitantly asked. They had been walking for a good hour and the sun was just starting to come down in the sky.

"There's still at least another couple hours of daylight, we should get as far as we can before nightfall." Asch replied.

"Yeah but…" Luke eyed Tear. She still hadn't recovered from their previous encounter, and she was very quickly tiring, despite her best efforts to hide it.

"Oh come on," Guy butt in, also noticing her depleting energy, "Let's stop here and rest. Tear's still hurt, and regardless we won't be getting there until tomorrow, why not stop for now."

"We need to put as much distance between us and them as we can." Asch looked to Jade for support. For all he disliked the man, he at least had some sense and should agree with him.

"I have no objections to stopping here." Jade simply shrugged. Asch took it back. He loathed the senseless bastard.

It didn't take them long to set up a makeshift camp. None of them had any extensive supplies, even Guy who hadn't his bags taken didn't have much. He made up for the lack by catching something in the nearby trees they could cook for supper. They wouldn't have any blankets or shelter to speak of, and the sun was setting quickly.

Tear watched them cook supper, Luke adamantly refusing her assistance when she offered it. Every time she attempted to do something, the redhead had it out of her hands before she could blink. He insisted she rest, she was the one injured after all, he could handle this much... the whole time refusing to look her in the eyes. Was he angry with her? Tear was left with little to do but contemplate Luke's strange behaviour as they all hustled about, doing their best to prepare for the upcoming night.

Asch and Luke had both gone searching for firewood in the standing of trees nearby, a difficult task in the growing darkness. They seemed to be doing a good enough job of it though, but for some reason Asch only ever came back with half the load Luke carried. It intrigued her for a moment until the firelight caught her a glimpse of his left arm. The sleeve was stained, and Tear recalled the injury. Luke had almost incurred a similar one, but Guy had been there to protect him. Asch hadn't been quite so fortunate.

"Asch," Tear called and the redhead came over. Luke hovered until Asch shooed him off for the last batch of wood. Tear couldn't help but smile at his eagerness, until his recent behaviour returned to mind.

"How are you feeling?" Asch asked, genuine concern in his voice. Tear's eyes met his and for the first time his gaze didn't make her nervous. Perhaps it was that she'd saved his sibling, but he seemed slightly more trusting of her. At the very least, he didn't look like he was ready to attack her at the first given opportunity to do so. It was some progress.

"I'm fine, really." She replied.

"You're as bad a liar as Luke is," Asch shot back.

"He must get it from you then," she said, putting her hand over his injured arm. Asch tried to jerk away but her other hand grabbed his wrist. A second later the gash on his arm had vanished, replaced by the warmth of fonons as they diffused into his skin.

"A Seventh Fonist," Asch mused, "That explains a lot."

"Don't lie, you knew as much."

"Yes and you should be saving your strength to tend to your own injuries," Asch replied.

"I'll be well enough to tend to them in the morning," Tear stated.

"You're as stubborn as he is too, no wonder you get along."

"W-What are you talking about?" Tear demanded.

"Nothing," Asch turned away. "Thanks," he added under his breath.

Watching him walk away, Tear was confused as ever. As hard as it was to understand Luke sometimes, Asch was a complete enigma. She had no idea what to make of him. Though he'd stopped regarding her with hatred, she still didn't know a thing about him, and that bothered her. He protected and guarded Luke with an eagerness that was frightening, but other than that she had no window into this person travelling with her.

"I'll take the first watch." Asch offered, putting down the final remnants of his make-shift supper. "I'll wake you up when it's your turn." He said to Jade.

"But at my age, it's important that I get a full night's sleep." Jade taunted.

Tear watched Asch scoff, firing a reply quicker than her wit would have allowed as he continued his banter with the Colonel. The boy who playfully taunted his little brother with a warmth he didn't know he betrayed or the boy who coldly shut himself off from the rest of the world. Which one was the real Asch, she wondered.

"Hey…Tear?" Luke sat down beside his companion tuning out the others behind them. The soft light of the fire betrayed just how tired Tear really was. Her eyes rose to meet him at the sound of his voice, but the motion brought to light the bright red crusted gash across her shoulder. Luke looked away, he couldn't stand to see her hurt, to see how worn out she was... knowing it was his fault, his ineptitude that had caused this. he didn't even deserve to talk to her, but there was something very important he had to do before his conscience outright smothered him.

"I'm sorry." Tear's voice surprised Luke, the words he wanted to offer her coming from her own mouth.

"What are you apologizing for? You're the one who got hurt because of me. I should be the one apologizing." Luke said softly.

"Don't be sorry," Tear's response surprised the apologetic Luke. "I knew you were a civilian, but I guess I didn't really realize what that meant. Asch seemed fine with everything so I assumed you would be as well; but it wasn't right for me to think that just because you look alike, that you would have had the same experiences. I'm... I'm truly sorry."

"Please don't apologize; you got hurt because of me. It's not right for you to be saying you're sorry to me." Luke's objection surprised Tear. Wasn't he upset with her all this time? Angry at her for not being considerate of his feelings and for not being willing to understand his perspective? He was right to be. The responsibility fell on her shoulders. Why did he object to her accepting it? She was the soldier, and it was her job to protect civilians. Her getting hurt was nothing more than proof of her lack of strength. She looked over at him, his chin resting on the knees he had his arms wrapped around. She gently put her hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Let's get some rest for tomorrow."

"Okay," he returned, forcing on a smile for her sake that was transparent at best.

Can't sleep?" Asch said seemingly into the darkness that their campfire kept at bay. Luke sat up, nodding solemnly. Without even turning to look, Asch motioned for Luke to come and take the place beside him.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, sitting back against a log staring out into the night. It was Asch who finally broke the silence with a soft sigh.

"I still remember." He said softly, looking up at the stars, "she had blue eyes."

Luke looked curiously at his sibling but didn't say a word. Asch met his gaze with a smile and continued to speak softly, perhaps as not to wake the others who were asleep behind them, or perhaps because to say it louder made it all the more real.

"I would have been 10. It was in the Inista Marsh, a group of bandits attacked me. I ended up killing all three of them." Asch went silent for awhile. Luke refrained from asking the tirade of questions that assaulted him, not the least of which being what on earth Asch had been doing alone in Inista Marsh at the age of ten. He didn't ask. This was something Asch had never spoken of before, not even to him.

"I didn't think much of it at first, they would have killed me had I not fought back. I remember...there was so much blood. I can still see her, the way she looked at me before she died, before I killed her." Asch trailed off.

"Asch?"

Asch stood alone in his doorway. Without a word, Asch walked in, dragging behind him his blue comforter.

"Asch what is it?" Still no answer.

Asch pulled the large stuffed animals off the bed and spread his comforter over the bed before crawling into bed with his younger sibling. The bed was just barely big enough for both of them.

"Asch? What's the matter?"

"Just…go to sleep."

Luke lay back down, dismissing Asch's strange behaviour from his mind, and allowed himself to slip back into a world of dreams.

Asch lay awake for a few more moments, unable to bring himself to close his eyes. He knew what would come if he did. Blood, pain, death, and those same blue eyes. But why? It had been over a year now. Why did it still haunt him like it was yesterday?

Luke rolled over, grabbing Asch's arm and laying his head on Asch's shoulder. Luke cuddled closer and Asch was grateful.

It was the only thing that stopped the shaking.

"Asch?"

Asch woke from the daze he was in to find the same comforting warmth on his arm. Luke moved his hand off Asch's arm when Asch returned his soft smile. "No. It's nothing."

"Can- Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"How did you deal with it? How…how did you go on…knowing...knowing what you did?"

This time it was Asch's hand that came to rest on his brother's arm. "Because I had a reason to go on. I had something I still had to do. I still had to come home." He offered with a soft smile that masked volumes of sorrow.

Luke thought on it for a moment. "I'll do it." He finally said.

"Do what?"

"I'll fight. I won't be a burden anymore. And if it means I have to kill to survive…then... then I will."

"You don't have to push yourself. We have more than enough fighting capacity to handle the majority if things we run into…" Asch trailed off as Luke softly shook his head.

"I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." Luke said softly glancing behind him at Tear. "Do you think she'll be okay?" He asked apprehensively.

"She'll be fine. She's a seventh fonist after all. That injury isn't that bad. Once she gets some rest, she'll be more than capable of healing it on her own." Asch stopped for a moment, debating whether he wanted to continue. He let out a sigh. "Luke, there's something we need to talk about."

"What's that?" Luke asked, still keeping his voice down.

"About what happened back at the manor."

"You mean about that hyper…resonance…thing?"

Asch couldn't resist smile at that. "Yeah, that right."

"Yeah...I've been meaning to ask about that. What exactly is a hyperresonance anyway?"

"It's a reaction that happens when the Seventh Fonons of two Seventh Fonists interact. It's a very dangerous occurrence that normally happens under very special circumstances." Asch explained solemnly.

"What do you mean by normally?"

"I mean normally, because it's supposed to take two Seventh Fonists to occur. But you and I… we can cause one on our own."

"What?" Luke asked confusedly, not entirely sure what Asch meant.

"I don't know why…" Asch continued, staring at his hand, "All I know is that it's a power we both have, and that's it dangerous."

"So you can cause one of those hyperresonance by yourself?"

"That's right, and so can you."

"Me? Are you sure? I mean, this is the first I've heard of any of this. Why wouldn't anyone tell me?"

"To be honest, I don't think anyone thought you could, but more important than that, its something that's really dangerous, so…"

"No one trusted me." Luke said solemnly.

"No. It's a burden I was hoping you wouldn't have to bear. A power like this could easily be used as a weapon. A hyperresonance breaks down anything around it into the fonons that compose it. It's destructive, and that destruction is absolute. If you wanted to, you could wipe out an army in seconds."

"Why would I-"

"I'm not saying you would," Asch replied. "I'm just saying that's the kind of potential a hyperresonance has as a weapon. That's why, if anyone knew we could do this, we'd be constantly trying to escape people who want to use it for their own ends."

"So that's why..."

"That's why I've never told you about it. I really hoped that you wouldn't be dragged into this mess. I'd hoped that maybe you didn't have the same power, but then again I guess it isn't much surprise."

"I guess you're right," Luke agreed. He was a little angry at the fact Asch had never said anything, but more than upset, he felt for Asch who had carried this burden alone for so long.

"If that's the case, why are you going to teach me?" Luke asked.

"Because as dangerous as it is, it's much more dangerous if you can't control it."

Luke moved so he was sitting right beside Asch, his head leaning against his twin's shoulder. "Asch?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, it's going to be a lot of work... and I can't exactly have you end up blown halfway across the world again. It was a pain to track you down, you know that?" But Luke never answered; sound asleep on Asch's shoulder. Asch smiled.

Asch placed his hand gently on his brother's forearm and frowned. Despite Luke's resolve, his comforting gesture was the only thing that stopped the shaking.

Chapter Text

"Whoa…check it out!" Luke ran awestruck through the gates of the citadel known as St. Binah. The small city's walls almost shone in the mid morning light, providing structure and protection to its populace who were already well about their daily business. Small stands lined the cobblestone streets and the flowers that grew along the roads and in the gardens made the whole city come alive in a way Baticul never could.

"Luke! Slow down and wait for the rest of us!" Tear called after him.

Luke let out a sigh for being reprimanded by Tear yet again this morning. She had been on his case all morning since he hadn't been looking where he was going and ended up spilling her water all over her. He had apologized, and had even given her his water skin in exchange. What more did she want? Luke waited for the others to catch up.

"I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson when those monsters ambushed you this morning. Stay with the rest of us!" Tear continued her reprimand once they were all safely within the city.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Of course she had to bring that up. Just because he thought he saw something, ran ahead, and ended up under attack by a wandering pack of ligers; Tear was going to be on his case for the rest of the week. And what made it that much worse-

"Yeah well, you don't see Asch running off like that." Luke cringed as the words came out of her mouth. Did she think that all she had to do to get him to listen was compare him to Asch? Sure Asch had some decent traits but it's not like he was perfect either. Just because they were twins, didn't mean that they wanted to be identical. He had his own brain and intended to use it thank you very much.

"So why the huge stone walls?" Luke inquired of Guy, completely ignoring Tear before he said something he'd regret. "Something like that would have been useful in Engeve to keep bandits and monsters out."

"Well, St. Binah is a citadel, sort of like a miniature military headquarters," Guy explained. "The stone walls are here since St. Binah is a more likely target of an enemy military strike. Also, stone walls would be impractical in a place like Engeve where access to the fields outside of town is important."

"And speaking of military headquarters," Jade interjected, "I'm heading over there now to see if I can get any information on Ion or Anise."

"Anise? Why would the military here know anything about Anise?" Luke asked confusedly. The little Fon Master Guardian was becoming more and more interesting by the second.

"St. Binah is where we were supposed to meet up with Anise and Ion if anything should happen. Though I imagine with Ion in the hands of the God Generals, she wouldn't have stayed here for very long. Anyways, I'm heading over there now; I'll meet you back at the inn later."

"You know, he acts pretty high and mighty for just a colonel," Guy noted once Jade was safely out of an earshot.

"Just a colonel huh?" Asch interjected, "I wouldn't bet anything on that."

"He's right!" A nearby guard jumped into the conversation upon which he had been eavesdropping. "Colonel Curtiss could have easily attained the rank of Lieutenant General already, but he's never accepted a promotion."

The group eyed the guard suspiciously, causing him to apologetically back off. The four of them shuffled over so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Hey Asch, how did you know that?" Luke inquired.

"I didn't, but he's pretty well known in the military. He's also rumoured to be a personal friend to Malkuth's emperor."

"I suppose that would make him the logical choice for the peace negotiations then," Guy commented. They had filled him in on the details of their little escapade the previous night over supper. "Then I guess we'll be heading for Kaitzur next?"

"Yes," Tear added, speaking for the first time since yelling at Luke, "That would be the most logical route. However, Luke and I don't have passports."

"Neither do I, I took off without mine." Asch added. Guy just didn't ask. He decided he didn't want to know what Asch had done to get across the border the first time. But considering the state Asch had been in when he left the manor, it had probably involved a lot of yelling, violence and probably more than a couple death threats. Guy didn't want to know. Asch was very scary when it came to dealing with Luke's wellbeing, especially when said wellbeing was potentially in danger.

"Well," Guy finally spoke up after thinking it over, "Dorian General Grants went through Chesedonia and is searching from that direction. If he follows through there, he should end up in Kaitzur, though maybe a bit sooner then we'll get there. He has extra passports with him from Duke Fabre, so if we can catch up with him, it should solve our problem."

"Master Van came looking for me too?" Luke perked up. Wait, why would Master Van come looking for him rather than Ion like he was going to? Maybe he got word that Ion was okay. Regardless, it made Luke happy to know that Van cared enough to join in the search personally when he probably had many other things he could be doing.

"Hmm…" Asch's train of thought followed similar tracks as his brother's. However, he doubted that word would have reached Van as to Ion's safety, well, what had been his safety. Now he was in the hands of the God-Generals. There was something else that bothered him. The God-Generals were in fact led by none other than Dorian General Van Grants. However, it was possible that Grand Maestro Mohs had been giving them orders. He was well within his boundaries to do so. This was more of a mess than he wanted to sort out, but he still wouldn't have any peace of mind until it all made sense.

"Haven't made it back to the inn yet I see?" Jade said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere and causing Luke to practically jump out of his skin, something in which Jade apparently took great pleasure.

"No," Guy replied, managing to hide his startled reaction much better than Luke had, "We were just discussing our next course of action."

"And? What did you come up with?"

"We figured it be quickest and most efficient to head through Kaitzur." Tear answered him.

"Ah, I wouldn't count on that route if I were you."

"Why is that Colonel?" Tear asked curiously.

"It seems that several small conflicts broke out around Kaitzur. The border is temporarily closed until those conflicts can be resolved."

"Hmmm, so things are even worse than we thought." Asch stated.

"Yes," Jade agreed, "At this rate war could break out any day now."

"Any news on Ion?" Luke inquired, finally settling down again.

"Yes. Rescuing Ion should be our first priority," Tear agreed, "Without Ion, peace talks won't even begin."

The awkward silence that ensued her statement confused her a bit. The lack of any comment from the three boys also piqued Jade's interest but he did a much better job of hiding it than Tear ever would.

"We have to save Ion!" Luke pleaded, breaking the silence, his eyes never leaving Asch as if the sole decision was up to him. There wasn't a decision to be made though, Tear shook her head. They needed Ion or there was no way they could get Kimlasca's king to listen to them. Tear highly doubted either of the Fabre boys held quite that much sway over their uncle.

"Yes I know that." Asch finally answered exasperated. "We need to get Ion back or there won't even be peace negotiations. That doesn't change the fact that we aren't any closer to finding out where he might be. By now they probably have the Tartarus functioning again, they could be anywhere in Malkuth for all we know."

"Oh but we do know where to go," Jade whispered tauntingly into Asch's ear. Rather than jumping like Luke did, Asch shooed him away like some kind of bug.

"What's that supposed to mean old man?" Asch demanded.

"Nothing. Except I might know a general direction in which we might be able to search." Jade offered baiting them with every word. He had forgotten how much fun this could be.

"Wait, you know where Ion is?" A bite. Luke was proving to be the most fun of the lot.

"Not exactly. It appears that Anise stopped by here as expected and after, shall I say, discussing a few things with the guards; it seems she headed towards Akzerieuth. If I know anything about our young friend, I would say it's a safe bet that that's the direction Ion was taken in."

"So I take it we're headed through Akzerieuth then?" Guy confirmed.

"It would be the most logical and efficient choice." Jade answered unable to resist the taunt.

Luke ran a few paces before turning around to see the group following him, "Then lets go-" Luke choked on the last word as he was yanked into the nearby bushes. "Hey what-

"Shht." Asch hushed him, and Luke was immediately silent catching onto his brother's seriousness.

"What is it?" Luke finally whispered, his gaze following where the rest of the group's was and fell upon three individuals standing at the entrance.

"I want a report," the smallest of the three commanded. His spiked green hair added a couple inches to his height, but despite his small stature he easily commanded the group behind him. "What's our mission status?"

"Currently Arietta still has Ion, according to reports, they've experienced a couple delays, but are still more or less on schedule. The Special Operations team and their commander are working on the Tartarus and almost have it running." The second man said, the familiarity of his voice drawing Luke's attention. It was Largo. He had survived.

"You mean temporary Special Operations commander. She's hardly fit for such a position." The third person added. "I still don't see why that woman and her band of buffoons were given the job of fixing the Tartarus. Such a delicate job should have been left to one as refined as myself, Dist the Rose."

"It's Dist the Reaper, get you own title right." The first one replied. "What happened to Legretta?"

"Shut up Sync!" Dist protested.

"I believe she returned to the Tartarus to assist with its repairs." Largo provided.

"Is she still trying to show her up?" Sync shook his head, "Fool. Anyways," Sync continued dismissing his previous thought, "I want you to post a watch here for the night."

"Just for the night?" Largo questioned. "That hardly seems efficient."

"We don't have a choice. We currently lack the resources to maintain any kind of extensive watch. Also, as it stands we can't afford to unnecessarily antagonize the Malkuth military. Things are unstable enough as it is, not to mention that we are currently in custody of one of their landships. A little caution would be well advised." Sync argued. "If they don't show up here by morning, you can assume they've moved onto Kaitzur, I'll go ahead and set up a watch in that area. There's no way they could have gotten that far, and with the bridge out, the only way to Chessedonia is to catch a ship from the Kaitzur naval port."

"Oh all right." Dist conceded, "But you are to notify my at once if you capture that beastly Jade, I am the only one who can defeat that monstrosity."

"Yeah whatever." Sync replied, acknowledging that he had heard the man. He'd never hear the end of it until he did. That man had unhealthy obsessions with everything that piqued his interest, the Necromancer being one of them. Sync had much more important concerns at the moment, namely finding the group that escaped the Tartarus; there would be grave consequences for more than just them if he didn't.

"So Largo survived." Jade noted once they had safely snuck away from the entrance and back into the city and under the cover of its populace.

"It'll take a hell of a lot more than that to kill a God-General moron." Asch tossed in.

"Well, one can always hope." Jade shrugged off the insult. "But, Largo or not, it looks like we're spending the night."

"Yeah, we won't be getting far if the God Generals are watching the city." Tear added.

"But just what did you do to the Tartarus? It's been well over a day and it's still not running." Asch inquired incredulously.

"It's only meant to be inoperable for thirty minutes or so, an hour at most." Jade shrugged. "Well with any luck, Dist will get involved with its repairs. Then we'll be able to pick it up where we left it on our way back home."

"We should have just taken them on!" Luke shouted.

"Please tell me that was a joke." Asch rolled his eyes at the stupidity of his sibling's suggestion.

"No, come on, we can probably still catch them! Then maybe we can find out where Ion is or at least what they're planning to do with him."

"Don't be stupid, you'd get creamed." Asch couldn't believe he was even having this conversation.

"No, you'd get creamed." Luke taunted, "I on the other hand-"

"Don't even try." Asch cut him off. "They are way beyond you. One of them alone is enough to wipe the floor with all five of us."

Jade coughed. "I beg your pardon..."

"No you don't beg my pardon Mr Fon slot seal. They would cream all five of us. Easily." Asch retorted.

Jade let out another indignant cough, but let the issue go. Even he knew better then to take up a lost battle.

"He's right Luke." Tear scolded, "You should try to think things through like Asch does."

This time Luke felt Asch tense up behind him too. Why did everyone have to dangle the other in front of them like some kind of prize to be had, or goal to be achieved? Luke couldn't stand it, neither could his sibling, even if he was the one being glorified. Well, there was one sure fire way to put a stop to it, provided Asch was willing to help him out; and judging by just how tightly Asch's fists were clenched, that wasn't going to be a problem.

"Good morning, Asch." Tear stifled a yawn as she exited her room. Getting up at dawn so consistently was starting to wear on her, though she was still far from her limit. Her tiredness was simply a reminder to herself on how lax she had become with her training recently.

"Good morning," he replied from where he was leaning against the wall in the entrance of the inn, patiently waiting for everyone else to get up.

"Where's Luke?"

"Still getting out of bed," he answered trying to keep his annoyed tone to a minimum. This time it was a laugh not a yawn that Tear stifled.

"He certainly is lazy; he could stand to be more like you."

She got no reply however, as a still somewhat tussled Luke came out of his room still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was a mess and his jacket hung messily off his shoulder. Asch just shook his head amusedly, saying nothing of the sorry state his not-such-a-morning-person brother was in.

By the time that Guy and Jade joined the three in the main lobby, Luke had fixed himself up and was more than ready to get on the road. Once they were sure that the God-Generals had indeed moved on, they gathered what supplies they could from the shops that were open that early in the morning and set off. At best, the journey would take a few days, not too bad considering they were on foot, but the road they would be travelling took them through the mountains and would be far from easy.

And it would be long, Jade thought as he looked at his companions who were now tied up in a friendly conversation with each other. Though they were too far away for him to hear exactly what they were saying, from the way Tear had one hand on her hip and the other pointing at Asch while speaking to Luke, he could easily guess the topic of this particular discussion. He could only hope that wouldn't be the sole topic of conversation on this trip. Travelling with youngsters was such a headache.

The impending journey was not the only thing on the Colonel's mind as they passed through St. Binah's gates that morning. Something else was bothering him... something that wasn't quite right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Asch?" Jade caught the older redhead's attention from where he was watching Luke try to evade their female companion and her seemingly endless tirade regarding his untoward behaviour.

"What do you want old man?"

"Do you remember that Oracle Knight you killed on the bridge back on the Tartarus? The one at the controls?"

"What are you taking about? I didn't kill any Oracle Knight; the man at the controls was one of your soldiers."

"Right, my mistake. My apologies." Asch simply rolled his eyes and continued on.

"What was that about Jade?" Guy asked.

"Nothing." Jade's eyes followed the boys as they started onward towards Akzerieuth.

"Nothing at all."

"How much further is it?" Luke whined as he kicked a rock up the path only to have it roll back down the path at him. "At this point, I'd be perfectly happy to never see another rock in my life."

"Oh come on Luke, its not that bad. You don't see Asch complaining." Luke cringed but continued on ignoring the words intended for him.

It felt good to just complain about things that bugged him and just get it out of his system. It was also nice to be able to whine without getting in trouble. Well, almost. The expected glare came from Asch, and he stopped for the time being.

"Don't worry Master!" Mieu bounced along beside Luke flapping his ears as he jumped. "We're almost there! So just hang in there!"

Luke eyed the little blue-green thing bouncing beside him, and then looked down the slope they were climbing. He was in the lead, followed by Jade and Guy, then Tear with Asch taking up the rear. He caught himself wondering if Mieu would bounce down the hill as well as the rubber balls he used to play with as a kid, and realized he was very tempted to try and find out. He was sure someone behind him would catch the thing before it got too far…

In all fairness, the stupid little thing really hadn't done anything to deserve it. In fact, it tried so very hard to be useful. Unfortunately, it somehow managed to royally screw up pretty much anything it got involved with, including last night's supper. The charcoal they had to choke down, for lack of anything else to eat, was a painful reminder of why they refused its assistance when offered, and never let it near another of their meals. It tried so hard, but was so annoying.

"Luke!" An outraged Tear yelled as Luke's fist nearly came crashing down on the young cheagle's head mid bounce. Everyone froze and Mieu only softly bumped his head against the motionless fist and stumbled as he landed on one of the many rocks that lined the steep path they were climbing. Hardly the reaction Luke had been hoping for.

"Honestly Luke! What do you think you're doing? Grow up! You don't see Asch harassing the poor little-" Luke didn't even let her finish before spinning around continuing up the path. He didn't even want to hear it. "Where are you going? Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" She was cut off again as Asch brusquely walked passed her. Jade too, continued to move on, opting to stay out of this one.

"He's so immature… and rude… and ignorant." Tear stated to no one in particular.

"And Asch isn't?" Guy surprised her with a response.

"No, he's not. He's polite and considerate." Tear raised her voice to be sure Luke could overhear her. He chose not to acknowledge that comment.

"Look, Tear," Guy started hesitantly; "I know you mean well, but lay off it a bit would you?"

"What do you mean Guy? Are you suggesting we just let him run wild like that?"

"Well, first I wouldn't exactly call that running wild, its just typical Luke behaviour. You get used to it after awhile."

"So are you saying that its okay?"

"Not at all, but that wasn't the part I was getting at. I agree that Luke needs someone to put him in his place every once in awhile, but stop comparing him to Asch. They both really hate it when people do that… so if you need to scold Luke go ahead; just stop constantly telling him to live up to Asch."

"But they're the same age and had the same upbringing, really there's no excuse for Luke to display that kind of behaviour when Asch is able to handle things responsibly."

"Look, Asch isn't perfect either, and they get enough of people constantly comparing them because they're twins. You're Van's little sister right? Didn't people ever compare you to him as an Oracle Knight? How did that make you feel?"

"That was pathetic, Tear. By your age, Van could have completed that course in half the time!"

"I'm- I'm sorry!" she managed through heavy breaths. "I'll do it better next time Major Cantabile, ma'am!"

"There is no next time on the battlefield! If you need to say 'I'll do better next time', you're as good as dead."

"I'm sorry."

"Never mind, we're done for today. I'd better see some improvement next time we run through this course. You're still a long ways from comparing to Van. Catch ya later kiddo."

"I'm sorry…." Tear said to the now empty room.

I'm sorry I'm not my brother…

"Tear?"

"Never mind, it's nothing. You're right; maybe I'll apologize to them later."

"Sounds good to me, now let's get moving. I doubt they plan to slow down to wait for us."

Tear stifled a small laugh. "No, that would be considerate."

The small mining town of Akzerieuth was alive with activity. Though it was by far the smallest place they'd been to, it seemed the busiest of them all. Unlike all the other places, it wasn't alive with people; it was alive with fon machines.

Guy's eyes lit up at the sight, he had always had an undying passion for the Dawn Age technology and this small mountain town was a treasure trove for an enthusiast such as him. Running along tracks in and out of the hundreds of mines that dotted the mountain walls, lifting and lowering rocks and metals throughout the different levels, there were fon machines of every shape and size, every function and design, and certainly enough to keep Guy amused for a couple of lifetimes.

Clusters of houses sat on the far edge of the small crater that had slowly grown through the continued excavation of minerals. A small inn and a shop also sat near the houses providing supplies for the workers and rest for the families that came to visit.

"Don't give me any of that! I know he was through here so spill it before I spill your guts!" A very familiar voice came from the entrance of the nearest tunnel.

"I-I- swear I didn't see anyone. All I saw was a couple of ligers in the lower mines, but that was yesterday and no one has seen them since," the watchman stuttered. Apparently the young dark haired Fon Master Guardian had some unique skills when it came to retrieving information.

"You'd had better hope so," Anise replied sadistically before noticing the group standing behind her.

"Oh Luke! Asch! It's so good to see that you're both okay!" Anise ran up and clung to Asch who simply stared at the girl that was now hanging off of him. "I was worried something had happened to you guys when you didn't show in St. Binah."

"Oh come now Anise, you only waited in St. Binah for 20 minutes," Jade stated as he brushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Don't be silly Colonel; I waited as long as I could. Besides, how could you have known that?" She whistled sweetly.

"We may not have been there, but the guards you harassed divulged quite a bit of information regarding you and your brief stay in the city."

Anise glared at the Colonel before snuggling closer to Asch. "You know I wouldn't do anything like that, don't you Asch?" Asch looked down at her one eyebrow arched.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Luke said stifling a laugh.

"Oh yeah, well…" Anise stuck her tongue out at Luke.

"Ah so you've chosen your favourite brother," Jade teased.

"It was love at first sight." Anise giggled and held onto Asch even tighter.

"That's good, I was worried you were going to try and marry them both."

"Hey!" Anise objected before resuming in her sweet tone of voice, "Don't worry, my heart only belongs to you. My one and only!"

"Wow, I'm so jealous," Luke commented sarcastically. Asch glared back before proceeding to detach the Fon Master Guardian from himself.

After a moment of effort, Asch managed to get Anise off of him and shooed her towards Guy. The resulting scene that played out had all four of them in stitches as Anise discovered the extent of Guy's strange 'phobia'.

A dull roar in the distance caught Jade's attention as everyone else was still laughing. Well, everyone but Guy who was still quivering from behind the safety of a rock. In retrospect, it had probably been too late to warn the boys that they were standing on the tracks of the mining carts that were consistently exiting the nearby tunnel, though even had it not been, he wondered if he would have said anything anyways.

The empty cart ploughed into Asch knocking him into it before coming to a halt several feet down the tracks. Luke reacted at the last second and got out of the way, though not in time to spare his sibling's dignity.

Of course. It was so obvious now that he knew what it was. Three days and several random interrogation sessions later, he could finally put his finger on what bothered him that morning in St. Binah and only laugh at the sheer cleverness of it all, and of course at himself for not cluing in sooner.

"I'm impressed, to think you had me going this long…" Jade muttered to himself.

"What is it Colonel?" Anise gave him a very confused look. Like, did anything that came out of his mouth ever make sense?

Rather than answer Anise, he looked straight at Luke. "Having fun are we, Asch?"

The innocent worried expression on Luke's face melted away into a devilish smirk. "I'm impressed," Asch said to Jade, "You're the first person to ever notice."

Jade took the compliment for what it was. He gained more than enough satisfaction from the shocked expressions on all the other's faces. Luke, who had climbed out of the cart was brushing off the dirt from Asch's jacket and had made it back rejoin to the group.

"So you're telling me that Luke is really Asch and Asch is really Luke?" Tear was the first to manage to form words.

"Precisely. A clever little trick you two concocted there." Jade replied. The twins answered with a grin. It never got old, it really never did.

"But how- Since when?" Tear cried outraged.

"Since the night in St. Binah," The real Luke provided.

"But…but Luke was complaining the whole way here."

"So?" Asch replied "You think I never have anything I want to complain about?"

"And…and Asch was up early and ready before anyone else every morning," Tear continued confusedly.

"What? You think I can't get up and ready when I want to?" Luke answered both he and Asch still wearing matching amused grins. Tear's face was now only a couple shades shy of Luke's hair, and the way it was going, it would match Asch's quite nicely in about 20 seconds or so.

"You know, just 'cause Asch is more responsible and less fun than I am doesn't mean I can't be responsible and he can't be fun when we want to be." Asch kicked Luke in the shin.

"So wait wait wait…let me get this straight," Anise interrupted. "You", Anise pointed at Luke dressed in Asch's attire, "are really Luke, and you," she continued pointing to Asch dressed as Luke, "are really Asch?"

The boys confirmed it with a smirk and a nod.

"What was that you were saying about love at first sight?" Jade taunted in her ear.

"Shut up Colonel!" Anise said her face a nice twin to Tear's.

"You-you two idiots!" Guy yelled causing them both to simultaneously cringe. "You know what the Duke and his Majesty would say if they caught you doing this again!"

"So?" The real Luke nonchalantly put his arms behind his head, "They didn't."

"And technically neither did you," Asch threw in.

"That's doesn't matter! You two know better than to be pulling this again." Guy sighed, defeated. "Look, just go borrow a room at the inn and switch back before I consider telling the Duke." The boys shrugged off the threat but still did as they were told. It wasn't any fun once everyone knew they were switched anyways.

"So I take it they've pulled this stunt before?" Jade inquired more than amused at how the situation had played out.

"Yeah," Guy reluctantly admitted. "It was their favourite game as kids. And of course, they look so alike that no one could ever tell they'd switched places."

"So, in the end how would you tell they had switched?" Tear inquired, looking for almost anything to keep her from ending up in a situation that embarrassing ever again.

"No one ever could. We only ever found out when one of them slipped up. Its been a few years since they pulled it, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it's more a case of them getting good enough not to get caught rather than them actually stopping."

"That's kind of sad," Anise added surprising the others with her comment.

"Sad? How so?" Guy inquired, surprised at the Fon Master Guardian's take on the situation.

"Well, I mean no one could ever tell them apart? I don't know...it just seems kind of sad to me. You'd think if someone knew them well enough, they could still tell, you know?"

"Yeah," Guy agreed, "and it's funny, it's the one thing we could never get them to stop doing either. No matter how much they were yelled at or punished, they never stopped, they just got better."

"So Anise, any luck on Ion?" Luke asked as he approached the group, ending their conversation.

"Sorry Luke, wait…you are Luke right?"

"Yes he is." Asch answered for him as he too joined in the discussion.

"Wait, how do we know for sure you're not lying?"

"Like this." Guy punched Luke sending him crashing to the ground.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" Luke sat on the ground rubbing his cheek where Guy's hit had landed.

"Yep, that's Luke." Guy confirmed. "Oh, and you can consider that your punishment for switching places when you know you aren't supposed to." Guy added as he helped Luke off the ground.

"Wow, so how did you know by hitting him?" Anise inquired.

"Because Asch would have caught or dodged it." Guy said simply. "And even if it had landed-"

"I would have beaten the crap out of you." Asch finished Guy's sentence for him.

"What he said." Guy added nervously.

"So now what?" Anise interrupted anxious to get away from the topic of the twins, "We have no idea where Ion is or where they're planning to take him."

But she got no answer; everyone was staring in the direction of one of the mining tunnels. The stark contrast between the twin's expressions was weird. They were so alike just five seconds ago, and now they looked completely different.

"There's no way….." Asch mumbled, his expression dark and suspicious.

"What on earth…" Tear also muttered with a similarly dangerous look.

Luke's face however lit up as he called out.

"Master Van!"

Chapter Text

"Master Van!"

Van looked up as he came out of the tunnel and spotted his apprentices across the way. It seemed that Asch had located his wayward other and Guy had been equally successful in locating the two boys, but what interested him most was the unique company that they kept. One of which was going to be trouble as she already had a knife drawn.

"Stand down Tear," he said defensively.

"Give her a good reason to," his eldest student called out.

"Talking should come before aggression, you of all people should know that," Van replied.

"Yeah well, you've got a lot of talking to do. From what I hear, you should be in Kaitzur looking for Luke," Asch threw back.

"Settle down Asch. I'd heard that they closed the border at Kaitzur, so I came through this way to continue searching for Luke, aAnd from the looks of things I'm glad that I did. Now, care to explain why you're so worked up?"

"Only as soon as you explain why your subordinates kidnapped the Ion that you thought had gone missing."

Van looked genuinely shocked at Asch's last statement. Luke couldn't say he was surprised, of course Master Van was shocked! He would never have anything to do with kidnapping Ion. In fact, he probably could have protected Ion if he hadn't been so busy looking for him. So why was Asch so upset all of a sudden? Didn't he trust Master Van?

Van lowered his voice. "This isn't the place to be speaking of such things. Come this way, we can borrow a room at the inn and speak there."

The short walk to the inn did a good job of redefining the term 'awkward silence'. Tear had put her knife away but was still sending daggers through the back of her brother's head with her eyes. Asch, Jade and Anise were all tense, though not as entirely mistrusting as Tear seemed to be, they were uncomfortable around him at best. Only Luke and Guy were somewhat relaxed, well as relaxed as one could be with the other four ready to pounce on the Commandant if he so much as hiccupped. But several hours later, and by hours Luke meant the tense few minutes their walk to the inn had taken them, they had all finally settled around a table in a makeshift conference room.

"Now," Van started the discussion, "what is this about Ion being kidnapped?"

"Don't play stupid! Why are you interfering with the Fon Master's attempts to avert war?" Tear blurted out.

"The God-Generals attacked us and took Ion away," Luke provided before anyone could further aggravate the situation by throwing in their two cents worth. "Tear has a point though. I thought you'd said the God-Generals were under your command, Master? You're their Commandant right? You don't really want a war to start, do you?"

"Slow down Luke," Van interrupted the tirade of questions that his overly concerned student was putting forth. "To start with, I don't even know how you met up with the Fon Master in the first place."

"Well…" Luke hesitantly trailed off, reluctant to admit to the trouble he'd gotten himself into.

"I believe I can explain," Jade offered.

"And you are?"

"Colonel Jade Curtiss, Third Division Malkuth Imperial forces."

"Ah, the Necromancer. I must say this is an honour. To what to we owe your esteemed presence?"

"Emperor Peony has requested that we present a proposal for peace to Kimlasca's king. At Fon Master Ion's request, we picked him up from the Chapel in Daath and proceeded to escort him to Baticul. We picked up these three during a brief stay in Engeve, and they have been so kind as to agree to assist us in this endeavour."

"Then the Tartarus was attacked by your God-Generals and Ion was taken away," Asch finished.

"Then the situation is indeed graver than I thought. While it's true that I command the God-Generals, they are part of the Grand Maestro faction. It's likely they're under orders from Mohs."

"So you're saying you have absolutely nothing to do with this?" Tear demanded, still angry.

"No. I was unaware of what my own troops were doing, so therefore I must bear some responsibility. I will go search for Ion. If it is indeed the God-Generals that have him, I have an idea as to where they might be holding him. I'll see to it that he is returned safely to Daath. In the meantime, you proceed to Baticul and ensure that negotiations proceed as planned."

"Now just wait a sec Commandant!" Anise spoke up, "We need Ion to help out with negotiations! Returning to Daath just means we would have to start all over again!"

"She has a point," Jade added, "It is unlikely that King Ingobert will see us without Ion as a neutral ambassador present."

"Yeah! And I'm not going anywhere without Ion!" Anise added.

"Ah, I see now." Van glanced over at Asch who had suddenly fallen silent. So that's how it was. He always was foolishly prudent. Not that he could blame the boy with a past like his.

"Then how about I meet you at Kaitzur Naval Port?" he offered as he handed Luke a set of tickets. "These are tickets I picked up for the ferry that leaves from there. There should be enough to get all of you back to Baticul."

"Wow! Thanks Master Van!" Luke held the tickets gratefully. He hadn't even thought of taking the ferry. Now they wouldn't have to walk so far; and he had never been on a boat! He'd always wanted the chance to ride one of the big ships that came and left from the port in Baticul.

"Where do you think you're going Van?" Tear protested as Van began towards the door.

"It is important that I depart as soon as possible if I'm to catch up with Arietta. We'll have to wait until later to discuss the problems between us. I will try to meet up with you within a few days. If I don't, I will send word to the port." Van closed the door behind him and was gone before anyone else could protest.

"Interesting," Jade muttered to himself.

"What's interesting Jade?" Luke curiously inquired.

"Nothing at all, Luke, don't concern yourself over it."

"Alright," Luke shrugged. He had already discovered that prying information out of Jade was a hopeless venture.

"I don't trust him." Tear stated, still glaring at the door though which her brother had left.

"Me neither." Asch agreed.

"You don't trust Master Van?" Luke asked incredulously.

"No." Asch trailed off, still deep in thought about everything Van had just said, and even more so about everything he hadn't said.

"Why not?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about!" Asch let out with a frustrated sigh. So much for his train of thought. "Though while we're on the topic of trusting and not trusting people," Asch continued, "You're part of the intelligence division aren't you Tear?"

"That's correct." Tear replied, unsure where Asch was going with this.

"Well the intelligence division is directly under Mohs command, so why don't you explain why you're so eagerly tagging along on this journey?"

"Come on Asch, stop it. If she was going to try anything, she would have done it a long time ago. She's proven she can be trusted!" Asch ignored Luke, his argument was empty anyway. He kept his gaze fixed on Tear, indicating he still wanted an answer.

"Thanks Luke, but its okay. I'm searching for something under orders from Mohs. I'm not at liberty to say more than that, but I guarantee that I have no intention of trying to harm any of you, or get in the way of your journey. I don't want a war, any more than Grand Maestro Mohs does."

"Well that's not saying much if Mohs is the one looking for war." Asch stated discontentedly , but decided against pushing the issue any further.

"So, now what?" Guy hesitantly broke the silence.

"Well, I don't see many options." Jade replied. "Commandant Grants so very kindly did not inform us of where he intended to go, so Kaitzur Naval port is all we have to go on for the time being."

"You're right, he didn't say where he was going." Guy realized. "So we're off to Kaitzur port then?"

"Not until tomorrow," Asch cut in.

"Why not? We've still got quite a bit of daylight ahead of us." Tear noted.

"No, Asch is right," Jade agreed. "Remember, the God-Generals set up a watch in the area around Kaitzur. At this rate it will be dark before we get out of the mountains. If possible, I'd like to try and make it to the port in a day."

"What? It took us three days to get here!"

"Chill out Luke," Guy said with a chuckle, "The mountain pass on the Kimlascan side may not have been used in awhile, but it's much shorter. But still, all in one day…we'll be getting up early again won't we?"

"That's correct, so I suggest that you make use of the rest of today to rest up a bit." Jade grinned in a way that sent chills down everyone's spine.

"So we have the rest of the day to ourselves huh?" Anise noted. "Man, why couldn't we get a day off while we were at a resort or at least someplace with a beach nearby?"

"Well then you'll just have to make do. Maybe you can find the hot springs Akzerieuth is famous for," Jade suggested.

"Hot springs? Really? I love hot springs! I'm so on it! You wanna come Asch?"

"No thanks," he replied without even looking at the young Fon Master Guardian.

"I'll come! I'll come!" Mieu bounced over and hopped up onto Anise's Tokunaga doll.

"Okay then! Your loss," Anise sang as she practically skipped out the door with Mieu in tow.

"That was pretty cruel of you Jade, those hot springs dried up years ago," Guy noted once Anise was gone.

"She's going to kill you when she finds out you know," Asch said with an amused grin.

"Oh I'm sure I'll manage." Jade shrugged. "In the meantime, I'm going to go for a walk. We'll be up before sunrise so be sure not to stay out too late." He instructed as everyone started to file out of the room. "Oh, and boys?" The two redheads in question turned around. "No switching this time please."

Both of them snickered. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Tear sat on a rock and watched the sunset. It was beautiful from the mountain town, despite the fact that it came a bit earlier than she'd like it too. The sky was ablaze in shades of red and gold and bathed the small town in an orange glow. The workers had all finished for the day and children could be seen running and playing, oblivious to the troubles of the world, as they should be.

The solitude was nice after spending so much time with such a lively group of people. No one had seen Anise since she had set off searching for the non-existent hot springs. Guy had been practically bouncing from fon machine to fon machine, but she hadn't seen him in awhile either. As for Asch and Luke, they had both disappeared somewhere right after everyone had disbanded with no one the wiser as to what they had planned for the remainder of the day.

Those two…. She was still embarrassed over what had happened earlier. It served her right though, but all that time telling Asch to be more like himself! She halted that train of thought right there, before she drove herself crazy trying to figure out exactly what she had told Luke that she wouldn't have wanted to during the time he was playing Asch. Oh dear, that certainly could prove to be a dangerous trick they had going. She made a mental note to watch what she said to Asch as well.

As if her thoughts had summoned them, Tear spotted Luke and Asch on one of the lower levels, their hair gleaming in the golden sunset. Luke was laughing and running as he played tag with a bunch of the local kids, while Asch leaned against a nearby fence and watched, a soft smile on his face.

"Be careful not to get lost in thought," a voice whispered into her ear. Her heart just about jumped into her throat, as the Colonel moved around the rock and stood beside her. "Ah there are our boys," he said noticing Luke and Asch.

"Hello Colonel," Tear finally managed once she had regained some of her composure. Really, did he have to do that every time? The two remained in silence for awhile watching the twins. After awhile Luke and the kids had coerced Asch into joining them. Tear smiled. "Do you suppose they've been at that all day?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Jade replied, "They certainly both have a soft side when they think no one is watching."

"So what did you do today Colonel?"

"I thought I'd see the sights. The Akzerieuth mines really are fascinating."

"Why were you in the mines? Was there something going on?" Tear asked worriedly.

"Now what would make you think that?"

"I highly doubt the sights were that interesting."

"My dear, I have a certain blonde enthusiast already in bed who would beg to differ."

Tear stifled a laugh. So that's where Guy had gone off to. Not a bad idea. They would need to be well rested.

"Actually Tear, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

It was about time. She had been expecting the question to come up for quite awhile now, and was frankly quite surprised that the Colonel had held off so long. "My fonic hymns right?"

"That's right."

"I think your fonic hymns are really pretty," a familiar voice came from the path behind them. "Something about them is just so- so peaceful."

"Oh hello Luke. Asch." Jade acknowledged the two boys who came to join them, still somewhat out of breath, with Asch, as expected, doing a much better job of hiding it. Both looked pretty worn out. "Enjoying a bit of a break?"

"Yeah!" Luke answered with a big smile. "I like this place. It's a really nice town once all the machines are shut down."

"Just don't let Guy hear you say that," Asch said with a bit of a chuckle.

"You don't need to worry, he's in bed," Tear replied.

"Anyways," Jade dragged them back on topic, now that he'd finally raised the issue, he wanted his answers. "I've been wondering about your fonic hymns. They're different from the ones I know."

"Yes, I imagine they would be. The hymns I use are Yulia's fonic hymns," Tear replied.

"Really?" The topic piqued Asch's interest. He'd read about Yulia's fonic hymns once and their ability to go toe to toe with regular fonic artes. Supposedly they were handed down in secret from generation to generation. There was proving to be more to Tear than met the eye. "I thought those were useless with the words and melodies."

"To use Yulia's hymns, not only do you need to know the words and melody, but you need to understand the symbolism and true meaning behind those words." Tear answered, slightly uncomfortable at suddenly being the center of attention, not that she'd ever show it.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive." Luke commented. "So you know all the songs and all the melodies and all the meanings? How do you remember it all?"

"Actually I don't know them all. I only understand the meaning behind the first two."

"Hmmm, what I'd like to know is where you learnt them. I thought that the hymns themselves had been lost." Jade questioned.

"They've been passed down through my family for generations. I've been told that it's because my family is descended from Yulia. I don't know if there's any truth behind that or not."

"Wow really? That's cool!" Luke exclaimed. "Wait, I suppose that makes Master Van a descendant from Yulia too. I never knew that. Actually come to think of it, I didn't even know Master Van had a sister. He doesn't really talk about himself a lot, does he?"

"No, that wouldn't be like him," Tear sighed.

"So I suppose you don't know the Grand Fonic Hymn then?" Asch inquired.

"No, the Grand Fonic hymn is the proof of the covenant between Yulia and Lorelei. It's a combination of all the fonic hymns."

"Yeah, that's what I'd heard," Asch replied leaving Luke to wonder where Asch learnt all this stuff. It hadn't been until their adventure had begun that he realized just how much more knowledgeable Asch was.

"Well, I think I'm going to head to bed." Tear stood up.

"So early?" Jade taunted.

"Yes, because judging by how long it's been, I don't want to be here when Anise finds you." Tear shot back.

"I'll come too!" Luke jumped up. "Are you coming, Asch?"

"I dunno, I think I'd like to watch the little twirp take on the old man," Asch said with a grin.

"Aren't we in an awfully good mood," Jade noted. Asch just shrugged it off, still with a smile on his face. As amusing as it would be to watch Anise outright slaughter Jade, it would be an early morning, and it wasn't going to be the kind of day he could get away with being half alert. The God-Generals were waiting, and if they could sneak through unnoticed, he'd be very surprised.

"Luke, are you sure? I'm almost positive we've been this way before." Guy commented as he lifted a branch out of the way and allowed Tear and Anise to pass before sneaking under it and letting it snap back, almost hitting Jade in the face. Oh he'd pay for that one later.

Luke just mumbled for the millionth time that yes, he was sure, and no, they had not been this way already, it was just the fact that every tree in this Score-forsaken forest looked identical.

It had been a long day for all of them. True to his word, Jade had them all up and gone before sunrise. Not before the delayed sunrise in the mountains, before the normal sunrise, so they were all on edge. Even Mieu wasn't in his usual bouncy mood, and opted to ride on Luke's shoulder in spite of the many branches he had taken head on. Even he was half asleep. Granted he had gone hot-spring hunting with Anise so there was no saying how late he'd been up. In the end, whatever occurred between Anise and Jade after the rest of them had gone to bed, they would never know, but Anise had been in a chipper enough mood to tell them they probably didn't want to.

Trudging through the mountain path in the dark had been tediously difficult at best and the dodging of Oracle Knights they had to do once they'd gotten out of the mountains wasn't much better. Which was why Luke had suggested they cut through the woods to get off the main road. Bad idea.

Luke pulled back the last branch that blocked the way out of the forest to a very familiar sight. Deo Pass. Or more specifically, the entrance to Deo Pass, which they had now seen three times today. It wasn't the same as the last three times, this time the sun was slowly creeping down turning the sky a soft golden, which would eventually proceed to a bright orange, then a dull purple, and the night would set in, and they would be vulnerable.

Asch let out a frustrated sigh. Just great. He should have known better than to let Luke lead. Luke couldn't tell east from west at sunrise much less navigate a forest.

"Well, this is lovel," Jade commented. "As much as I enjoy the view of Deo pass at sunset, I can think of a few other sights I'd rather be seeing."

"So now what, do we look for somewhere safe to make camp?" Guy asked, trying his best not to get angry with Luke, he had only been trying to help.

"No, we'd be sitting ducks with all the Oracle Knights in the area. There are more than I thought there'd be," Tear pointed out.

Asch let out another large sigh. He had really hoped it wouldn't come to this. "This way." Asch turned around and walked back the way they came.

"I do hope your sense of direction is better than your other half," Jade stated, exasperation beginning to sound in his voice. Even he wore thin after awhile. "Either way I would like to know where you intend to go. There's nowhere close enough for us to reach by nightfall."

"Well you have two options. Stay here and sleep with the God-Generals, or follow me. Take your pick," Asch snapped back. He really didn't want to argue. That he was forced to resort to this was bad enough without Jade's sarcasm added to the mix.

Asch made is way through the woods, the group silently in tow. Every now and then he'd stop and check a nearby tree, each one he checked bearing a mark, an old score in the bark that had never fully healed. It took about an hour, but by the time they made it out of the forest, they were no longer anywhere near the mountains.

Rather, the cool breeze that cut through the air was refreshing and spoke of the sea. The sun was now setting and the sky was a bright orange, and against the burning horizon, they spotted the outline of what looked like a castle.

"Choral Castle, good thinking Asch," Guy commented when he saw the building on the horizon. "I forgot that it was in this area."

"Choral Castle?" Luke looked at Asch confusedly.

"Don't be silly Luke, don't you remember? It's the Fabre family's vacation home." Guy answered.

"Wow!" Anise looked up at in awe once they had gotten closer. "This is just your vacation home?"

"Well to be accurate, it was our vacation home." Asch replied. "It was abandoned back when I was still pretty young."

"Yeah," Guy added, "When the front line of the last war got too close."

"Hm, is that so?" Luke looked up at the castle. "I really don't remember it much. Must not have been very memorable."

"It wasn't bad when it was still maintained, can't say much for it now." Asch glanced around the courtyard. Weeds had overtaken the gardens that had once been alight with flowers; the stone walls had crumbled and were falling apart. It really was a pity; it had been a nice place, but that was before everything happened. In all honesty, this was probably the last place in Auldrant that Asch wanted to be, with the single exception of being lost in those woods with the God-Generals on their tail.

Guy opened the castle doors with relative ease. The inside was as much of a mess as the outside had been. Asch's stomach involuntarily lurched as he looked around. Nothing had changed. This place trudged up a myriad of memories he'd much rather leave buried.

Asch stuck out his arm preventing his brother from running out into the entrance hall and silencing him on the spot. Something was amiss. Asch looked around. Things weren't right. The door should have been bolted shut, and none of the windows were boarded up anymore. There was no dust gathered on the floor either.

"Asch, what's the matter?" Guy whispered. Asch didn't turn around but replied in a hushed tone.

"We're not alone."

Chapter Text

"What do you mean we're not alone?" Luke asked, keeping his voice down.

"Exactly what I said," Asch curtly replied. "Someone's been here."

"And recently too," Jade added also noticing the lack of dust and debris in the entrance and down the center of the corridors.

"The place was boarded up and shut down tight when we left it. Everything is open now, some one has been here," Asch provided.

"How do you know that it wasn't just the monsters? I mean, I see lots of them kicking around here." Anise pointed out, still keeping a wary eye out for said monsters in case they decided now would be a wonderfully ironic time to attack. No, apparently only Jade had such a bad sense of humour, even the monsters weren't quite so cynical.

"The monsters kicked down the door?" Guy asked. "I highly doubt it. No one should have been here since the White Knights locked it down tight 7 years ago. They did a pretty good job of it, it may have been awhile since then but I doubt this was just nature's doing."

"Besides, look over there," Asch pointed to a dusty area away from the beaten path, so to speak. A thin layer of dust still covered the floor in spite of the myriad tracks that had been left by the various wandering monsters. "Someone would have to be coming and going pretty frequently to have swept all the dirt and dust from the floors."

"You don't think…" Tear began.

"The God-Generals?" Jade finished. "I wouldn't dismiss the possibility. Run down as it is, the castle would still function rather nicely as a base, and is certainly the most practical and well suited facility in the area if one wanted to go unnoticed."

"So does that mean this is where they're keeping Ion?" Luke asked.

"That too is a possibility. I suggest we investigate a little further before we settle in for the night. If that's alright with you, Asch?"

"Do whatever the hell you want, old man."

"You just can't resist, can you?" Jade said with an especially sly grin.

"Why would I want to?" Asch shot back, though he was far from amused. His snarl dampened the amused grin on the Colonel's face. Asch instantly regretted it, he knew that look on Jade's face, and the Colonel was already in the process of trying to deduce why this place was making him uncomfortable.

The last thing Asch wanted was Jade thinking. As much as he'd like to discredit the man, he had to respect Jade's intellect. From the short time he'd spent with him, Asch had noted his talent for piecing together the most obscure pieces of information to come up with the truth, and this abandoned manor was filled with more truths than he wanted anyone knowing.

"Wow this place is huge!" Anise's voice echoed as they started down the stairs into the basement.

"Keep your voice down, someone will hear you!" Asch snapped.

"Jeez, sorry." Anise stuck her tongue out at Asch as soon as his back was turned. Man, what was his problem all of a sudden? It seemed the more they explored, the crankier he got. He'd been even more on edge since they decided to check out the basement. What was his deal anyways? Luke didn't seem so bothered about being here.

"Remember anything Luke?" Tear inquired as Luke poked and prodded the statues that lined the hall. He'd learn his lesson when a monster popped out of one. It wouldn't be the first time in this crazy mansion.

"Hmm, not especially, why do you ask?" Luke returned with a smile.

"Yeah well, it just seems strange that Asch remembers this place enough to find it, but you don't even remember being here," Tear replied.

"I've been somewhat curious about that myself," Jade interrupted.

Luke simply shrugged. "I'm sure I probably came here a few times, but I just don't really remember much about when I was really young, you know? Asch must have been here more than I was."

"I suppose that makes sense that only one of you would have come," Tear commented. She really couldn't fault Luke, she couldn't say she remembered much from when she was really young either.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Luke inquired curiously.

"This place isn't all that far from enemy borders. Especially during a time of war, I highly doubt Duke Fabre would want to risk both his heirs should the worse case scenario come to pass." Jade provided.

"Well now that you're done analyzing our past, you want to get a move on? I'd like to get this over with and get some rest sometime tonight." Asch cut in.

"Yeah, from the sounds of things, you need it," Guy mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Asch demanded.

"I'm talking about how rude you're being," the blond snapped back. "You don't have to jump down someone's throat for having a conversation. Some of us don't mind being sociable."

"I'll show you a thing or two about-"

"Stop it!" Luke yelled in a tone that turned everyone's heads. Tear had never heard Luke raise his voice like that. Sure he'd been angry and yelled before, but it was always a whiney, annoyed kind of anger. This time he was very serious.

What in the Score had Asch so upset? Luke stared down his best friend and his older sibling, neither who dared issue a peep. Luke could tell Asch had been uncomfortable from the moment they'd started heading towards this place, but this went beyond just being uncomfortable or even irritated. Asch was only ever like this for one reason: to hide the fact he was afraid of something. What that something was, Luke had no idea, but it was as obvious to him as Asch's anger was to everyone else, and Luke wanted to get to the bottom of it. Asch was his brother after all, moody though he may be, if there was a chance he could help, he wanted to be there.

"Now if the God-Generals aren't on our tail after that, we'll know for sure they're not here." Anise said breaking the awkward silence.

"Indeed," Jade agreed, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Shall we continue? And in a more obscure manner this time?" He suggested, his gaze fixed on Asch. Something was going on with him. He could understand it if the boy was on edge, but this went beyond concern over the God-Generals, and Jade would find out what it was before these irrational breakouts cost them all their lives.

Despite being underground, the basement wasn't spared the ruin that had befallen the rest of the mansion. Moss grew on many of the statues and walls giving the entire place an eerie feel. The fading light of day still seeped in through cracks where the upper walls had been worn away by the elements, but not nearly enough to dismiss the need for the makeshift torches they were using.

The group had proceeded in silence since their last major outburst, listening for the tell-tale sign of a God-General or even just the monsters they had attracted. The silence didn't really change much, Asch was still on edge, Guy was still in a bad mood, Luke was still curious about everything, and Anise, well Anise was her usual chipper self. For all their sakes, Jade hoped that the light at the end of the hallway opened onto the ocean so they could end their search and get some rest. Hope was always a rather fruitless notion. It hadn't served him in the past, why would it be any different now?

There weren't a lot of things that could make Jade Curtiss stop short, but what they came across at the end of the hall was one of them.

Special fonstones had been placed around the room to keep it lit. Unlike its surroundings, it was in surprisingly good condition, and had obviously been maintained. Though such trivial details weren't needed to tell that someone had been in this room since the castle was abandoned, the large fon machine in the center of the room would have done just as well.

"Wow! Look Master!" Mieu bounced over onto the top level of the fon machine with Anise and Luke not far behind him. It was huge! Bigger than any fon machine Luke had ever seen. It was two stories tall with two identical platforms on each story. There was a set of stairs on the other side of the room that led down to the lower platform and to even more fon machines.

Luke looked back at Guy, expecting him to be ecstatic about this new discovery, but to Luke's surprise, he wasn't. In fact, he was very serious and had a very dark look on his face. He couldn't still be mad about being yelled at before, could he?

Why? Asch stood glued to the spot. Why of all the places did they have to come here? This place so seeped in nightmares that he could still hear the screams of pain as they echoed off the walls. Pain his own body seemed to echo, even now. Stupid! It all happened a long time ago. So then why? What was he so afraid of?

Jade, Tear and Guy also moved to join the three already on the fon machine. Asch didn't know how he could move, it was already taking every drop of willpower he had to keep from giving into the emotions that his memories invoked. Somehow he put one foot in front of the other and followed suit, because if he didn't, there would be questions. Questions he already knew he couldn't answer, and he'd be damned if that was how everything was going to come out.

"Hmmm," Jade stared up at the machine. As to what it was, he had no doubt. As to how it got here, now that was an interesting question. One he would have loved to ask, but if his growing suspicions were indeed correct, and he was almost positive that they were, if only by the reaction of the eldest 'twin', then that would be a rather cruel thing to do. Even for him.

"What is it Colonel?" Anise looked up at him curiously. "Do you know what this thing is?"

"I have an idea of what it might be, but I'd rather not divulge until I am certain. How about either of you?" He passed the question over towards Guy and Asch.

"I have my suspicions, but I'm not any more certain than you are." Guy replied, his gaze never leaving the machine. Asch only nodded in agreement, he too staring at the machine as if he was in a dream he was hoping to wake up from soon. Or from emotions swirling below his frozen exterior, a nightmare.

"Really?" Luke asked. "What do you think it is?"

"No, it's nothing." Guy dismissed the subject. "I'm not sure what it is, but either way, it's nothing you have to worry about Luke."

"I just want to know what it is." Luke muttered, the excitement he had gained from this newest discovery vanishing in an instant. "Asch? Do you know what it is?"

"No." Asch answered softly his gaze still never leaving the machine.

"You do so know what it is!" Luke argued. Why did everyone treat him like he was stupid? "Come one why won't you tell me?" Luke was getting angrier, "Is it because you think I'm too stupid? That I won't understand even if you do tell me? You never tell me anything! No one ever stops to explain things, and then you all yell at me for never knowing anything! Well, then? Why won't you tell me so I can know?"

This drew Asch's attention, but the gaze he had fixed on Luke was cold. Luke had never seen him like that before. Oh he'd been angry with Luke, and anger, Luke could handle. This- this was something completely different.

"That's enough I think." Jade stepped between the two redheads. "I suggest we retire for the night. The God-Generals obviously aren't around, or they'd have shown up a long time ago, and it looks like more than one of us could use some rest."

"I agree," Tear said as she began back the way they had come, "It's been a long day for all of us, how about we set aside everything until we've had a good night's sleep?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Guy replied, quickly following suit. "Come on you two, let's get some rest. Whatever your problem is, you can settle it in the morning."

Luke took one last look back at the machine before mumbling to himself, "I don't think so."

"What do you think you're doing?" Asch watched Luke jump at the sound of his voice as it echoed in the otherwise empty chamber. Luke looked up at him from the lower platform, realizing he'd been caught. Everyone had settled in and been asleep for a couple hours when Asch noticed Luke get up and sneak out. His brother was so very predictable.

"Since no one is going to tell me, I'm going to figure this thing out for myself!" Luke declared as he continued to poke around the fon machine's lower level. Asch let out a huge sigh before joining Luke on the lower level.

"I don't know what you're hoping to accomplish, but whatever it is, it isn't going to happen, so just get yourself back to bed."

"No," Luke stubbornly declared.

"I wasn't asking," Asch replied curtly, grabbing Luke by the arm. He was ready to use force if need be, whatever it took to get them both out of this Score-forsaken place.

"What the hell is your problem?" Luke yelled yanking his arm out of Asch's grasp. "You've been scared out of your wits since we got here! And don't look at me like that," Luke continued as Asch glared at him. "You might be able to fool everyone else into thinking you're just being an asshole, but I know damn well that you're just scared of something. But that doesn't mean you can just take it out on everyone around you! You don't want to be down here, fine! Just go! I'm not leaving until I figure out what this thing is!"

That- that idiot- how dare he! "You want to know what the hell this thing is?" Asch yelled, no longer able to hold back. How dare he presume to know everything! "This thing is what they use to make replicas!"

The two brothers stood in silence for a long time. Neither moved, neither dared breathe. Asch regretted the words the second they'd escaped his lips. Guilt curdled in his stomach leaving a sour taste to flood his mouth. He had just been so mad, and so damn anxious to get out of here, that he hadn't been thinking. It really wasn't fair to Luke.

Luke slowly walked over to the machine, and gently placed a hand on it, turning back to look at Asch.

"So…this is where I was born?"

Asch answered with a soft nod.

"Luke, I'm-"

"No, it's okay" Luke gently shook his head. "I'm the one who's sorry. I was being selfish... I knew you were upset about something, and I didn't stop to think."

"No, you couldn't have known." Asch shook his head. "And you were right earlier; we haven't really been explaining much to you. Everything has been happening so fast, I don't think to slow down every once in awhile." He replied as he too came over to the platform. Instead of stopping on it like Luke had, he hopped down in the space behind it. Curious, Luke followed him.

Luke's heart creeped up into his throat when he saw what it was Asch was investigating. Cut out from the rock wall behind the fon machine was a small cell. Metal bars were raggedly jammed into the stone and the miniature crypt was hardly big enough to hold a child. Water dripped from the ceiling and covered the jagged floor, so there wouldn't be anywhere dry or even safe for the captive to rest. No wonder Asch hated this place. Now Luke understood why Asch had been so upset, he began to fathom what sort of memories still clung to him. And without even thinking he….

"I-Is that...'" Luke could barely form the words.

"That's where I was kept," Asch said quietly.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be," Asch said with a bit of a chuckle, "It's hardly your fault. I remember waking up in that cell. It was summer, so I wasn't dressed very warmly. I froze in there." He looked up at Luke with a sad smile. Somehow Luke had a feeling that the cold had been the least of his worries. "All I wanted was to go home," Asch continued. "But they kept me in there doing experiment after experiment. It hurt. I didn't understand any of it. I just…I just wanted to go home."

They both solemnly returned to the main chamber. After a moment, Asch took a deep breath. "So, you've been down here a good fifteen minutes, what did you get figured out?"

"Well," Luke began trying to shake off the intensity of the moment they had just shared. "Those little fon machines over there control this big one."

"Yeah, and?"

"And? That's all I figured out." Asch couldn't hep but laugh outright. It was a good thing he decided to come down after all; Luke would have been here for the rest of the year at the rate he was solving the mysteries of this room.

"Hey…" the indignant Luke protested. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Asch managed between chuckles.

"Oh. I did find this though." Luke held up a fon disk. "It was in one of those fon machines."

"Lets see." Luke handed Asch the fon disk. "Hmm," Asch looked at it for a moment before looking back at Luke with a devilish grin. "Want to see what's on it?"

"Sure!" Luke followed Asch over to one of the many fon machines where Asch stuck the disk in. All kinds of information appeared on the screen. Asch skimmed through it, while Luke just watched in awe. One more talent he could throw on the list of things he didn't know Asch could do. "So what does it say?"

"It's a log." Asch replied still skimming.

"A log?"

"Yeah, like a journal of sorts. It's the records that they kept while they were conducting experiments."

"What kind of experiments?" Luke got a pointed look from Asch. "Wait…me?"

"Yeah," Asch returned to reading the logs. "It's the records of what they did here 7 years ago. I'm amazed the White Knights never confiscated this. Though come to think of it, they should have destroyed the entire facility."

"Maybe they didn't make it down this far?"

"They should have searched the entire place," Asch pondered. "I wonder if access to it was sealed somehow."

"But if it's open now doesn't that mean..."

"Someone is using it again," Asch concluded.

"Well anything on the disc that can tell us?" Luke asked.

"Nothing more recent than 7 years ago. It's odd though, the project is still labelled as incomplete."

"No kidding… I mean, I'm here aren't I?"

"Just let me finish reading this first… Based on what it says, they never got the chance to complete the last procedure because the military had found them and they had to take off."

"Well what didn't they finish?"

"Hmmm, something about synching our fon slots since we're perfect isofons." Luke was silent. "You can ask." Asch said simply after a moment's silence.

"Sorry," Luke said with a small chuckle, "but what is a perfect isofon?"

"It's okay, thats not something anyone would know. I did a lot of reading on all this stuff back when I finally returned home. Basically, everything has its own unique fonon frequency. Even replicas have one that's different from their original. In our case, you're a perfect replica, even our fonon frequency is identical. Even I'm not sure what it means to sync our fon slots though."

"Fon slots, that's what you, Jade and Tear use to gather fonons for fonic artes right?"

"Yeah that's right."

"I kinda wonder, do you think its maybe because our fon slots aren't synced or whatever that we get those headaches?"

"Hmmm, that's an interesting idea. It's very possible. There's really only one way to find out though."

"Are you sure that's okay?" Luke said somewhat hesitantly. "I mean, are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"It's all here, and it's not overly complicated, the fon machines themselves do most of the work."

"Why don't we go ask Jade?"

"No." Asch almost cut Luke off. "I can do this. Besides, do you want to be the one to explain all this to him-"

"No!" Luke shrunk back, not realizing how loud he had yelled. He hadn't thought of that particular implication.

Asch came over to Luke's side, took his hand and looked him straight in the eye. "Relax. Just trust me, okay?"

Luke smiled, "I trust you." Asch returned the smile and showed Luke where to go.

The machine emitted a soft light that bathed the room in an eerie green. Asch could only watch on and hope that his siblings unwavering trust had not been misplaced.

Everything was dark. What had happened to the light? What had happened to everything for that matter? Luke's heart started racing. He was alone in the emptiness, lost in the darkness. The panic began to set in. No. Luke forced himself to calm down. Asch said to relax. That everything would be okay, and he trusted him. Now stop and think.

It was dark. His eyes were closed. He had closed his eyes, or had they simply shut on their own? He couldn't remember... It didn't really matter. He just had to calm down, just had to relax. By the time he had settle down, he could see everything. Well, that wasn't entirely true, everything was still dark, but he could feel everything. Asch was still there, he had come closer.

Asch was worried; scared he'd done something wrong. That Luke would be hurt somehow. Now how did Luke know that? But he was fine. It was nice here, warm and safe, even with that small inkling of worry in the back of his mind. It was the same darkness as before, but it was no longer frightening.

He wasn't there alone anymore.

The light died down and the dull rumble of the fon machine faded. Luke sat up groggily as if he had just woken from slumber. He slowly stood up and made his way over to Asch who was also half asleep on his feet. They looked at each other for a moment and both started to laugh.

"I think it's about time we get some sleep," Asch finally managed. Neither of them knew why they were laughing. Maybe because they were both tired, or maybe because they had just attempted the most reckless thing either of them had ever attempted to pull; but whatever the reason, any remaining traces of resentment or anger melted away in that brief moment of shared mirth.

"I think that's a good idea," Luke agreed, rubbing his eyes and suppressing a yawn. He hadn't realized just how tired he was, on top of the fact that that whole fon slot thing still had him kind of out of it. Asch too from the looks of things. Wait... why was Asch affected too? He hadn't been on the machine... Luke barely had the brain power to consider it. With a yawn, Luke pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He'd ask Asch in the morning.

"Then let's go." Asch and Luke slowly made their way out of the basement and back up to the room where the group had decided to crash for the night. As they left Asch couldn't help but wonder how Luke did it. As the last traces of his anger had faded away, so had all his fear; and he knew that he could start to deal with all those terrible memories.

Because now he remembered exactly why it had all been worth it.

"I told you I heard something!" The high pitched voice echoed across the empty chamber.

"Shut up Dist, you'd had better be right to have me up at this hour," a second voice snapped back. "We have to be gone before first light tomorrow if we're going to catch them."

"You say that like it's my fault we haven't captured them yet. I wasn't aboard the Tartarus when they escaped, you know."

"Neither was I, but you'd do well to remember that this is our assignment. Now where is this 'noise' you heard?"

"Shut up Sync! I know when there are rats crawling around my lab." The two God-Generals came upon room with the large fon machine that Dist had designated as 'his lab'.

"There you see. Nothing! Now let's get some rest or else-"

"Not so fast." Dist cut him off, scurrying over towards the controls. "Now what do we have here?"

"What is it?" Sync inquired and Dist held up the fon disk. "So you found your fon disk, big deal, its been there for ages. That doesn't prove that anyone's been here."

"Oh but it does." Dist replied with nothing short of an evil grin dawning his face.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because, my intellectually challenged friend, it's been recording data."

Chapter Text

Tear slowly opened her eyes to find the sun's rays beating down on her face. The unexpected warmth was comfortable and left the melodist at ease until the situation she was embroiled in returned to mind. Sitting herself up, Tear stole a glance out the window. The sun had not only risen, but was well up above the horizon; it was even later than she thought. They had never slept this late before, in fact by now they usually had put some distance behind them. Across the room Tear noted Jade putting his glasses back on; apparently he found the need for some good rest outweighed any urgency to get back on the road. Tear wholeheartedly agreed. Despite their brief reprieve in Akzeriuth, the breakneck pace and lack of sleep over the past several days had been wearing on them all and it had become painfully obvious during their previous night's endeavours.

Shaking the last of sleep's grasp from her, Tear scanned the room, finding the redheads seated against the wall across from her. The pair had fallen asleep sitting up, each supported by the other as they leaned inwards. Strange... was that how they had fallen asleep? She couldn't remember; not that it really mattered. They seemed so peaceful like that, and almost kind of…cute. At the exact same moment, both of them cracked their eyes open and simultaneously blinked groggily. It was fascinating to watch; their actions were completely in sync and it made the resemblance between the two of them all the more astounding. Luke stretched and yawned, waking Mieu who had curled up in Luke's lap.

Once the twins had woken, it didn't take long before everyone else was up. Mieu landed on Anise's head when he jumped down out of Luke's lap, and her resulting shriek woke Guy with a start. So much for her peaceful morning... Tear couldn't help but fell sorry for the young cheagle, who now had Anise's contempt to deal with for the rest of the day. Well, Tear decided she wouldn't let Anise be too hard him. Luke and Asch were bad enough.

Tear wished the calm of the morning could have lasted a bit longer. All traces of the serenity she had come upon when she had first woken were all but gone. Mieu bounced around trying to apologize while fleeing from an angry Anise, Guy was still scolding Anise for scaring him like that while Asch was in the process of mocking Guy for being such a pansy. Luke fought to keep the peace between Asch and Guy, but was only succeeding in adding to the chaos and Jade… Jade was watching the whole thing nothing short of amused.

It lasted for no more than a second, then Jade's amusement faded before Tear's very eyes and his face grew deadly serious. "Silence! All of you!" His last words were barely a hiss but they almost echoed across the now frozen room. Everyone's attention turned to Jade. What was wrong?

"What's your status, Arietta?" The voice could be heard from the other room.

Jade immediately exited the room, chasing the voices that trailed in, followed closely by Guy, Anise and Mieu. Tear was impressed, she hadn't heard a thing, and she had been the one closest to the door. Even with his fon slots sealed, Jade proved he was still a force to be reckoned with.

Tear wasted no time joining her companions on the upper balcony. Looking down over the main entrance, she had to admit Jade had made the decision regarding their lodging quite well. From this vantage point they could observe the main entrance without being seen, and it was close enough to the door that they'd be able to track who came and went.

So the God-Generals were here after all. Jade watched the three distinct figures in the entryway. This could pose a problem. There was no way that they could take on three God-Generals in their current state. If they could corner just one of them…they might have a chance. This turn of events might actually end up being rather fortuitous. If Arietta was here, the likelihood of Ion also being somewhere in the vicinity was quite good indeed.

"Everything is on schedule. I'll head over to the next location with Ion once my friends are done resting," Arietta replied.

"Aren't you tired of relying on those stupid monsters of yours? I could construct you something far more eloquent and reliable to get you and Ion from place to place. It would be much more convenient than those stupid birds," Dist offered from where he was sitting comfortably in his floating chair. Yes, he was in a floating chair. Dist always was one for pointless oddities.

"Don't insult my friends!" Arietta immediately became defensive, her fury causing Dist to retreat a few meters.

"What's going on over here?" The two boys came to join the rest of them.

"Shht!" Anise hushed them both, not letting her eyes leave the squabbling God-Generals on the lower level. Luke and Asch quietly settled into a spot where they too could watch.

"Enough you two!" Sync finally broke up the heated argument between Dist and Arietta. Pity. Jade had very much hoped for the opportunity to watch the young girl beat the living hell out of Dist. Oh well, some other time perhaps. "Dist, you know you have work to do." Sync ordered.

"Fine," Dist grumbled as he backed off and made his way out the door, "but don't think that this is over! I'm putting this in my revenge journal!" Arietta stuck her tongue out at Dist once his back was turned. Let him try it. Her friends always needed the extra exercise anyways.

"Arietta."

"What is it Sync?" Arietta shot back sourly, still angry and pouting over her encounter with Dist.

"I assume you've been enjoying your time with Ion?" All her anger faded and Arietta's face instantly lit up.

"Yes I have!"

"Good," Sync replied curtly. "Then I trust you will both be on your way shortly?" Arietta nodded. "I have to get going. Be careful, there are people in this area that are looking for Ion."

"No one is going to take Ion away from me!" Arietta suddenly regained her ferocity.

"Make sure they don't," Sync said, he too leaving out the front door. Arietta promptly turned around and made her way further into the mansion.

"So it seems Ion is here," Jade spoke up once he was sure they were gone. "This could be an excellent chance for us to rescue him, especially now that Dist and Sync are gone."

"Team up on Arietta, huh?" Guy contemplated for a moment. "That might work, assuming she doesn't have a hoard of monsters with her."

"A large number of monsters would draw too much attention." Jade provided, "I expect she's travelling with a minimal amount of protection."

"You're probably right," Tear agreed. "So where do we go from here?"

"Asch?" Jade turned his attention to the eldest sibling. "Where does that hallway lead?"

Asch thought about it for a moment, contemplating long enough that Jade was momentarily intrigued by the difficulty such a simple question seemed to have posed. "The roof," he finally answered.

"Is there any other way to get up there?"

"No, not that I know of."

"Alright then," Jade began to move towards the stairs. "I'd have preferred to cut her off, but if there's no other way, we'd best get this over with before Sync and Dist return."

"Good point." Guy said as the rest of them followed suit, down the stairs and into the entryway. "We wouldn't stand much of a chance against all three of them now would we?"

"I dunno," Anise replied. "From what I hear, Dist isn't much of a fighter and Gloomietta isn't good at much other than whining. It's too bad Sync makes up for the both of them, he's really good."

"Gloomietta?" Asch inquired.

"She must mean Arietta the Wild," Guy offered.

"They must have some fighting capacity; they wouldn't be God-Generals without some talent in battle. What do you think Luke?" Tear asked remembering Luke's complaints about always being left out the previous night.

Tear didn't get an answer. Luke had stopped and was staring at the main doors that were now on their right, completely oblivious to what the others were talking about. The rest of the party also stopped, wondering what he possibly found interesting about the large doors.

"Luke? What's the matter-"

The two doors flew open and before anyone had the chance to react, Sync and Dist both burst into the room. Without wasting a second, Sync shot through the group, landing a well placed blow to Asch's stomach, knocking him out cold. Luke instantaneously drew his sword, but before he had the chance to react, Sync had already take Asch beyond his reach.

"Fools," Sync taunted as Dist relieved him of his burden. "Did you think we hadn't noticed you spying on us? Lucky for you, we have all we need for now! You get to live few more hours. Be grateful."

"Get back here!" Luke cried, but Sync and Dist retreated as quickly as they had burst in. Dammit! How had they fallen for such an obvious trap?

"What the hell?" Guy exclaimed still in shock.

"This makes no sense at all," Anise interjected. "Why go after Asch and leave the rest of us? We're all just as able to rescue Ion, why didn't they try and stop us?"

"That's a very good question," Jade conceded. "Any ideas Asch?"

Asch didn't answer, and remained staring at the path to the basement, the sword in his hand trembling. The anger rolled off of in such a manner no one dared to think of crossing him in that moment.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You did it again?" Anise cried out.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Guy grabbed Asch by the collar of Luke's jacket that he was wearing. "You knew something was going to happen? How could you put Luke in danger like that?"

"I don't get it, why don't you trust Master Van?" Luke climbed the stairs on the way back up to the room where everyone crashed for the night. The moonlight now gently trickled into the mansion giving everything an eerie look.

"I have my reasons, just…trust me, and be careful. We don't know who is behind all this or what they're planning. I have a feeling I might be their next target, so we all have to stay on our toes."

"Then let's switch places again."

"What?" The suggestion actually took Asch by surprise. "Why would you want to switch? I just finished telling you I'm the one they're after."

"Well it's important that you stay safe."

"You moron, it's more important that you stay safe."

"Come on Asch please? Let me do this. You've helped me out a lot. Besides…if I was captured, you're much better suited to rescue me, than I am to rescue you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you're stronger than I am, and you're much better at coming up with ideas and stuff than I am. I'm really just a tag-a-long. They need your help to stop the war."

"No you're not. You're just as important as everyone else is. Besides, didn't you promise Ion? I'm not going to put you in danger."

"Asch…please. I don't like admitting it, but if they have Ion, we really can't afford to lose you, right? That's why you think you'll be the next target. Besides, it'll help me make up for being a jerk earlier."

"How can you put yourself in danger like that?"

"Because I know if something happens, you'll come save me."

"And if I don't?" Asch taunted playfully.

"You'd better!" An indignant Luke cried out.

"I still don't like it." Asch shook his head, serious again.

"I'll be fine… trust me."

Asch was silent for a long time.

"Fine."

Asch returned Guy's accusations with a glare and in a single swift movement, detached Guy's grip and threw him to the ground.

"Don't move yet Asch," Jade protested sternly before Asch could go anywhere. "Before anyone takes any action, I want some answers. You obviously knew that something was amiss."

"I don't have time for that old man," Asch shot darkly. He motioned after Luke but was met with a well-placed fonic arte that knocked him several paces backwards. "Damn you, Jade!"

"Like it or not, you will make time for this. If you know something about the enemy we don't I'll have it out of you one way or another," Jade replied coldly.

"I don't trust Van," Asch finally spat.

"I think Luke is the only one who does trust Commandant Grants. You'll need to do better than that." Jade returned.

Asch let out a frustrated sigh. "Van's obviously keeping something from us. First of all, he gave us all tickets to the ferry in Kaitzur."

"I don't get it," Anise interjected. "What's so suspicious about giving us ferry tickets?"

"Nothing's suspicious about giving us ferry tickets, but he gave us all tickets. How did he know how many of us there were?"

"He's right." Tear finally saw where Asch was heading with this. "As far as Van knew, there should only be me, Luke, Asch and Guy. He shouldn't have any way of knowing Jade and Anise were with us."

"Second of all," Asch continued, "in Akzerieuth, he said he had to leave right away to catch up with Arietta. Not one of us actually told him it was Arietta that had Ion. Whether all this is on his orders or not, I don't know, but he still has more information than he should. Someone is reporting to him."

"You raise valid points," Jade commented, impressed on how much Asch had picked up. He too had noticed the mentioning of Arietta, but even he hadn't thought of the ferry tickets. "What I still don't understand," he continued. "Is why were they after you? Why you and not Luke?"

To that question, Jade never got an answer.

"It's not working!" Dist whined as he tweaked the controls a little more, frustrated by the lack of progress. His voice echoed in the large basement room, reverberating off the fon machines. "Sync!"

"For the last time Dist, I did everything exactly like you told me to!" Sync eyed the boy from head to toe once more for good measure. They had discarded his jacket, tossing it off to the side and he was firmly attached to the fon machine, his limbs each carefully placed in accordance with the glyphs that were now glowing a soft green.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Sync inquired impatiently. They were quickly running out of time, the rest of the group would undoubtedly be here soon.

"Of course I know what I'm doing!" Dist shouted back. "It makes no sense! According to this data, everything should be working, but the data is incompatible with the process! Grrr It must have been that Jade! That duplicitous snake! I'll bet he did something to it!"

"Well hurry up! I think I hear them coming." Sync shouted down to Dist.

"I don't understand! Why won't it work? Everything else is right!" Dist cried in frustration as he realized he wouldn't be able to finish as he too heard the telltale sounds of the others getting closer.

"It's no use, we'll have to retreat for now, what we have should be good enough for the time being," Sync called to Dist. Dist gave the controls on last frustrated pound before removing the fon disk and tossing it to Sync.

"I don't think so!" Sync jump backed just in time to dodge the blond's swing. In his haste however, he dropped the fon disk, a prize that was quickly claimed by his attacker.

"What's this?" Guy held up the fon disk.

"You're not paying attention!" Sync attacked Guy's opening, but before he could get any closer, a fonic arte exploded in the air before him throwing him back. Sync quickly recovered mid-air and landed on the opposite edge.

"Who's not paying attention?" Jade taunted. "Oh my, look what we have here." Jade snatched the disc from Guy and held it up tauntingly.

"Curse you Jade! Return that at once!"

"My, my, you certainly haven't changed one bit, Dist the Runny."

"It's Dist the Rose!"

"You know each other, Colonel?"

"Yes," Dist replied. "Sadly I once counted that beastly Jade among my friends."

"You must have the wrong person then, I certainly don't know any Jades with such horrible taste in friends," Jade shot back.

"Forget it Dist," Sync cut in, even he could only take so much of this. "This wasn't an authorized mission, we'll retreat for now. I'm certain Arietta will be more than happy to care of them for us." Without another word, the two God-Generals were gone.

Everything was dark. His senses began to waken but his eyelids were heavy, they refused to open, shrouding him in darkness. When had he closed them? Everything was so foggy... he couldn't remember. It was like the last time... like last night. No, it wasn't like before. It wasn't warm and comforting... This time it was cold, echoing an ancient pain that made him want to scream. Where was he? Where was everyone?

Luke cracked open his eyes and saw a very worried Asch leaning over him. Luke groggily tried to move, but when he did the entire room started spinning and he almost fell over again. Asch slowly helped Luke to sit up, taking off Luke's coat and placing it carefully over its owner's shoulders. Luke looked confusedly up at Asch for a moment before resting his spinning head in his hand.

"Is he alright?" Jade inquired.

"Yeah, he's fine," Asch confirmed.

"He doesn't look fine to me." Guy protested.

"He'll be okay, he's just a bit out of it," Asch replied calmly, his attention never leaving Luke. How he knew exactly what was wrong, he wasn't sure, but he did. Asch could sense Luke's state of mind with a clarity he found startling. He'd always some vague idea how Luke seemed to be feeling, almost like he could read his sibling's aura, but this was different somehow. Every slither of worry that tried to consume him was snuffed out by this peculiar new feeling. He knew. Luke would be fine. "He just needs a bit to snap out of it," the older redhead finally provided.

"This may sound cruel, but we don't have that kind of time to waste," Jade informed him.

"I know," Asch answered, "You guys go ahead and rescue Ion, I'll stay here with Luke, and we'll catch up as soon as we can."

"Are you sure you'll be okay just the two of you?" Anise asked worriedly.

"We'll be fine," Asch answered as he gratefully accepted his own coat that Tear had retrieved from across the room and quickly threw it over his shoulders.

"No one is going to lay a finger on him." Asch stated venomously, and in that moment, not even Jade would have tried.

"I'm not really comfortable leaving the two of them alone like that," Guy protested as they followed the path to the rooftop. "What if Sync and Dist come back?"

"Guy, I highly doubt there is a soul in the world, including Van Grants himself, that would dare lay a finger on Luke right about now," Jade teased.

"Yeah, Asch looked pretty scary down there," Anise agreed.

"He's very protective of Luke," Tear commented.

"He is," Guy agreed. "He's always been like that, ever since they were kids. I don't know why though; I'd have thought if anything, it would be the opposite."

"Why's that?" Anise inquired.

"No reason really." Guy shrugged.

"Oh come on, why not?" Anise insisted. "I don't have any brothers or sisters, but I didn't think it was that weird for the older sibling to be the protective one."

"Really, it's nothing," Guy laughed nervously, trying to dismiss the issue. "Asch just never struck me as the protective type until I saw how he acted around Luke."

"You mean, you knew Asch before you knew Luke?" Anise asked incredulously. "Those two have been apart for more than a few days?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Guy interjected.

"Well what did you mean?" Anise asked her voice rising in frustration.

"Let's just say that Asch when he's around Luke is a completely different person than when he's not around Luke, and leave it at that."

"Cop out," Anise hissed under her breath. He didn't mean a damn word of it. It bothered her now, she really wanted to know what he meant! The way Asch protected Luke like his life depended on it just seemed to fit. She couldn't even imagine him being any other way, so just why did Guy, someone who knew them best of all, think it weird that Asch was protective?

"That's enough chatter for now." Jade quieted them as the next door led to their destination. Jade gave them the sign, and all four of them burst out on to the roof.

The roof was in as much disrepair as the rest of the mansion, making it a very dangerous place to be. There were already several spots where the stone had given away, and others that looked like it wouldn't take much to cave them in. Their targets stood in the center of the open roof, where two large monstrous blue birds were patiently sitting.

"Careful Ion," Arietta said as she gently helped Ion up onto the back of one of the large birds.

"Stop right there Gloomietta! Let Ion go!" Anise yelled at the young God-General.

"Arietta," Ion pleaded from atop of the girl's monster friend. "Please let me go with them; you should know how important it is that we stop this war."

"Sorry Ion," Arietta replied returning her attention to the young Fon Master Guardian. "I'll never let you have him Anise! I'd never leave Ion with you and those murderers!"

"That's the second time you've called us that," Tear pointed out remembering their brief encounter on the Tartarus. "We aren't murderers."

"Yes you are! You killed mommy!"

"We've never hurt your mother," Tear said, trying to reason with the young girl who was growing more upset by the second. "I'm not sure what happened to her, but-"

"You did so! Mommy just wanted to hatch her eggs in peace, to raise my brothers and sisters after their home was burnt down by the cheagles. But you went into her home and you killed her!"

"She couldn't possible mean…the liger queen?"

"Yeah she does," Anise answered, "Gloomietta here was raised by monsters. The only reason she ever made it into the Oracle Knights was because she could talk with monsters."

"That's not true Anise! I was Ion's Fon Master Guardian before you were! He picked me himself before you were ever more than some worthless trainee!"

"Oh yeah? Well who's his guardian now?"

"I'm going to kill you all and avenge mommy! Then Ion and I-" Arietta stopped. "What is so funny Anise?" Anise couldn't help herself anymore; it had taken enough effort to keep it at a smirk for this long.

"Are you alright Ion?" The voice made Arietta spin around.

"I'm fine, thank you Luke. Its good to see you two are doing well." Ion responded with a smile as he was quickly escorted by the two redheads back over to the group. While Arietta had been distracted, the twins had decided to make use of the opportunity to help Ion down off the monster.

"Give Ion back to me!" Arietta shrieked in anger.

"Not a chance, Gloomietta." Anise taunted. "It looks like you don't make a very good Fon Master Guardian anymore."

"You will return Ion to me, or I'll raze Kaitzur to the ground!" Arietta demanded.

"You will do no such thing," the familiar deep voice commanded from behind them.

"Com-Commandant!" Arietta stepped back nervously.

"Arietta! Who gave you these orders? You're completely out of line!" Van scolded her.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just that-"

Arietta suddenly found herself pinned under Asch's blade. She had left her guard down a second too long, and Asch knew the opportunity likely wouldn't arise again. He raised his sword. Best end it now before someone ended up getting hurt. Or worse...

"Stop!" Luke and Ion's simultaneous cry echoed across the rooftop and Asch stayed his hand.

"Please don't hurt her!" Ion begged.

"Don't kill her!" Luke also yelled, still in pure shock at Asch's rash action.

Asch slowly let her up, but didn't sheathe his blade. Jade was impressed, had Asch not made a move, he might have done the same thing. Despite his brother's and the Fon Master's protests, it was a smart move on his part. Best eliminate the threat while they had the chance, cruel though it may be; saving lives and stopping the war came first. He hadn't lost all those men on the Tartarus for nothing.

"So what do you want to do with her then?" Asch inquired.

"We'll take her back to Daath, where she will face a court inquiry," Ion stated simply.

"If that is your decision Fon Master, then I will take her into my custody," Van offered.

"Please do," Ion replied gratefully before anyone could get out a single word of protest.

"I have a coach waiting nearby to return us to Kaitzur Port; would you like to return with me Fon Master?"

"No thank you Van, I think I'll travel with Luke and his friends. I do believe we have some catching up to do."

"As you wish Fon Master, we shall await your arrival then," Van said with a small bow. Picking Arietta up and restraining her, he led her from the roof, her two monsters taking off into the sky.

"That turned out for the best," Guy commented once the two had disappeared back into the manor.

"Indeed," Tear agreed. "Thanks to Luke and Asch we were able to rescue Ion, but how did the two of you get behind her like that?"

"There are two ways up to the roof," Asch answered, a smug grin still adorning his face in light of their recent victory. "Luke didn't know about it since he hasn't been here in a long time."

"Oh that's right," Tear mumbled. She'd already forgotten they had switched places earlier.

"We should be on our way if we wish to arrive before sunset," Jade interrupted, noting the sun that was already high in the sky.

"You're right," Asch agreed, sheathing his sword. "Let's get going. You coming, Luke?"

"Huh?" Luke shook his head, snapping him out of whatever daydream he was lost in. "Yeah! I 'm coming!"

"Did they scramble your brains with that thing or what?" Asch teased.

"Not really," Luke answered still lost in thought. Asch was set back by his lack of reaction.

"Still feel kinda out of it?"

"A little? I don't know." Luke shrugged.

"Give it a bit," Asch suggested, "They probably gave you something to keep you from waking up sooner. It should wear off after awhile."

No, that wasn't it. Well, it might have been the case. It would certainly explain why his head still danced in circles here and there, but that wasn't why he was lost in thought. He just couldn't get that image out of his mind. Of Asch attacking Arietta like that. Luke had never seen Asch be that ruthless. The Asch Luke knew was a warm and kind older brother; sure he picked on Luke and liked to make things needlessly difficult but... he was still someone who was always protecting him, who always looked out for him. This cold, heartless Asch that had pinned down a defenceless girl no older than himself... who was ready to kill her without a moment's thought... it was someone completely foreign to Luke... and Luke didn't like it.

"Okay?" Asch inquired, poking him in attempt to get a response. Luke put on a smile.

"Okay."

"I'm sorry," Ion broke the silence as the setting sun outlined the Kaitzur naval port that sat on horizon. He turned to the blond who was keeping pace next to him. "I don't believe we've been introduced.

"Oh that's right!" Amidst the chaos Luke had completely forgotten that Guy had arrived after Ion's untimely kidnapping. "I'm sorry!"

"The name's Guy," the blond answered with a laugh. "I work for Duke Fabre, I'm Luke's attendant."

"Oh really?" Ion inquired.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Forgive my rudeness," Ion said quickly. "Given your lack of formality, I presumed you stood on more equal footing."

"Guy's been my friend for ages," Luke provided with a grin. It was obvious, if only by the young noble's expression that Guy wasn't simply another servant in the household.

"Much to Father's dismay," Asch tossed in.

"That makes sense," Ion said with a smile.

"Say Ion?" Luke casually placed his arms behind his head as they walked.

"What is it Luke?"

"I was just kinda wondering... what did they do with you that whole time?"

"I'm sorry Luke, but that's something that's confidential to the Order. I can't tell you that."

"It's a secret huh? I guess that's okay." Luke sighed, a bit disappointed that he didn't get an answer.

"Giving up so easily?" Guy laughed "That's not like you; you usually like to prod for hours until someone eventually tells you." Asch couldn't resist a small snicker. Too many memories of his childhood concurred with that statement.

Luke simply shrugged and continued to walk alongside his friends. He wasn't going to prod. Part of him wanted to, and another part of him was disappointed that Ion wouldn't confide in him, but Luke had been reminded all too recently how precious some secrets could be. Everybody has their own secrets, things they held onto that they just couldn't share. Maybe Asch was no different... he had his secrets too. Looking over at Asch, every bit of the dark stranger he'd witnessed earlier had vanished and noticing Luke's gaze, Asch offered him a warm smile. That's right, everyone had their own secrets, their own connections.

Things they could never tell a soul.

Chapter Text

The sunrise danced across the water as the ferry departed from the Kaitzur docks. After spending the night in port, everyone comfortably settled into one of the many rooms at their disposal for the duration of the trip.

Ever since their arrival in Kaitzur Port, Van had been conspicuously absent. Had it not been for Jade spotting him board with Arietta still in custody that morning, they would have wondered if he had missed the ship altogether. It certainly was a troublesome fact. Jade would much rather have the man somewhere where he knew what he was doing. Better yet, he'd rather have Van somewhere he'd be forced to answer each and every question on the steadily growing list at the back of Jade's mind. The more he thought on their circumstances, the more he wanted to steal a moment with the mysterious Commandant, but such fortune wasn't shining on him this morning, and Van was no where to be found.

In spite of everyone's reservations about the man, the lot of them were in a pretty good mood. The recently returned Ion had become the center of attention and he probably couldn't have detached Anise from him even if he had wanted to. In fact the only person happier to see him back than Anise, was Luke.

The redhead had been positively thrilled at the Fon Master's return and both of them had been chatting well into the night until Tear and Anise came in and put a stop to it. Something about getting some much needed rest. Jade didn't see a problem with it, the ferry ride should provide ample opportunity to catch up on sleep. The two girls however, seemed inclined to disagree, and far be it from him to interrupt them while they ensured the wellbeing of their respective charges.

"Fon Master," Jade interrupted the discussion, when the idea of exploring the ship came up. Before he let them go on their merry way, there were a few things he wanted to know.

"Yes?" Ion looked up. "What is it Jade?"

"I realize you can't tell us what you have been doing during your absence-" Jade paused, wondering if Ion just might divulge something.

"No I'm afraid I can't." Ion replied.

"That's fine," Jade stated, adjusting his glasses. Clearly he'd have to alter his strategy. "Can you at least tell us where they took you? Hopefully it won't be necessary, but should the God-Generals decide to take you on another field trip, I'd rather not leave finding you to chance."

Ion sighed deeply, contemplating Jade's request. The internal struggle between guarding the Order's secrets and his desire to be of assistance was written across his face. "We went to the Sephiroth," Ion finally offered.

"The Sephiroth? That sounds familiar; I know I've heard of it before," Luke pondered.

"The Sephiroth are the world's ten most powerful fon slots. They're places where memory particles concentrate and fonons gather easily," Asch answered.

"Oh yeah! I remember now. Man that was a boring lecture!"

"It might be more interesting if you were awake," Asch said with a jab.

"I was not sleeping!" Luke protested. "So what if my memory isn't as good as yours?"

"Right, so pacing my notes to the sound of your snoring was clearly my imagination."

"So what? I just don't get what's so interesting about fon slots. It doesn't really have much application if you're not a fonist anyway, right?"

"Actually Luke, it has a great many practical applications," Ion replied. "Take the Planet Storm for example, without the fon slots that power it, there would be no fonons to provide energy. In a sense everything on this planet is dependent on the existence of fon slots, even if they don't directly utilize their own."

"Sorry Ion," Luke said with a chuckle. "You lost me."

"You're hopeless," Asch muttered.

"Actually, on the topic of fon slots," Luke continued. "How are you making out with that fon slot seal, Jade? I mean, are you making any progress with it at all?"

"Why, are you worried about me?" Jade taunted.

"Not especially," Luke shrugged it off, "I was just- well- you know..."

"Thank you for your concern Luke," Jade said, somewhat sincerely this time. "But a fon slot seal is like a lock, with a code that changes periodically. I'm working on it, but it will be awhile until it's completely undone."

"Oh. Okay."

"Hey Guy?" Anise spoke up. The blond in question had been quiet the entire time and seemed to be focused on whatever he had sitting on the table in front of him. With his back to everyone, he was oblivious to the world, Anise's query included. Rather irate at being ignored, Anise decided to take the direct approach.

"Watcha got there?" Anise chirped cheerfully as she jumped onto Guy's back, her arms wrapping around his neck. Even from across the room, everyone could see Guy freeze. He slowly turned his head and next thing anyone knew, Anise was on the floor, having overturned a few chairs on her way there, and Guy was in the corner, curled up and shaking.

"What the hell are you doing?" Asch yelled at Guy, extending a hand to help the young Fon Master Guardian up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Anise replied, quickly shifting her leg as to hide the trickle of blood coming out of the cut she had incurred from her fall.

"What's wrong?" Ion inquired.

"Yes, that's more than just a startled reaction," Jade commented. "And far beyond a simple aversion to females."

"I-I'm sorry. I just…reacted. I can't help it. I'm sorry Anise."

"Don't worry about it." Anise replied.

"Ah, so this was the cause of the commotion." Jade picked up the fon disc from the ground. It was the same one he had returned to Guy after using it to taunt Dist.

"Yeah, I was kind of curious as to what's on it," Guy replied. His words caught the attention of both redheads.

"Well, when we reach Chesedonia, we can get it checked out." Jade suggested. Asch and Luke caught each other's eye. This was going to be a fun mess to get out of.

"Anise, you're bleeding!" Ion exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention away from the fon disk for now.

"I'm fine Ion, don't worry. It's just a scratch." Anise cheerfully insisted.

"But it could get infected if it's not treated properly," Ion argued. Accepting some bandages from Tear, he began properly dressing the wound. "There," he stood up once he was finished, "that should do for now."

"Th-Thank you Ion." Anise stuttered, blushing.

"I'm really sorry Anise," Guy repeated. "I wasn't like this when I was a kid."

"What do you think started it then?" Tear inquired curiously. Guy shifted uncomfortably but didn't answer. "I'm sorry, that was inconsiderate of me." Tear apologized after a moment.

"Oh give me a break," Asch muttered. "How about one of these days you just grow a spine before you seriously hurt someone?"

"Asch!" Anise exclaimed. She was appalled by his statement. Sure it seemed like a dumb thing to be afraid of, but even she could tell he had a very good reason for it, even if he didn't feel like sharing it. It was written all over his face. Asch couldn't seriously have missed that fact, not living in the same mansion. Why was he being such a jerk?

"So it's a fear. Get over it," Asch continued. "Yeah it's all fine and well to be afraid of something, but when people are getting hurt, just because some girl touched you? It's pathetic. Then you expect to have everyone tiptoe on eggshells about it afterwards? Get real. Deal with it instead of running away like some coward."

The room was completely silent and Anise didn't dare breathe for fear of snapping the tension. Somehow she was getting the impression, if only from the aura of hatred radiating off Guy and Asch, that if it did there would be a bloodbath. This went way beyond her scrapping her leg on the floor. There was some serious bad blood between those two and she didn't want to be around when it all spilled over. Much to her relief, Guy didn't respond in any way. Instead he muttered something about needing some air, and was gone before anyone could say a word.

"I think that's a good idea," Jade agreed, his own disapproving glare never leaving Asch. "I think we could all use some fresh air, and a chance to unwind." He left, and everyone else was just as eager to escape the room, leaving only Luke and Asch in the haze of tension that had yet to disperse.

"Hmph, fine be that way," Asch scoffed at the metal door that closed behind his travel companions.

"It's your own fault," Luke spat. He was just as angry as everyone else, if not even more so at how Asch had treated Guy. "Why the hell do you always have to be so mean to Guy?"

"What do you mean always? How would you know? You're only seven. You have no idea what went on before then!"

"That doesn't matter. You have no excuse to treat him like crap!"

"Why the hell do you care, he's just a servant."

"He is not just a servant!" Luke yelled, outraged.

"He is so!"

"Then what am I? Just your brother? Just your replica? You think you're so much better then everyone else! So much more important! Maybe you are important, but guess what? That doesn't mean you get to treat the rest of the world like the dirt under your boots!"

"What the hell do you know?"

"I know you'd never treat Natalia's servants like that!"

"You leave her out of this!" Asch threatened venomously.

"Yeah well until you learn to treat the people important to me with a little respect, I'll say whatever the hell I please!"

"Important to you? You mean the people who spoil you!"

"That is not true!"

"Yes it is! You only defend him because of the way he dotes on you day and night!"

"And how would you know? You can't spend 10 seconds with him without making one of those snide remarks of yours!"

"Don't talk like you know everything!" Asch shouted.

"Then why don't you grow up and be a bit more responsible!"

"Don't give me crap about responsibilities when you don't even have a future!"

A cold silence fell over them both.

Luke didn't answer, but the fury and hurt in his eyes was more then enough for Asch to know that his hit had landed. After a moment, Luke spun around and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him. Asch cringed as the door flew shut. Well, now everyone on the ship knew something was up.

Asch almost regretted what he had said. It had been a low blow, to a subject that he knew was sensitive to begin with. That was the most hurt he'd seen Luke in a long time. Maybe he had gone a bit too far this time. No; Asch shook off the feeling, dismissing his tugging conscience.

Let him be that way. He had more important things to deal with than Luke's temper tantrums.

Chapter Text

Tear slowly walked along the deck of the ship, allowing her hand to softly graze the railing. The cool ocean breeze felt nice and blew her long hair out behind her. Though it was now closer to mid-day, the light still danced across the water and Tear happily watched it. It put her mind at ease.

Her brother's continued absence worried her. Everyone knew Van was onboard, but they had yet to see him. He knew of the tirade of questions and accusations that he would face the second any of them had his attention for any length of time; of that Tear had no doubt. Nor did she doubt that this was the reason behind his mysterious absence.

She didn't trust her brother any further than she could throw him. Which was probably a good thing, as the thought of throwing him overboard was rather appealing at this point in time, if only to relieve the tension that his presence had brought over them all. Tear recalled all too well the shouting match that had gone on after they'd left the cabin earlier. She may not have been able to make out what had been said, but there was no mistaking the emotions behind the words. A painful reminder of what such tensions could do to even the closest of people.

It was Luke's presence on the port side of the ship that eventually stopped Tear's aimless wandering. He was slumped down against the railing and staring aimlessly out at the water, devoid of the cheer she'd so often associated with him. It was strange to see him like that, if nothing else Luke had always been energetic, but watching him stare at the horizon, he just looked sad. It didn't take the familiar golden trinket he fiddled unconsciously with to tell Tear why Luke seemed so upset, but Tear didn't know nearly enough about their situation to risk trying to talk to him about it.

"So I hear this is your first time on a boat," Tear said as she joined him against the railing. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Stupid! Tear silently berated herself. That was the last question she should have asked.

"Who told you that?" Luke asked, his voice quietly confirming his solemn mood.

"Um...Guy did," Tear responded hesitantly, unsure how to reply without digging the hole she was in any deeper.

"Oh," Luke sighed, turning around to lean back against the railing. Trying to shake off the gloom, Luke's voice gained an edge of concern. "How's he doing?"

"He was upset, but he seems fine now. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him around in awhile. Maybe he went back to his room." Tear shrugged.

"That's good." Luke smiled, but it wasn't his usual cheerful smile, there was still an underlying sorrow Tear couldn't quite reach. Taking one last look at his locket, Luke scoffed angrily and stuffed the charm back into hi pocket.

"Wait!" Tear reached out, and then retreated a bit when she realized what she had done. Luke looked up at her curiously, his hand still half in his pocket. "Umm…" she hesitantly continued, unsure how to proceed tactfully with her request. "Well if you don't mind… I mean… if it's okay with you… do you think I could see it?" Tear finally got out, she could feel her face flushing. Honestly what was with her? There was no reason for her to mettle in his personal affairs.

"Sure." Luke smiled a bit more, amused at her embarrassment. He removed the locket from his pocket and passed it to Tear.

The small golden locket sparkled in the afternoon sun. It was old; even Tear, who had little experience with such things, could tell that much. The closer you looked, the more you could tell that it had lost its lustre, and that it was covered in scratches. Despite its wear, it was still beautiful. On the back was a flame, set using bronze and silver that burned against the gold in which it was laid.

Tear flipped the locket over, and took a closer look at the picture on the other side. The picture was almost as worn as the locket, and was starting to fade around the edges. It was strange, the picture she had so easily mistaken for Luke in the Cheagle Woods, now so very obviously wasn't. The boy in the picture was probably about 12 and had crimson red hair that fell just past his shoulders. He was looking directly at whoever had taken the picture, but he had a gentle smile. Not the bright, cheerful, somewhat carefree grin that often graced Luke's face, but still the smile of a boy who was happy, despite the many other troubles he may have.

"So, this is a picture of Asch?" Tear asked softly. Stupid! She berated herself for the second time in the past five minutes. Why didn't she stop and think before asking questions?

"Yeah," Luke replied, glancing over her shoulder as she continued to look at his treasure.

"What happened here?" Tear gently fingered a rough spot along the edge of the frame where the hinge should be.

"That locket used to belong to Mother," Luke explained, leaning back to stare at the sky. "She loved that picture of the two of us; she took it with her everywhere. Then one day, it broke in half while she was playing with us. Instead of being upset, she just took the two pieces and gave us both the half with the other in it. She said to hold onto it tightly, because it was our greatest treasure," Luke chuckled. "I don't understand what she meant, but I've been hanging onto it ever since. It used to be embarrassing to carry it around, but… the way she had treasured it so much, I just could never bring myself not to, you know?"

"I can understand that." Tear held the locket a bit closer. "I once had something very precious to me."

"Really? What was it?" Luke inquired curiously. "I mean… if you don't mind telling me."

"Not at all," Tear smiled softly. "It was a pendant that belonged to my mother. I never knew my parents; they died when I was really young. It's always been just Van and me. I still loved that pendant; it was the only piece of them that I had."

"What ever happened to it?" Luke asked, pausing uncomfortably when Tear didn't answer. Luke thought on it a moment, he remembered Tear having a pendant, but…

"Hey, it wasn't the one you gave that coachman back in Tataroo Valley was it?" No answer; Luke didn't like the implications of her silence. "Why would you do that?"

"Because there wasn't any other way," she responded solemnly.

"Of course there was another way! We could have walked, we could have negotiated or something!" Luke's outrage quieted instantly. "We could...we could have done something. You shouldn't have had to sacrifice something so precious, and for me, who you barely even knew."

"It was my responsibility," Tear answered simply.

"Then I'll get it back for you. Someday we'll find that coachman and get your pendant back." Luke decided.

Tear bit her lip to the point where she could almost taste blood. Luke was so upset and so worried for her sake, over the loss of her treasure. The harsh words she had spoken to him in the Cheagle Woods echoed in her mind and just how thoughtless she had been downright disgusted her. She had been so petty and shallow, over something so important to him. She carefully handed the locket back to him, no longer able to look him in the eye.

She began to walk away, but stopped. She turned around and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry Luke," Tear muttered before running off to attend to something- anything else, leaving a somewhat confused Luke in her wake.

Luke stood dumbfounded for a moment his locket in hand, looking at the spot in which Tear had been standing just a moment ago. What had gotten into her all of a sudden? Oh well, Luke returned to slumping against the railing and staring out at the sea, placing his locket back in his pocket.

Luke let out a frustrated sigh. This was pointless, and it wasn't helping his mood. Not that he expected anything to improve his deteriorating mood, but speaking with Tear had done a surprisingly good job of it. Now, with her abrupt departure, whatever good cheer she had brought also left. Luke stood up and followed the railing all the way to the bow of the ship, allowing himself to sulk the entire way. It helped a little, but Luke still had tons of pent up frustration and absolutely no way to vent it.

Just relax.

What?

"Just relax, and focus. You can feel them can't you?" Asch calmly coached Luke for the seventh time that night.

"I still don't get what you're talking about." Luke cracked an eye open to see what his elder sibling was up to. Asch was standing a few feet away, watching him with his arms crossed.

"Look. For a hyperresonance to occur, you need a large number of Seventh Fonons. You're never going to be able to pull it off unless you first learn how to properly gather those fonons."

"Well I know that, but-"

"Focus! You've seen firsthand just how powerful the Seventh Fonon can be if not properly controlled. If you really want to learn how to control a hyperresonance, then you need to learn to focus. Otherwise you're just a danger to yourself and everyone around you!"

Luke took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and tried again.

Great, why of all things did that particular memory have to pop up? Why did Luke have to think about him? He'd barely dismissed the thought and he could already feel his mood souring. Leave it to Asch to be a total prick and ruin a perfectly good boat trip. After all the time they had spent working on his hyperresonance together too! Every night since their discussion after the Tartarus, once they were sure even Jade was asleep, they'd sneak off into the woods and get some practice in. Sometimes it was for a few hours, other times it was only 20 minutes or so, but it had become routine, and Luke had enjoyed it. Even their free day in Akzerieuth had been wasted away training, until a group of local kids had stumbled upon them, and they decided to call it a day. Stupid jerk. Obviously all of that meant absolutely nothing to him. Luke kicked a rock in frustration, watching it bounce across the deck before plummeting into the water.

Then again, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Practicing his hyperressonance always did do a good job of calming him down, and it wasn't like there was anyone else around to see him. At the very least it could distract him from the echoes of their argument that were still resonating within him. What had been said…hurt, and Luke was tired of dwelling on it.

Luke closed his eyes. He'd been getting better at sensing Seventh Fonons. There wasn't an abundance of them around this time, but that wasn't to say they were scarce either. There was an area on the other end of the ship where they were gathering readily, Tear perhaps, or even Asch. He had always noticed a stronger concentration of Seventh Fonons where his brother was concerned. Then again, every time he had bothered to look, there had always been some around him too. Maybe they were the same in that regard as well.

No! Luke immediately rejected the realization he'd stumbled upon. They weren't the same. He wasn't the same as Asch. Without even trying, the closest Seventh Fonons began to gather. Luke didn't want to be the same as him! He wasn't that mean or hurtful or completely selfish. More fonons gathered. He wasn't that way, he didn't want to be that way, he would never be that way! It was always about him, never anyone else. Asch didn't care. Asch never cared. He-

Suddenly, like a floodgate opening, Seventh Fonons flocked to him, far more than had ever answered his call. Far more than he was capable of handling. They swarmed him; drowning him in a mass of fonons that, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't fight his way out of. Then he found himself engulfed in a sea of gold, and a far too familiar head-splitting pain.

My child. I have reached you at last.

"What the-? Who the hell are you? What are you doing to me?" Luke could no longer move.

You have found it. You have reached it. The power that is twin to my own.

"What are you-?" Luke choked out before even his voice was no longer his own.

Now show it to me.

No- He couldn't. He couldn't unleash a hyperresonance here. That wasn't what he was trying to do! Half the boat would go with him, and whatever didn't blow up would sink! Luke slowly raised his arms, but it was no longer him that was doing it.

"Luke," a deep voice whispered in his ear, breaking the hold that this golden aura had on him. "Calm down Luke. There that's it." Luke could feel the fonons slowly start to dissipate. "Now, focus. Focus it all into the tips of your fingers." Luke did as he was instructed, and the sea of gold retreated, leaving darkness in its wake.

"Are you alright Luke?" Luke opened his eyes to see his sword instructor standing over him.

"Master Van!" Luke almost jumped up, having to stop to keep from falling over again due to the sudden rush of blood to his head.

"Luke, what happened?" Van inquired seriously.

"I- I don't know," Luke admitted sheepishly. "I was upset and then, it sort of happened." Luke didn't like lying to Master Van of all people, but he wouldn't even trust Tear with the truth of what he had been doing. At least what he said hadn't technically been a lie. "What was that?" Luke inquired, hoping that would detour Master Van from any further questioning.

Van eyed Luke for a moment before deciding that Luke seemed confused and worried enough about what had just happened to dismiss his initial concerns that it had all been intentional. Skills like that could be troublesome, if not downright dangerous. It seemed to be merely a fluke, no matter how much of a nuisance it might pose.

"I'm not certain, but perhaps it would be best for you to try to remain calm for the next little while." Van finally replied. The less the boy knew, the better. "If you don't mind my asking, what had you so worked up?"

"Asch," Luke spat with a frustrated sigh.

"Did you two have another argument?"

"No, just Asch being a total jerk, as usual."

"Is he treating you like you're inferior again?"

"Yes! Wait… what do you mean again?"

"You might think no one else notices, but I've seen the way he always treats you like you're not as important as he is."

"Really?"

"Of course. The way he acts isn't fair to you. Just because you're younger, doesn't mean you deserve any less respect."

"Yeah," Luke avidly agreed, "But...it's not like I can do anything about being the younger one."

"True," Van chuckled, "but there is still something you can do."

"There is? What?"

"This war," Van answered simply. "If you can help stop it from happening, then you can prove that you're just as important as Asch. Then you can earn their respect. You can gain the recognition you deserve, rather than let all the effort you've put into this get lost in Asch's shadow."

"You're right! I mean, I've put in my share of work into this journey too."

"Exactly. You are more than worthy of being his equal, and yet, he keeps you beneath him. Do you know why?"

"No...why?" Luke inquired.

"Because he can see your potential, and he's afraid of it. He knows that you could surpass him someday. You know what's going to happen as soon as you get back to Baticul-"

"Yes I know," Luke angrily cut Van off. Did everybody think he didn't have eyes? Because that was the only way he could not know what would happen when they got back to Baticul.

"Then, all the more, you need to prove yourself and surpass Asch, so that everyone can see you too. As Luke fon Fabre, not simply an extension of Asch."

"Thank you, Master Van."

"You're more than welcome Luke."

"Master Van? Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

"Well, where have you been all this time? You've been on board since we left, but this is the first I've seen you."

"I've been personally guarding Arietta's cell to ensure she doesn't try anything."

"Why? I've seen lots of other soldiers onboard. Besides, I think the others wanted to talk to you about something."

"Thank you Luke, but I want to do this as a way to apologize for the trouble my men have caused you. They may not think it necessary, but it's something I'd like to do to try and make amends. It's the least I can do."

"Okay, I won't tell the others then."

"Thank you, until we reach Chesedonia, try to enjoy the rest of your trip. It's your first time on a boat after all."

"I'll try." Luke waved as Van returned below deck.

Luke stopped waving once Master Van was out of sight. There wasn't much chance of that happening, but he still appreciated the sentiment. At the very least Luke took some consolation in that had a plan to get himself out of Asch's shadow. Until that actually happened though, he didn't expect to enjoy much of anything... especially considering who he had to deal with for the rest of the trip.

More than having to put up with his sibling for the rest of the trip, Luke was worried about what had just happened to him. Why had his hyperresonance failed like that? Sure he hadn't always gathered the necessary fonons, but nothing even remotely close to that had ever happened. What was so different this time?

Let me try synching our fon slots. At the very least, it could help with our headaches.

So in the end it really did come back to Asch.

"Aren't you ever scared?"

"Hm?" Asch looked down at Luke who was sitting down, resting against a cliff.

"Like, aren't you scared that you'll lose control and hurt someone?"

"A little, I guess. As long as you do everything like I explained it, the hyperresonance will never go further than you make it go."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked hesitantly. Asch kneeled down and looked Luke right in the eyes.

"It's a dangerous power. There's a very good reason it's not used in battle, it could easily wipe out a country in a matter of days. That's not the kind of weapon you want to be carelessly flinging around. As long as you stay calm, and think everything through carefully, nothing bad will ever happen. You just need to believe in yourself. You can do this. I know that this is something you can master."

Luke smiled.

"Thanks."

Yeah right. Asch didn't want him to master it. Of course he didn't, it seemed so obvious now. Asch never wanted Luke to become as good or as talented as he was. Asch must have been getting worried, since Luke had been progressing in the training so well. So he went and synched their fon slots, throwing Luke completely off and putting him back at square one. He must have been getting desperate. Asch had to do something, or Luke might get better than he was, and in Asch's mind that couldn't be right.

After all, Luke was just his replica.

Chapter Text

"I'll take Arietta on to Daath." The Commandant's voice barely rose above the hustle and bustle that was Chesedonia at midday. Hundreds of people filled the desert streets, coming and going, completely oblivious to the most recent group of newcomers. Tourists were hardly out of the ordinary in such a widely known center of commerce.

"Thank you Van," Ion replied, "Could you see to it that a court inquiry date is set for her as well?"

"Certainly Fon Master, shall I have it be for after your return?"

"If you could, that would be for the best."

"Then I'll see that it's done before coming to meet you in Baticul." Without another word, Van and his small entourage of Oracle Knights boarded the ship to Daath.

Stupid Commandant. Everyone watched him go in silence. In spite of their best efforts, not one of them had managed to track him down or corner him during the entire duration of the trip. In fact, that was the most they'd seen of him in three whole days. Then again, it wasn't the only new thing they were witnessing; Luke and Asch were standing within five feet of each other. They hadn't seen that in two whole days either. As good as they were at finding each other; they were as freakishly good at avoiding each other. Their paths hadn't crossed even once. The boat wasn't that big. Whatever it was they had been yelling about had them awfully mad. Not that Anise really minded of course, one less person to compete for Asch's attention.

Not that she'd really seen much of Asch during the trip either. He pretty much stuck to his room and wasn't much one for conversation, especially if the topic involved himself in any way. Luke on the other hand had been lots of fun to talk to. She had gotten to know him a lot better over the past few days, and it turned out he was a pretty nice guy... for a noble. They'd had lots of interesting conversations and Luke wasn't anywhere near as uptight as his older brother was. Oh, this wasn't any good! Now she was wondering which one she liked better!

"Well then," the Colonel spoke up, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Shall we be going? We won't get anything accomplished just standing around here."

"Yeah," Guy agreed. "I'd still like to get this fon disc checked out."

"Why don't we go visit Astor then?" Ion suggested, "If anyone around here has the resources to analyze that fon disc, it would have to be him."

"So who exactly is this Astor person?" Luke inquired.

"He's the head merchant and leader of Chesedonia." Tear replied.

"Chesedonia has its own leader?"

"Chesedonia is built on the border between Malkuth and Kimlasca and thrives as a trading center. It was declared an autonomous state by Daath so it's separate from either country. Chesedonia contributes large sums of money to Daath, and Daath defends it as its own self-governed state. Learn to read moron," Asch shot.

"I wasn't asking you!" Luke yelled back.

"Now, now boys," a female voice intervened. "Two men as handsome as you shouldn't be fighting."

The lady walked up to Luke, placing her hand gently on his shoulder. She was dressed in a grey cloak that was a bit tattered, but made of a light material. Under the hood that she kept pulled up, hid a head of vibrant pink hair and a pair of pink eyes that she bat periodically as she very obviously came onto the young noble.

Her interest was short lived, and she made her way over to his twin. "My, my, it must be my lucky day." She grinned as she seductively circled Asch, the same way she had circled Luke only seconds earlier. Unlike Luke who was still several shades of red from the unexpected flirt, Asch kept a serious look, his gaze never leaving the woman.

Anise was biting her lip. It would be unlady like to just burst out in public, but just what did that old hag think she was doing? "Hey!" She finally yelled; keeping her temper in check had never been one of her strong points anyway. "Get your hands off him!"

"Oh what's this? Jealous are we, little girl? Can't say I blame you, he is quite a catch. But it's time for you to leave the grownups alone now," the lady taunted.

"I think that's enough," Tear interjected. "We have important business to attend to, as I imagine you do as well," she managed in the most threatening voice that she could.

"Two against one huh? That's hardly fair," she replied, but backed off none-the-less. "Have a wonderful stay," she winked at the boys "I'm sure fate will allow us to meet again someday."

"Wait!" Tear yelled as the lady began to walk away.

"Oh?" she turned around. "Having second thoughts? I'm not usually one for that kind of thing, but…"

"How about before you leave, you return their wallets?" Jade finally provided as Tear fought through stuttering, having already turned purple in a mix of fury and embarrassment.

The lady's smile became a devilish smirk, "Or how about I don't?" She reacted quicker than any normal civilian could have, ripping off her cloak, which took the hit from both Tear's knife and Jade's spear. By the time the dust had settled she was gone.

"Hah! That's what you get for messing with Noir of the Dark Wings!" The lady reappeared a moment later on the roof of a nearby stall, just out of reach of any potential strike.

"The Dark Wings? You're those bandits we heard about!" Luke cried in outrage.

"Some bandits you are," Asch's sarcastic comment silenced Noir's laughing.

"You sure talk tough for someone who was just outplayed," Noir taunted.

"Outplayed? Who was outplayed?" Asch taunted back, revealing his own wallet in his hand.

"Why you-" Noir fumed from her spot on the rooftop.

"Oh and look at this." Asch continued pulling out Luke's wallet as well.

"What?" Noir yelled in outrage, gathering the attention of some of the nearby civilians.

"Of course, we couldn't have such a memorable encounter and not have a souvenir," Asch finished revealing his third prize: Noir's own wallet, filled with her loot from the day.

Noir couldn't even speak she was so angry at being outsmarted and out conned by her latest victims. Asch continued to dangle the wallet tauntingly, nothing short of an evil grin gracing his face.

"How dare you do that to our boss!" Two men appeared at Noir's side, completing the 'two men and a woman' that Tear had heard of from the coachman in Tataroo Valley. Standing together, the three of them looked more like a circus troupe than any bandits she had ever seen.

"You'll regret messing with us!" The other man shouted, "You may have gotten the better of us today, but we'll get you back ten times over!" Their threat echoing in the plaza that had fallen silent in light of the commotion, save for a few local authorities making their way through the crowd. By the time they reached the source, the Dark Wings were already gone.

"Thank you," Jade said as he finished answering the officer's inquiries about their encounter. "Also could you point us in the direction of Astor's manor?"

Rather than answer, the officer was carefully peeking over Jade's shoulder at the scene behind him. "Umm… are those two going to be alright?" Jade looked over his shoulder.

"Give me back my wallet!" Luke yelled jumping at the leather pouch in Asch's hand.

"Give me one good reason to. If it wasn't for me you would have had it stolen anyways!" Asch sidestepped his sibling's attempt, leaving the younger redhead to crash on the street.

"You jerk!"

"Better that than stupid!"

"They'll be fine," Jade replied.

"Fon Master!" Astor greeted Ion with open arms, offering him and his guests a place to sit and a variety of refreshments. An offer they all gratefully took him up on. The juice, squeezed from the rare desert fruits, bore a flavour that exploded in their mouths while offering a welcome reprieve from the dryness of the harsh environment. Mieu in particular enjoyed the fresh vegetables that Astor provided, having found few things to his liking while out at sea.

The room in which they had settled was lavishly decorated with cloth and tapestries from all corners of Auldrant. Many forms of art could be found all over the interior of the manor, with many plants and flowers decorating the grounds. The colour and life of the manor made it a stark contrast to its desert backdrop. The officer hadn't exaggerated when he had told them 'you can't miss it.'

"If I had known you were coming I would have prepared something much grander and more befitting your stay here," Astor commented when everyone had finished their drinks and snacks.

"This is more than enough," Ion replied, "Besides, we're trying to keep a bit of a low profile."

"I see. So what brings you here then?"

"One of my friends has a request of you, if you could assist him?"

"Certainly, I'd be more than happy to," Astor answered with an astounding amount of vigour, and a rather annoying laugh. "So what is it you need?"

"It's this fon disk," Guy spoke up, passing Astor the disk in question. "If possible, we'd like to see what's on it."

"Hmm," Astor held the disk up to the light before clapping his hands. "What do you think?" he asked, passing the disk to the man who had answered his summons.

"It seems to be slightly damaged, but it should still be capable of functioning. It may take a bit longer than usual to analyze though." The man replied.

"Alright, then begin right away."

"Sir." The man quickly departed from their company.

"I'm sorry, but it looks like its going to be awhile. Could you give us until morning?"

"That's fine." Jade replied, "Our ship doesn't depart until tomorrow morning anyway."

"Good! Then I will see you all in the morning. Would you like me to get someone to show you the way out?"

"No thank you," Tear replied standing up from the rather comfortable couch on which she had been sitting. "We can find the way ourselves, there's no need to trouble your staff."

"Yes, we'll let ourselves out if you don't mind." Ion agreed, also getting up, the rest of the group not far behind him. "We'll stop by in the morning then."

"I'll make sure everything is ready." Astor replied with another spurt of laughter.

"Thank you."

By the time they had found their way out of the manor, the sun was already beginning to set. Granted it had been midday when they had arrived, apparently Astor's manor wasn't the only site they 'couldn't miss' and they had seen their share of Chesedonia's sights before making their way to Astor's manor.

Luke had finally managed to get his wallet back, but not before making a huge scene in the middle of the city, and needless to say, relations between the two brothers weren't any better because of it. They now refused to talk to each other, which, despite how much Tear really hoped they'd make up soon, for the time being was a good thing. Their constant bickering was trying even her patience.

The walk to the inn was silent, and very awkward to say the least. No one said a word, not even Ion, who was the only one who had yet to give up on trying to get the boys to reconcile. The inn was modest, nothing like the extravagant manor in which they had been moments ago, but the rooms were a fair rate and big enough that they would only need two of them to sleep the entire group.

Just as silently everyone made their way up the stairs to the rooms they had been given. Luke and Asch instinctively reached for the same door handle. They froze, and their eyes met. Looking at each other for a moment, they simultaneously scoffed and turned away. They stood with their arms crossed looking away from the other and then at the same time, stomped off into separate rooms, slamming the doors behind them in one loud crash. As terrible as it was, Tear had to hold back a small laugh; even as mad as they were, they were still completely in sync.

"That went well," Jade commented after an awkward silence.

"Were we even watching the same people?" Anise shot back.

"I'm getting worried," Ion admitted. "They've been fighting for almost four days now."

"That's true," Tear agreed. "I wonder if they've ever fought like this before. I mean, maybe they just don't know how to apologize to each other."

"Now I know that's not the case," Guy said with a chuckle.

"Oh? They've fought before then?" Ion inquired.

"Well yeah, of course." Guy provided, "I mean, they're really close and all, but they're still brothers. Though I have to admit, half the time they've fought and made up before anyone's the wiser."

"But not this time."

"No, this is one of the biggest fights they've had in awhile."

"Yeah," Anise spoke up, the sound of the doors slamming still ringing in her ears, "They're both really mad."

"I don't like it when Master fights." Mieu contributed. "He gets all sad when he's by himself. I don't like it at all."

"They'll make up eventually," Guy shrugged. "I've found the best way of dealing with it is not to get involved."

"But you're Luke's servant aren't you?" Anise asked. "How can you let it go on like that?"

"Actually," Tear cut in, "I've wanted to ask you about that for awhile now. If you're Luke's attendant, then where is Asch's? I would have thought he would have accompanied Asch from the start but we still should have met up with him by now."

"That's true, it should be his attendant's responsibility to accompany him and ensure his safety and wellbeing. We should have met them by now." Jade added tauntingly, clearly already knowing the answer.

"Actually," Guy shifted uncomfortably, "I technically answer to both Luke and Asch."

"Oh I get it; you work for both of them," Anise piped up, "So then why do you introduce yourself as Luke's attendant?"

"I was originally assigned to Luke," Guy explained. "Asch refused to have an attendant of his own so I was assigned to him as more of a formality than anything. Luke was always been the one that needed help with things. Asch is more the independent type, so I always end up spending more time with Luke than with Asch."

"That's good. I was starting to think you had something against him," Anise replied. "You know what?" She giggled. "I bet you Asch is just jealous."

"Jealous?" Tear inquired. "Why would Asch be jealous?"

"Well you heard him. He just said he spends more time with Luke than Asch. I bet Asch is jealous!"

"That would make sense." Tear agreed.

"I really don't think that's it," Guy replied nervously.

"Well, now that that's all settled, all that's left is a bit of organizing, and we can be off to bed," Jade interjected.

"Colonel, what do you mean by organizing?"

"Why sleeping arrangements of course. With our twins here refusing to stay in the same room as each other, we'll have to reorganize who gets to sleep with whom."

Everyone simple stared at Jade. Could he possibly have made that sound any creepier?

"I don't think I should sleep in the same room as Asch." Guy spoke up.

"I'm in the same room as Ion!" Anise demanded. "And I want to sleep tonight, not listen to you and Asch have another one of your sarcasm wars," she added, her eyes fixed on Jade. "So you can sleep in Luke's room."

"Are you sure you don't want me to tuck you in? I could tell you some lovely bedtime stories," Jade replied tauntingly.

"I'll pass on the nightmares thanks."

"Oh I get it; you just want to spend the night with Asch uninterrupted," Jade continued in his creepy voice. "That's fine I suppose, Tear, you can sleep in the room with us."

"What? But Colonel!" Tear protested.

"Yeah. Come on Jade!" Guy was already shaking at just the thought of sleeping that close to a girl. He'd gotten a peak in the room when Luke had opened the door. The beds weren't nearly far enough apart for his sanity to remain intact.

Anise turned beet red and was positively fuming at being made fun of. "No way. Tear comes with us!" she finally managed.

"It's far too late to be changing sleeping arrangements now," Jade let out a fake yawn. "It's time we all went to bed." Jade finished as he let himself in Luke's room and closed the door behind him.

"That stupid, stuck up-" Anise stuck her tongue out at the closed door. "So what do you wanna do Tear? You're welcome to come sleep in the other room with us."

"I think I'll be okay," Tear replied, unable to hold back the blush she knew must be on her face. "We'll never hear the end of it from Jade otherwise."

"That's true. Well as long as you don't mind, it's okay I guess. Good night Tear."

"Yes, sleep well," Ion added as Anise dragged him into the other room.

"Good night you two," Tear said softly as she entered her appointed room, leaving Guy alone in the hall.

"Hey… What about me?"

Asch quietly opened the door and slipped out, carefully closing it behind him. It had been his luck that the old man had ended up sleeping in the other room; it would make this a whole lot easier. He had something important he wanted to tend to, something he knew no one else would understand, and that he didn't have the time or the patience to explain. Careful not to wake any of the other guests, he silently snuck downstairs, and slipped outside into the night.

Luke rolled over in his bed. Where the hell was Asch going at this time of night anyways? Luke pulled the blankets up over his head. What was so important that he couldn't wait until morning? Whatever. Luke buried his head further into his pillow. Normally, he'd get up and follow. It was habit... his responsibility, if only just to make sure Asch was safe.

Don't give me crap about responsibilities when you don't even have a future!

But for the first time in his life, Luke just couldn't be bothered. So he rolled over in his bed, and went back to sleep.

"I'm sorry to say but, we only managed to recover a small amount of data," Astor announced once everyone was settled. Asch was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Whatever he had snuck off to do must have kept him out for quite awhile. Luke knew it took a lot of sleep deprivation for his wayward original to start showing it. Oh well, serves him right for sneaking out to Score knows where all night.

"What was the problem?" Guy asked.

"Well, it seems the fon disk was handled a bit roughly and it's more damaged than we thought. We succeeded in gathering small amounts of information here and there, but it's scattered, and almost impossible to make sense of."

Luke had to be careful not to be too overt with his signs of relief. He realized he should have felt bad, Guy was so disappointed, but that was the last thing he wanted anyone to be finding out about him.

"Here," Astor handed Guy a small bunch of papers. "This is what we managed to recover."

"Thanks," Guy accepted them along with the fon disk. "Not to be rude or anything, but we'd probably better get going if we're going to catch the ferry."

"Guy's right," Ion agreed. "Thank you very much for all your hard work."

"It was my pleasure Fon Master. We shall have to arrange a longer stay for you next time."

"Yes, we shall, sometime soon."

"I'll look forward to the next time you're in the neighbourhood. Feel free to stop by! And that goes for all of you, not just the Fon Master."

"Oh boy!" Anise piped up!

"She'll be moving in next week," Luke offered sarcastically.

"Quiet you." Anise playfully glared at Luke who returned the gesture by sticking his tongue out.

"Alright, alright, enough, let's just go," Asch said suppressing another yawn.

"Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Luke muttered under his breath.

"Says the one we had to send Guy to drag out of bed this morning," Asch shot back.

"Yes because you would know, considering all that quality time you and Guy spend together."

"Enough you two!" Tear snapped, cutting of the impending argument. "You want to fight fine, but this isn't the time or the place for it. Save it for the ship where the rest of us don't have to listen to you!" The whole room fell silent.

"Yes ma'am."

Chesedonia wasn't quite as busy early in the morning as it had been at midday the day before, but most of the peddlers had already lined the streets, laying out their wares for the people that the afternoon would undoubtedly bring. There really wasn't any excuse as to why they hadn't seen it coming.

Sync flew through the streets, nothing but a sudden breeze to those he passed, completely invisible until he slowed for his attack on the group. Fools, they should know better than to let their guard down like that. Oh well, far be it from him to pass up such an inviting opportunity. The one he was after, the blond, also held the prize he sought. How utterly convenient. This was just too easy! He reached out, and struck.

Guy reacted at the last second, turning away from his attacker. He hadn't been quick enough to evade the attack entirely, but with his reflexes, he had been able to move in such a way that the attack only grazed his arm. Unfortunately for Guy, it hadn't been a normal attack.

Although Sync's hand had only grazed the side of his arm, the strike caused Guy to cry out. A burning pain flew up his arm, like a hot knife carving the glyph into his skin, dropping him to his knees.

Sync spun around, upset at having missed his second target: the papers in the blond's other hand. "Hand those over!"

"We can't fight here," Jade proclaimed, "Hurry, to the ship!"

"Guy!" Luke ran to his best friend's side. "Are you okay to go?"

"Yeah," Guy accepted Luke's help to stand up.

"Not so fast!" Sync struck again, but this time they managed to sidestep his strike.

"Come on Luke, let's go."

"Yeah," Luke and Guy hurried after everyone else towards the Kimlasca port while Sync was still recovering from his failed attempt.

"Hmph." Sync stood up, brushing the dust from his uniform and carefully adjusting his mask. Several of the citizens had stopped to watch the commotion, but they eventually lost interest in the green-haired boy, and returned to their business.

Sync stood there awhile longer, until he could see the ferry departing in the distance. Any further pursuit of them would be futile. He twirled the fon disk he had made them drop around his finger. It was pretty damaged; he doubted they got any pertinent information from it. That was just as well. It saved him the time and effort of collecting the papers that the group had managed to hang onto.

As for his other objective, everything had gone just as planned. He had his curse slot laid, his extra leverage ready for the next time they should meet. With the one they called 'Guy' as his puppet; he could only hope that that time would be soon.

Chapter Text

Baticul finally appeared on the horizon late in the morning of the following day. The clouds that had plagued the morning sky were now dispersing and the afternoon held the promise of sunshine. Luke quietly watched the city slowly growing in size as they approached his hometown.

It would be nice to finally be home. He could finally relax in his own bed and eat some of the chef's awesome cooking. Luke couldn't even begin to describe how nice it would be to lounge around without worrying that he'd be attacked by a group of bandits or a rather sadistic colonel. Yet somehow... mixed in with all the excitement and relief that his grand adventure was coming to a close, Luke found another feeling he never thought he would feel with his home finally in sight.

Dread. Luke was dreading returning home. Part of him didn't want to go back to his tedious day to day life, where nothing interesting or fun ever happened, and where he was tied down, never allowed to leave the city. He knew after a few days, Ion and the others would all leave; they had their own lives to go back to after all, and he would be alone. Sure he still had Asch and Guy, but it wasn't the same. He was grateful to have them both around, but he still cherished his new friends, and not being able to go visit them or talk to them again, wasn't something Luke wasn't ready to deal with.

No matter how much as he wished it would just go away for awhile, the towering city of Baticul continued to get closer until the massive ferry lurched to a stop alongside one of Baticul's many piers. There were few people aboard that had made the journey from Chesedonia to Baticul, so the port was somewhat spared the crowds that usually entailed a ship's arrival. The passengers that had disembarked, quickly caught an air car to wherever they were going, leaving Luke and his friends more or less alone on the docks, save for a few citizens who often loitered around this part of the city.

Luke looked around; everything was as he remembered it. The murky water, the cobblestone streets, the towering buildings; nothing had changed. He already missed the pristine waters of Tataroo Valley and the colourful vegetation of St. Binah, but all that was a part of the past now. Brushing aside the disappointment that realization brought with it, Luke set his mind on the task at hand. He couldn't let himself sulk just yet; he still had the hardest part of their journey to complete. Seeing two familiar figures approaching in the distance, Luke realized that task was about to get a whole lot harder.

"Commander Goldberg, General Cecille," the young noble greeted them both. Though he managed to remember their names from their occasional visits to the manor to see Father, he wasn't able to entirely hide the surprise in his voice. He may not know much about how everything worked at the castle, but he knew enough to know it was no small affair that had such high ranking people doing the guards' job. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Luke! It's good to see you've returned home safely. I hope you'll excuse my rudeness, but we've urgent business to attend to." Goldberg replied, brushing past the young noble.

"My apologies," Cecille bowed her head as they walked by.

"There he is. I've found the spy!" Goldberg called to the female commander, wasting no time singling Jade out. "You are clearly of the Malkuth military, identify yourself at once!"

Jade shrugged, a disappointed sigh escaping his lips. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected difficulty, but surely they could have gone unnoticed longer than that... "Colonel Jade Curtiss," he finally provided. "Third Division Malkuth Imperial Forces."

"The Jade Curtiss?" Cecille exclaimed. "Why would Malkuth send such a renowned soldier as a spy?"

"I'm not certain. He is the emperor's personal confidant." Goldberg answered. "Regardless, he's clearly the one we're looking for. Restrain him at once!"

"Enough!" Asch's voice caused both Kimlascan commanders to halt, turning around to find its source. "Stand down. I'll vouch that he is not a spy and of no threat to Kimlasca. On whose orders was it to arrest him?"

"It was Grand Maestro Mohs that brought news of a spy being sent from Malkuth. Several units were dispatched to monitor the entrances shortly afterwards." Cecille provided.

"Grand Maestro Mohs was it?" Asch thought on it for a moment. "Commander Goldberg, please return to the castle and arrange a formal meeting with his Majesty at once. Tell him I said it's urgent. Brigadier General Cecille, could I ask you to return to our manor and let our parents know we've returned?"

"Certainly." The Brigadier General smiled and bowed her head.

"Why thank you for keeping me out of their custody," Jade said mockingly.

"Easier to get you out of their custody than out of the dungeon," Asch shot back. "Besides someone as old and frail as you would probably catch pneumonia." Jade let out an indignant cough.

"That's some authority you have for the son of a Duke," he commented, surprised to see the pair not only do exactly as he had asked, but to do so without any form of protest. Interesting. Luke shuffled uncomfortably next to him. Very interesting.

"Well that's what you get when you're the heir to the throne." Luke spat bitterly.

"Whoa. Whoa. Hold a second. You're a prince?" Anise shouted, drawing the attention of the few people still hanging around the port.

"No, not technically," Asch muttered, somewhat disgruntled at the sudden attention.

"He's engaged to Princess Natalia," Guy provided.

"What?" Anise voice struck a pitch higher than Mieu was capable of. "You mean you're engaged? No way! Luke! Why didn't you tell me he was already getting hitched?"

Luke snickered, "Because it was way too much fun to watch."

"Damn! I have no luck at all! I picked the wrong one."

"What was that Anise?" Ion inquired curiously.

"Oh nothing!" She chirped cheerfully. "Nothing at all! Isn't the king waiting for us? We'd better not keep him waiting!" Anise skipped off towards on of the air cars. "Come on guys! We're going to be late!"

"There's not that much of a hurry," Asch told her as she made her way back to the group. "It'll take Goldburg some time to arrange the audience. We have some time to kill."

"We still don't want to be late though." Luke commented to Guy, casually resting his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, it looks like we're already in his Majesty's bad books," the blond agreed.

"What concerns me is Grand Maestro Mohs' interference," Jade commented. "It's looking more and more like he's looking to start a war."

"There must be some kind of mistake. Grand Maestro Mohs would never want a war!" Tear interjected.

"We can't say for certain, but even you must agree that he is the most suspicious of the potential suspects," Jade pointed out.

"Yeah," Anise piped up, "and he also has the authority to command the God-Generals."

"Ahhh, I see now." At that statement, Jade suddenly came to a realization. So many more pieces fell into place now that he knew the full extent of Asch's identity.

"See what Colonel?"

"That's how you knew you would be a target at Choral Castle wasn't it? As the heir to the throne, kidnapping you would be a logical move if they were attempting to start a war. In fact, I'd almost go as far as to say, it would be more effective than kidnapping Ion." Jade elaborated, his scrutinizing gaze never leaving the future king in question.

"Wait a sec!" Anise too came to a realization, "if you've got that much say in things, then we really wouldn't have needed Ion as a mediator. Why'd you go so out of your way to help us rescue him?"

Asch stole a glance at Luke but didn't answer the question. "We should get going. It'll still be some time before we need to be at the castle, but we'd best head off now in case we run into any interruptions along the way."

"Certainly, Your Majesty." Jade said mockingly with an exaggerated bow.

Asch scowled. "Watch it, or I'll stick you in that dungeon myself old man," he said menacingly before turning and heading for the air cars.

"They'll be plenty of opportunity for prodding later," Jade muttered contentedly, following in Asch's suit.

"Shall we be off then?" Guy asked Luke.

"Sure. Let's go. Coming Ion?"

"Yes. Let's go stop this war."

"Wow!" Anise ran out into the plaza gazing up at the towering heights of Baticul. She had never seen the capital of Kimlasca before. It went up forever. She wondered how on all Auldrant they got building materials up to the very top! She bet that's where all the rich people lived, and what an awesome view they must have!

Tear too was taking her time to check out the sights. The last time she had been here, she had been so focused on finding and killing Van that she hadn't taken the time to enjoy what Baticul had to offer. She looked over at Luke, he certainly seemed happy to be home. Maybe now that they were home, he and Asch could finally make up.

Admittedly, they hadn't actually argued since they had left Chesedonia. However, now they simply went on as if the other wasn't even there. Tear almost preferred it when they were arguing; at least when they were yelling at each other, they were still acknowledging the other's existence. Guy seemed to be surprisingly okay with it when she she had taken the opportunity to ask about it on the way here. Perhaps she was just making a big deal out of things, it was probably normal for them to fight like this. She wouldn't know, after all, Van hadn't really been around enough when she was young for them to ever get into any huge disagreements. In fact the only disagreement they'd ever had, had been the one that resulted in her trying to kill him in the Fabre Manor a few weeks ago. So putting it in perspective, Luke and Asch really weren't doing all that bad.

Guy watched Tear stifle a smile and wondered where her train of thought had taken her. He walked up the stairs beside Luke, Asch, Jade and Tear in front of them, Ion and Anise bringing up the rear. Anise behind him, now that didn't make him feel especially safe. He still felt kind of bad about what had happened on the boat ride to Chesedonia. He didn't mean to hurt her, but he just couldn't help it.

"Hey Guy?"

"Hm? What's up Luke? You seem pretty serious."

"I'm sorry about what Asch said to you yesterday."

"What's with you all of a sudden? What he says isn't your fault."

"Hm." Luke stared out at the endless sea. He really was upset. "Do you mind if I ask you something?" Luke finally spoke up.

"What is it?"

"Why are you afraid of women?"

Guy scratched the back of his head. "That's a good question. To be honest, I really don't know."

"If you don't know, how come it's so scary for you then?"

Guy let out a sigh. He really hadn't planned to tell anyone, much less Luke. "When I was young, my entire family died. I don't remember the details of what happened. But I think that something that happened then is the cause."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was a long time ago now."

"Stupid Asch," Luke muttered.

"Oh come on Luke, don't be so bitter, it's your first time on a boat after all." Guy grinned and patted him on the back.

"Have you been telling that to everyone?"

"Well...not everyone." Guy laughed.

"Now why do I not believe you?" Luke eyed him suspiciously. "Because you're about the only one who knows and who would be in the position to tell everyone else."

"Has Jade been bugging you about it?"

"No… why did you tell him?"

"No... but maybe you'd best avoid him for awhile..." Guy backed off nervously.

"Hey get back here!" Luke chased after him but slipped on the wet deck.

"Luke!" Guy motioned to help Luke to his feet, but the gesture was refused. For a moment Guy wondered if Luke was angry with him, but those fears were dispelled when Luke threw his head back and did something Guy had been trying to coerce him into all day. He laughed.

A flash of pink hair snapped Guy back to the present. Was that-?

"Oh hello Luke!" A local woman came up to them.

"Gyah!" Guy dove behind said redhead.

"Hello Guy," the lady chuckled, "Still as frightful as ever I see."

"Y-yeah."

"I'm glad to see you've returned safely. It's nice to see they finally let you out of the city. Did you enjoy your trip?"

Luke thought on it for a moment. "Yeah… I did."

"Well I best be on my way, it was nice seeing you again." The lady was gone just as suddenly as she came.

"Hey Luke?" Anise inquired curiously, "What did she mean by 'finally being allowed out of the city'? Have you never been out of the city before?"

"No, I was always forbidden from ever leaving Baticul." Luke replied.

"That's a shame," Ion spoke up. "There are all kinds of wonderful things to see in the world. May I ask why?"

"It has to do with something that happened when I was little," Luke answered, but didn't offer any details.

"We should be going." Asch insisted, continuing on towards the lift.

"Now who's rushing?" Anise muttered.

"He's right, we should go," Guy agreed. "The longer we linger around, the longer whoever wants this war to happen has of stopping us." He took another look around; there was no sign of Noir or either of her cronies. Maybe it was just his imagination after all.

Anise had been right about Baticul's highest levels, the view was stunning. Tear took a look around. It was nothing like the rest of the city. While most of Baticul was neat and well kept, it seemed to lack any kind of colour. At Baticul's peak, the Castle stood before a gorgeous courtyard. Flowing water, and flowers and trees gave it a life that the rest of the city lacked. Beside the castle stood a large pristine white manor, equally immersed in gardens surrounded by a large, well kept yard.

"Is that where you live?" Ion asked Luke as they walked by.

"Yeah, that's our manor," Luke answered, waving cheerfully to the guard at the entrance. The guard casually waved back, but snapped to attention when Asch looked his way.

"You know, you don't have to come to the castle," Asch said, speaking to Luke for the first time since Chesedonia. Tear noticed that the underlying anger and resentment in his voice seemed to have faded. Maybe there was hope for the two of them yet. "I can take care of things if you just want to head home."

Luke however, didn't seem so calm about it. At Asch's words, she could see the fury build up inside of him. "I'm not going home! I promised Ion that I would help him stop this war just like you did! I put my fair share of work into this journey too, you know!"

"Fine, do whatever you want." Asch backed off, clearly not in the mood to fight.

"We have an audience with His Majesty," Asch told the guard on duty at the door once they reached the castle.

"Yes, we have been informed by Commander Goldberg of your arrival," the guard replied. "Is there someone named Tear among you?"

"Yes. That's me." Tear stepped up.

"Grand Maestro Mohs requested you report to him as soon as possible."

"Was the Grand Maestro here recently?" Asch inquired.

"Yes, he left just moments ago. I believe His Majesty cut the Grand Maestro's audience short when he received your message. The Grand Maestro was in a rather foul mood," the guard grumbled, obviously having been the unfortunate target of said foul mood.

"Thank you for the message. I shall report to him as soon as I'm finished with my responsibilities here." Tear gave the guard a small bow as she followed everyone into the castle, up the grand stairway, and through the two massive doors that stood between them and their final destination.

The throne room was quite unlike anything Tear had seen before. The vaulted ceiling went up almost two stories and several large windows let the afternoon sun light steam in on all those who stood below. At the end of a long red carpet, stood three thrones sitting just slightly higher than the rest of the room, putting the two figures that sat there above their audience. In the middle one sat the king, His Majesty King Ingobert the sixth, and on his right sat a girl who must have been the princess. She sat with all the dignity that would befit one of her station, her green eyes eagerly fixed on the visitors entering through the doors. The third throne to the left was empty.

As soon as they had all entered the room, the young princess' face lit up. Her golden hair and blue dress were still flowing out behind her as she landed in Asch's arms. She held him, almost sobbing and it took a moment for the surprised young noble to return the gesture.

"Why?" Natalia's voice was muffled as she buried her face into Asch's shoulder. No one needed to see her face to tell that she was bordering on tears. "I was so worried! Why did you run off like that without saying anything?"

Asch held her closer. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. "There was something I had to do."

"I know, but I thought I'd lost you again. Please don't make me worry like that." Natalia stayed in his comforting embrace for a little while longer but eventually she detached herself from Asch and looked him in the eyes. "You still could have stopped by to see me before you left!" she scolded.

"Sorry Natalia, but it was important."

"Well, what's past is past. There is little point in fighting about it now."

"Not to interrupt such an important reunion," Jade cut in, "but we do have some more formal business to attend to."

"Yes," Ingobert commented from the throne, "let us get on with business, and you two can catch up once we're done."

"Uncle, this is Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei and Jade Curtiss of the Malkuth Empire. They wish to speak with you on behalf of Emperor Peony," Luke said as he stepped forward.

"Ah Luke, its good to see you've returned home safely as well." Ingobert smiled at his nephew. "Thank you for the introduction, now of what matters did Peony wish to discuss?"

"Thank you," Ion bowed, "It's an honour to see you again Your Majesty. I come before you today accompanied by Colonel Jade Curtiss who is here on behalf of Emperor Peony the Ninth. I implore you to heard him out and consider his words."

"Indeed, I shall hear what he has to say," Ingobert agreed.

"I am honoured to be in your presence." Jade kneeled before King Ingobert, holding out a large white envelope, emblazoned with Malkuth's seal and gold lettering across the front. "I bear an imperial letter from my lord for His Glorious Majesty, King Ingobert the Sixth."

Luke had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing outright at the sight of Jade being so humble. Despite the words out of his mouth, it still didn't seem all that sincere, as if Jade truly were the one with more authority. Not all that surprising, it was Jade after all.

"Uncle, I don't know what Mohs was telling you, but there can't be a war!" Luke burst out.

"Relax Luke, the letter from Malkuth arrived, and I won't ignore it. However, there are a few things I'd like to know. Asch, could I ask you to spend the night at the castle? It'll be a good experience for you, and you might be able to help me since you travelled through Malkuth.

"Certainly," Asch replied, with Natalia still happily attached to his arm.

"Well then, I'll have rooms prepared for our guests. It may be some time before they're ready." Ingobert trailed off.

"That's alright," Ion spoke up, "Actually, if it's okay with you Luke, I wouldn't mind seeing your manor. You've told me so much about it."

"Sure," Luke accepted eagerly.

"Then I'll see that the rooms are prepared upon your return," Ingobert replied, leaving everyone but Asch and Natalia to make their way towards the door.

"Luke." Asch tried to catch his sibling's attention, but Luke continued to walk towards Asch as if he hadn't said a thing.

"Luke," Asch said louder, grabbing his arm as he walked by. Luke gave him an angry look for a split second before ripping his arm out of Asch's grasp and disappearing down the stairs. Everyone watched the scenario play out, but with little to say of add, they silently followed Luke's stead, leaving a very hurt Asch to stare at the empty doorway through which his little brother had just abandoned him.

"You manor looks quite impressive," Ion commented as they entered the outer gates.

"Thanks." Luke blushed a little.

"Well, this is where we part company," Jade spoke up.

"What? Jade doesn't want the grand tour?" Luke asked sarcastically.

"Tsk. Tsk. Keep that attitude up and you'll end up just like Asch." Luke scowled. "I'll pass, I've a few things in the city I wouldn't mind looking into, but perhaps that should wait until the morning. I highly doubt we'll have such a quick reply and someone as old as I can't handle long days like this."

"Old...uh huh...sure," Luke mumbled, watching Jade headed back to the castle. "Wonder what he's really up to."

"You'll find out someday, that it's just safer not to know," Anise commented.

"Wow! So this is Master's home?" Mieu bounced up to the door. "Can we go inside? Can we please?"

"Yes, so stop begging already," Luke replied, cringing as the little creature's excitement cranked its voice up an octave.

Luke opened the doors and everyone walked into the entrance hall. Through the windows, they could see the courtyard, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

"Ah! Master Luke." One of the guards greeted him. "It's good to see you return. With the Lady being ill and all-"

"Wait," Luke cut him off, "Mother's sick?"

"She fell ill not long after you vanished."

"Can we go see her first?" Luke asked, turning around to face everyone.

"Of course," Ion replied, "I wouldn't dream of keeping you from going to see your sick mother."

"Yes, that would be for the best," Tear also answered. "But, don't you think we should go get Asch?"

Luke thought on it for a moment, his face growing sad. "No," He finally said with a small sigh, "Asch will be really busy at the castle right now. He has a lot of responsibilities and things to attend to, especially with the letter from Malkuth and peace negotiations. He doesn't need anything else to worry about right now."

Tear watched Luke, the look on his face speaking the volumes that he wouldn't. He didn't hate Asch. There was no anger or resentment or bitterness anymore. Just a sad acceptance of a truth that hurt. No matter what he did, Asch would always have more authority, more power to help his friends than Luke would. Luke knew and understood this. He understood the extent of Asch's responsibilities, and she suspected he sometimes wished he could be a part of it... but he couldn't, and that hurt him more than anything else.

"Let's go see your mother," she offered with a gentle smile, taking Luke's hand.

"Yeah, let's go."

"Luke!" Susanne sat up in bed when she saw her son enter. "You're home! Are you alright? Were you hurt? Did anyone-"

"I'm fine Mother." Luke smiled, cutting off her worried tirade of questions.

"And-"

"Asch is fine too. He just has business he has to attend to at the castle tonight," Luke said softly as he sat on the bed at her side. She leaned over and gave him a hug.

"I'm so glad you've both come home safely."

"Ma'am," Tear drew Susanne's attention, "I'm terribly sorry for involving your sons in all this." She said with a deep bow.

"You're Van's little sister? Tear?"

"Yes. I apologize for my actions; I attempted to strike down my brother without giving thought to where I was or who else might get involved. I'm truly sorry."

"Thank you for your apologies... but Tear, please don't strike at your own brother. I couldn't imagine if my boys-" Susanne couldn't bring herself to finish her line, but the meaning was clear. Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for your kind words," Tear replied, unable to look Susanne in the eye.

"So Luke, who are these other people, I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Oh!" Luke stood up, "these are my other friends. This is Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei, and this is his Guardian Anise. I was just going to show them around the manor."

"What about me?" Mieu hopped onto the bed beside Susanne.

"And this is Mieu. He's a cheagle from the woods north of Engeve."

"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Mieu squeaked.

"Well, don't let me keep you," Susanne told them. "You go show them around and have a good time."

"I think I'll stay here and keep Master's mother company!" Mieu said curling up on one of the soft pillows.

"That would be lovely," Susanne replied, watching the young cheagle start to fall asleep. "You go enjoy yourselves now. Don't worry about us, I think we could both use some sleep."

"Thanks Mother."

"It was a pleasure to meet you." Ion said with a bow.

"The pleasure was all mine Fon Master," Susanne stated. "I do hope you enjoy your stay here."

"I'm quite certain I will," he replied with a smile, and with that gesture they all left the Lady of the house to rest.

"Wow Luke! Your house is huge!" Anise's voice almost echoed in the entrance hall. A couple hours, a good solid meal, and much laughter later, they had finished the tour of the house. The last light of day was fading, and night slowly blanketed the city.

"Yes, it certainly is a lovely house. You must have enjoyed growing up here," Ion commented.

"Oh it has its ups and downs," Guy commented.

"That's right; you've worked here for quite awhile haven't you?"

"Yeah, since I was pretty young. Can't say I can complain too much. Except maybe being worked to death by a couple of fussy redheads."

"Hey!" Luke cried, outraged.

"If you don't mind my saying so Luke, your room seemed rather small compared to the others," Ion offered hesitantly.

"Yeah, well…"

"There's a story behind that," Guy spoke up.

"Ooo, let's hear it!" Anise got excited.

"It's not that exciting" Luke grumbled. He wasn't especially fond of listening to others tell stories of the crazy things he'd done as a child.

"He's right," Guy chuckled, "it's not that exciting. Luke actually used to have a much bigger room on the other side of the manor. That was when he was still pretty young. We'd keep waking up and finding him in Asch's room. He'd sneak in there every time he was scared or he had a bad dream or anything. Eventually it was becoming an issue. We didn't want someone so young trekking across the manor in the middle of the night, so we moved him into that room which was right above Asch's. And well, he's just never moved out of it."

"It was Mother's idea." Luke said, suddenly very interested in the decorative cannon at the other end of the room.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" Tear asked softly.

"I wouldn't worry," Guy told her. "Now that Luke and Asch are home, I'm sure she'll be just fine. She's always been a bit weak, so I'd be willing to bet that it was Luke's disappearing and Asch taking off all of a sudden that made her ill."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, I'm sure of one thing," Anise interrupted, "We need to be getting back to the castle. It's getting pretty late."

"Yes, thank you very much for the tour Luke." Ion smiled, "Perhaps we'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I'll stop in sometime for sure."

"I should be off too," Tear agreed. "I still have to report to the Grand Maestro."

"Alright, have a good night you guys. I'll see you all tomorrow!" Luke called as the door closed behind the three of them.

"Speaking of reporting, I should probably go report to the White Knights. They weren't too thrilled the search for you and Asch was left to a 'lowly servant' like me."

"Going to kiss up?"

"More than likely," Guy responded with a chuckle. "You heading off to bed?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day."

"I'll see you in the morning then," Guy said before he disappeared behind the door that lead to the servant's quarters.

It had been a long day. Luke opened the doors and walked out into the courtyard, the crisp night air making him shiver. Across the courtyard, he could see the light in his parent's room still on. He was glad his mother had seemed like she would be okay. The times when she fell ill used to scare him to tears when he was still young. Even now, he hated to see her like that. Someone so strong of heart didn't deserve to be that weak.

He wondered if he should have gone to get Asch after all. Seeing him certainly would have given her a good boost... but Asch was undoubtedly busy up at the castle. Asch had responsibilities. He was going somewhere in life. Asch had a future. Luke…didn't.

Luke let out a sigh as he stared at the empty courtyard. This was where it had all begun, and now, where it was all ending. Fitting as it was, he still wished it wasn't ending... and, it wasn't how he wanted it to end either. Not like this. Not with things between him and Asch as they were. This wasn't how he wanted to come home.

He looked up at the stars, and a sudden sharp pain crashed down on him. A very familiar, head-splitting pain; one that he would have been very happy to never have to feel again. In fact, he wasn't even supposed to be feeling it. Wasn't that whole mess at Choral Castle supposed to fix it? Luke held his head, knowing from seven years of experience what came next.

But when the voice came, it wasn't the deep resonating voice he had come to expect every time his head hurt. It was a different voice, a much more familiar voice. One that he'd recognize in an instant because, after all, he'd heard it almost every day in his seven years of life.

'Luke, we need to talk.'

Chapter Text

'Wait for me there.'

Asch quietly opened the castle door, slipped out the crack and silently closed it again. He had no idea why he was sneaking around, it's not like he wasn't allowed to go home for a bit, but this was important, and he didn't want anyone, namely Natalia, following him. No offence to his fiancée, he loved her like no other, but her relationship with Luke was tantamount to his relationship with Guy, and that was to say that they weren't exactly on the best of terms.

The manor was as quiet as the castle had been, everyone but the guards settling in for the night. Asch stopped when he reached the doors leading to the courtyard. Luke's angry stare from earlier that day flashed through his mind. He hadn't wanted to resort to using the fon slots they'd just recently opened, but he hadn't seen any other option. Luke obviously had no intention of talking to him, and that wasn't from lack of trying.

Even Asch was still uncertain of the extent to which their newly synched fon slots connected them. In fact, he hadn't even been entirely sure Luke could hear his voice across them. He had just wanted Luke to talk to him and then he'd just... reacted. Asch originally had every intention of discussing the matter with Luke, but their untimely argument had gotten in the way of that plan, now everything was a mess.

Asch took his hand off the door handle. Talking to Luke through that connection…that was a big jump. Would Luke be mad at him, angry that Asch had kept that fact from him? It was a sore subject to begin with, and Asch wasn't sure what to make of it all. He had gotten used to the vague sense of emotion he could sense from his sibling. In fact, he suspected that had been what had further fuelled their dispute, on top of their own anger, they were both feeling the other's as well. Not that they weren't already somewhat used to it. Admittedly he'd always felt he had some idea of how Luke was feeling, and Luke certainly seemed like he shared the same ability, but it had become a lot stronger since Choral Castle.

Still... Asch understood all this, and had been somewhat prepared for it from the very beginning, Luke didn't. Luke hadn't spent the time researching fomicry like he had, though in his defense Luke had been busy with learning how to read at the time. Would Luke even still be there? Asch genuinely hoped so. He also hoped he hadn't just relit a smothering fire with his reckless and desperate attempt to get Luke to talk to him. This had gone on far too long, and it was time to suck it up and apologize. He was willing to take a hit to his pride this time around; he figured he'd earned it. Now if only Luke would listen, if only he would still be there.

There weren't many things that Asch was afraid of, and even fewer that he'd be willing to admit to, but his hand frozen on the door knob betrayed his hesitation. What was he afraid of? Of being abandoned, of being alone? Or was it simply a matter of delaying the inevitable realization that the only person who ever understood him, was beyond his reach for good? That pointless fear had never served to do anything but chain him down. Asch took a deep breath and opened the door.

The cool night air rushed in, gently sweeping his long crimson hair out behind him. The courtyard was dimly lit by the light of the moon now that few indoor lights were left on to spill out the windows and illuminate the area. Across the yard, sitting at the foot of one of the many statues, was Luke.

Luke watched his older brother as he made his way across the courtyard. He stood up and met him halfway. The two of them stood in silence for a few moments, looking in each others eyes, trying to gauge the other's mood. Asch opened his mouth, but realized he didn't even know where to start.

"How about you start by explaining what you did." Luke offered, subconsciously bringing a comforting hand to his head that still seemed to echo with the pain that had consumed it moments earlier.

"I'm actually not to sure how it all works myself," Asch admitted. "It has to do with our fon slots being synched, but even I don't really understand the details. I wanted to talk to you, and you wouldn't listen to me so…" he trailed off.

"Yeah well, could you not make a habit of it? That hurt!" Luke rubbed his head, one eye open and on his sibling. Asch looked at him somewhat surprised, he wasn't... mad? "So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Luke finally asked. Asch took a deep breath.

"Look, about what I said on the boat...about you not having a future...I'm sorry."

"Why?" Luke asked softly, his gaze meeting the ground. "It's true. It's not like I'm going anywhere in life like you are."

"Hey," Asch placed his hand on his brother's chhin and forced Luke to look him in the eye, "I don't want you to believe that. Just because you haven't decided what you want to do with your life, does not mean you don't have a future."

'Okay?' Asch's last reassurance resonated in Luke's mind and brought with it a warm feeling. But this time, it didn't hurt.

"How did you do that?" Luke asked.

"Do what?"

"I heard your voice in my head again, but it didn't hurt this time."

"It didn't? That's weird, I didn't do anything differently. I wonder though, maybe it has to do with the fact that you were listening?"

"Listening?"

"Well, back at the castle, trying to talk to you was like having to yell across a field, I was fighting to be heard. But this time, it wasn't anything like that. You weren't fighting me off."

"I wonder... could I talk to you the same way?"

"Probably, I'll have to show you how sometime."

"Good, that should keep Jade off our tails." Asch broke out laughing and Luke quickly followed suit. They had forgotten how much they truly enjoyed the other's company.

"So what else did you not tell me about that big mess at Choral Castle?" Luke asked tauntingly, a grin still spread across his face.

"I'm sorry; I meant to talk to you more about it on the boat but-"

"Yeah, I pretty much figured. Tell me one thing though: why did you really want to sync our fon slots? It obviously wasn't to fix our headaches."

"What do you mean by that?" Asch inquired curiously.

"Oh don't play stupid, I'm talking about on the boat to Chesedonia."

Asch looked confusedly back at Luke. He hadn't felt anything for that entire trip. Had Luke felt something he didn't? "What happened on the boat?"

"You mean you didn't feel anything?" Luke questioned curiously.

"No, what happened?"

Luke fell silent, still somewhat ashamed at his failure, and how close he had come to doing something terrible.

"What was it? What happened?" Asch questioned, Luke's hesitation giving his voice an edge of panic.

"It's that whole stupid fon slot thing," Luke finally offered. "I was so mad, I decided to try practicing my hyperresonance to try and calm down. Then all of a sudden I got this huge headache and almost lost control of it."

"That's really weird, I didn't feel a thing." Asch pondered on the matter for a moment. "Maybe it had to do with the fact that you were practising your hyperresonance? The seventh fonon is the fonon of sound; it wouldn't be surprising if it had a role in inducing those headaches."

"So you don't think it has to do with our fon slots?"

"No. The only thing that you almost losing control of your hyperresonance means, is that you need more practice." Asch said jokingly ruffling Luke's hair. "Unless you think it's something else, did anything else happen?"

"Hey!" Luke protested as he tried to fix the mess Asch had just made of his hair. "No, I don't think so," he answered Asch's question somewhat hesitantly.

"Okay then. Well, I'd better head back. Natalia's gonna rake me over, I left without saying anything again."

"Man has she got you on a short leash."

"Hey I'm here aren't I? Besides, a little common courtesy never hurt anyone."

"Sure, sure, you keep telling yourself that."

"You'll understand someday," Asch said with a chuckle.

"No you hope I'll understand someday, because then I won't be able to tease you about it anymore."

Asch laughed. "True enough," he said, turning to leave.

"Hey Asch!" Asch turned around. "Thanks for making a special trip from the castle just for me," Luke teased. Then his face took on a more serious look, "I'm sorry too. For what I said, and how I acted." Asch smiled and Luke smiled in return.

"Good night Luke."

"Same goes to you."

Luke stretched, and let his gaze wander the courtyard once the doors had closed behind his sibling. The lights in the manor were almost all out. Only a couple faint lights, by which the night guards worked, and the light in the drawing room were still on. He wondered who was still up, it was getting pretty late, but he had to head that way to reach his room anyways.

Luke just couldn't erase the smile off his face. He hadn't realized just how much he had missed his one on one chats with Asch. The latest revelations about the connection between the two of them piqued his interest, despite being somewhat upset about not having been trusted with that information before now. He just didn't have it in him to be upset about it, and he really didn't have any reason to be, it had been late, then everything had just snowballed the next day, and after that they hadn't been talking. But being in the dark about something that so closely involved himself, still left a bad taste in his mouth.

"…but this is different." The muffled voices could be heard through the door to the drawing room, catching the young noble's attention as he wandered by. "This is beyond just dangerous. Whoever goes will not return." What the... Luke backed up several paces, pressing his ear against the door. Though both tones were familiar, he could only identify the voice of his father, not that of the person he was speaking with.

"I know it's not easy, but one of them has to go. We've really no choice in the matter."

"I knew this day would come, but I still do not wish to send my son to his death." Luke froze. He shouldn't be hearing this, but he just couldn't bring himself to move. They were talking about him and Asch! One of them was going somewhere? And not going to come back? There had to be some mistake!

"Which will you send then? It is clear which one the Score dictates. Asch must go."

"But Asch is the heir to Kimlasca's throne. His role is undeniably vital. Losing him, would be a heavy blow indeed."

"Then what of Luke?"

"Luke is still young. Whether or not he is capable of such a feat... I do not know. Asch is certainly the most capable of handling the task. If it weren't for the consequences, he would be the obvious choice."

"You don't wish to send Asch because he is the most needed, but you don't wish to send Luke because he isn't capable of handling the task. Ultimately we've no choice, we must fulfill the Score."

"It demands Asch, but Luke is also the light of the sacred flame. Perhaps it matters not really, if one must be sacrificed, it should be the one whose loss will impact Kimlasca the least..."

Luke couldn't handle it anymore. Was he not worth anything to anyone? Bolting from the drawing room, Luke didn't stop until he had reached his bedroom and had the door closed behind him. He grabbed one of the pillows on his bed and chucked it at the wall where it crashed into his shelf sending a dozen books crashing to the ground.

Luke flung himself down on his bed, almost in tears bred by a range of emotions from anger to despair. It all boiled down to one thing: Asch was more important than he was. He was useless, incompetent and didn't have a place in the world. Asch would always be the more valuable one and nothing he could do would ever change that in anyone's eyes.

Prove that you're just as important as Asch. Then you can earn their respect. You can gain the recognition you deserve!

Master Van's words echoed in Luke's mind. He hadn't told Asch anything about Master Van or their conversation. He could feel the resentment crawl up at the thought of his sibling. No, he wouldn't let himself feel like that. It wasn't Asch's fault. Asch understood, and Asch acknowledged his worth. It was everyone else that was the problem.

It looked like he would have to prove himself after all.

Chapter Text

"Honestly! Would it have been that difficult to just stop by and let me know where you were going?" Natalia stood, her hands on her hips, her piercing olive eyes sending daggers through her fiancé's green. "I searched half the castle looking for you the other night!"

"Look, I said I was sorry, I had something important to do," Asch repeated for the sixth time.

Natalia let out a sigh, there was no getting through to him when he was like this. The night he had finally returned home, he just up and vanished for a good hour. When he did finally turn up, grinning from ear to ear, he had been in the best mood she'd seen him in for quite awhile. It obviously had something to do with Luke. The way he showed no signs of remorse whatsoever as she lectured him meant that it had to have involved his younger brother in some way. She just couldn't comprehend any of it, Luke was nothing but trouble.

"You almost ready?" Asch asked as he made his way to the door. "We don't want to be late."

"No, we certainly don't." She smiled back. "Especially after all the work you and Father have done with this peace treaty."

"Alright, then I'll meet you in the throne room," Asch gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before excusing himself and heading downstairs. Natalia quickly made the last of her preparations, it was an important day after all, and she had to look presentable. Everyone, Luke included, had been summoned to the throne room for the announcement of her father's decision regarding Malkuth's plea for peace.

Why Luke had to be present was beyond her, but Asch had insisted, as had the Fon Master, so far be it from her to deny their wishes. Natalia quickly began to pull back her hair. She didn't know why Luke's presence irritated her so. Perhaps she felt like he was stepping into their world, and that wasn't where he belonged. This was her and Asch's place, not his. A knock came on the door.

"Princess, are you prepared? Most of the guests have arrived and are awaiting your presence to begin."

Now was not the time for such petty feelings, he would be there, and then hopefully he would leave, and it would be over with. Then perhaps she could finally get more than a few stolen moments with her fiancé. Luke had already monopolized enough of his time.

"Yes, I'm ready. I'll be right down."

The sun was shining when Luke slipped out of the manor's gates followed by one of his family's guard. In spite of everything that had happened, he still needed an escort if he left the manor. Luke felt surprisingly awake all things considered. He hadn't slept well for the past few days. Not since he had overheard that conversation in the drawing room.

It hadn't helped that Asch had been stuck up at the castle the entire time, so he couldn't even talk to him about it. He had tried Asch's trick of talking through their fon slots, but he hadn't managed to figure it out, and so, he kept his worries to himself. He had tried talking to Guy a few times, but for whatever reason, he just didn't feel comfortable discussing it with him.

He looked up at the castle; he hoped he would get a chance to talk to Asch about the entire ordeal before whatever mission their father had been talking about would take place. For now, he was headed to the throne room, they were making the official announcement on the decision regarding Malkuth's letter and Luke had been thrilled to find out that they wanted him to be there. He hadn't actually received the summons yet, but Asch had given him a quick heads up earlier, so he figured he'd head over, it wouldn't hurt to be a little early.

No sooner had the thought gone through his mind than a castle messenger passed by. The boy stopped in his tracks and gave Luke a second look, surprised to see him answering the summons he had yet to deliver. "Sir," the boy began, "Your presence is requested at the castle immediately, however it looks like you are already on your way there?"

"I am," Luke said with a chuckle, "but thanks for the message, I'll be there right away."

"Alright, I'll report back that you will be attending."

"Please do, thank you for your hard work." The boy blushed a bit, unused to receiving a compliment from one of Luke's station, but he immediately turned and ran back to the castle to deliver his reply.

Luke didn't rush, he knew he was still early, and knowing Natalia who would likely have been in charge of issuing the summons, the boy was sent much earlier than necessary as it was. In her mind all he did ever was sleep and crawl out of bed when he was needed for something, and take half the morning to do it too. Oh and distract Asch. He had never heard her yell at him about thatone before.

The large doors of the castle opened and in the entrance hall Luke spotted Jade patiently waiting near the bottom of the stairs, while Anise and Ion stood off to the side. Ion spotted him almost immediately and waved hello, which drew Anise's attention to the latest arrival.

"Oh hey Luke, how are things going?" The young Fon Master Guardian inquired, with all the perk and cheerfulness Luke had come to expect of her.

"Pretty good, have you been enjoying Baticul?"

"You bet! Asch gave us a huge room with the biggest bed I'd ever seen in my life! It was so comfy! And the room was nicer than the suites at a luxury hotel!" Leave it to Asch. Anise babbled on about the size and lavishness of the room that she had been allowed to use. He certainly knew how to make Anise happy. He hadn't seen her that excited…ever. Ion was laughing as Anise continued her chattering.

"That sounds like Asch for you. He seems antisocial sometimes, but he tends to pick up on those kinds of things." Luke provided even though Anise was still wrapped up in her ramble.

"It sounds like the two of you are doing better," Ion commented.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. How about you? Have you been enjoying Baticul?"

"I have. Thank you very much for the tour yesterday."

"It was my pleasure, I had fun too."

"Oh you just enjoyed talking to that girl down at the port," Anise teased.

"Really? After you spent the last few weeks clinging to my brother, who's engaged by the way, you're going to lecture me about hitting on people?" Luke shot back.

"I wouldn't recommend it Anise, that's one I think even Luke could win." Jade stepped into their conversation.

"Hey, now what is that supposed to mean?" Luke retorted trying to suppress the latest heart attack the unexpected comment from Jade had caused him. That was one thing he wasn't going to miss, that was for sure.

"Nothing, I assure you."

"Gee, I wonder why I don't believe you."

Before Jade could retort, the castle doors opened again, and Tear walked in, with none other than Grand Maestro Mohs accompanying her. Luke groaned, he had forgotten that Mohs would have been invited too.

"So you think the Seventh Fonstone is in Akzerieuth?" Tear asked.

"Yes, and with a group heading up there shortly-"

"Hey Tear," Luke interrupted, sending a grumbling Mohs off to wait for the audience to begin. "Where have you been the past couple days?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Tear answered, "I was busy with my report and briefings with Grand Maestro Mohs. I did try and stop by yesterday but I was told you were out."

"I bet she came by while you were giving me and Ion that tour of the city," Anise offered. "It's a real shame you didn't come Tear, you could have watched Luke hitting on someone."

"First of all, I was not hitting on her; she asked me how to find the coliseum."

"Sure Luke," Anise teased.

"You're just trying to get back at me because I didn't tell you Asch was engaged." Luke shot back sticking his tongue out.

"Fine we'll just have to ask Tear who she believes."

"I think I'm going to have to go with Luke on this one. It would be pretty rude not to give someone directions if they were lost," Tear replied.

"Booo," Anise stuck her tongue out at Luke and everyone laughed.

"What's so funny over here?" Guy asked, making Luke jump a foot in the air.

"Have you been taking lessons from Jade or something?" Luke gave Guy a suspicious glare.

"Not anymore than you have. I couldn't believe it when I woke up and they told me you were already gone to the castle."

"Uh oh," Anise giggled. "Someone's being a bad influence."

"I have no idea what you mean," Jade replied innocently.

"Who said I meant you Colonel?" Anise asked slyly. Jade had no reply.

"I think Anise won that one." Guy chuckled.

"Better write it down, it'll never happen again." Luke added.

"Hey!" Anise's protest was interrupted but the doors at the top of the stairs creaking open and a loud voice that called all guests to the throne room.

The entire group climbed the stairs, just like they had a few days previous and walked into the throne room. Everything was the same as it had been then. The sun shone in though the same windows, and the advisors all stood in their respective places, with King Ingobert and his lovely daughter on the throne. The only difference was that the third throne was now occupied by Luke's twin brother, the seat giving him an authoritative air that they'd never noted in him before.

"I thank you all for coming," King Ingobert began, "as you all know, we have received a letter from Malkuth. This letter outlines a request for peace between our warring countries. We have decided to formalize a peace treaty with them. However, the letter, while detailing the proposal for peace, also contained a plea to help save Akzerieuth."

"Akzerieuth? What's the matter with Akzerieuth?" Luke questioned worriedly.

"The mining town of Akzerieuth has been consumed by miasma, a deadly poison that seeps up from Gnome's domain." Ingobert replied.

"But there wasn't anything wrong with Akzerieuth when we passed through there a couple weeks ago!"

"On the contrary," Jade interrupted, "the problem was present, however, at the time it was isolated in the lower mines. I confirmed it myself. They had it somewhat contained, however, I doubt that containment would have lasted more than a few days. It is likely that the entire city is engulfed in the miasma by now." Luke simply stood in shock. He had no idea that such a problem existed and right under his nose too!

"Malkuth has proposed a joint operation to evacuate the citizens of the city," the king continued, "however, a messenger pigeon arrived yesterday with a message from the Malkuth troops. A recent landslide has completely blocked the road to Akzerieuth, and so it has fallen to us to rescue them."

"So we shall send a team of soldiers," one of the advisors spoke up. "Along with an ambassador from Kimlasca."

"Your Majesty?" Ion spoke up.

"Yes Fon Master?"

"If you will allow me, I would like to assist as well. It was Emperor Peony's request that I assist in creating peace between the two countries, and as such I would like to see this through to the end."

"But Fon Master-"

"Please allow me to do this." Ion reiterated, with a determination in his voice Luke had never heard before.

"As you wish Fon Master, though I urge against it, it is not my place to deny your wishes."

"I will go as well," Jade offered, "as a representative and ambassador for Malkuth."

"Your Majesty," Mohs jumped in, "I would also like to send Tear on behalf of the Order of Lorelei."

"Then both of you may participate as well."

"If you don't mind my asking, Your Majesty," Jade spoke up, "who will be the ambassador for Kimlasca?"

"Ah yes, that task will fall upon Luke." As soon as Luke heard his own name spoken, this mission and all its implications hit him. This was what his father had been talking about that night! A dangerous journey... one where they would only send one of them... one from which they would not return. So, in the end they really had chosen him to go die. Wait... how did they know someone would die?

"But!" Asch stood up out of his throne in protest. They had talked about an ambassador, and he had been shocked that sending Luke had even been on the table. Not that he didn't trust his little brother could be a great representative for Kimlasca, he did; something just seemed wrong about the whole affair. Luke hardly had the experience something like this would take, and he had never been involved in Palace affairs before. Why now all of a sudden? Asch had spent the larger part of the past few days arguing the point, and by then end he thought they'd finally agreed to let him go instead. Luke couldn't go to Akzeriuth alone like that... who knew what could happen there.

"Tear," the king ignored Asch's interruption, "You can read the Score, can you not?"

"Yes your Majesty."

"Would you please read the Score on this fonstone?" He requested passing a small stone to her. Tear closed her eyes and focused, the stone shone a dull green, responding to the fonons that passed through it.

"ND2000." Tear's voice came out flat, speaking monotonously words that weren't hers. "In Kimlasca shall be born the scion of Lorelei's power. He will be of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called the 'light of the sacred flame' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity. ND2018. The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There..." Tear trailed off, her voice regaining its melodic tones. "The rest is missing."

"But Uncle!" Asch still protested.

"Asch, your father and I have already discussed this and we decided that Luke will be the one to go."

"Well it is Luke that means 'light of the sacred flame'," Ion offered in attempt to console him.

"Fon Master Ion is right," Tear agreed. "The Score clearly refers to Luke." Their attempts were to no avail; Asch still sat uncomfortably in his seat listening to the further discussions. Luke on the other hand hadn't said a word. Whatever cheer he had was instantly gone. He stood solemnly, seemingly zoned out as everyone discussed the details about the journey, and the necessary preparations.

Natalia watched Luke from her seat next to her father. Why was he so upset? After being chosen to represent Kimlasca on such a noble mission, he was sulking! And after having taken the spot from Asch who had so hoped to get it! Was he not proud to represent his country, the country that one day she and his brother would rule over together? Of course not. That meant work for him, regardless of how many others it would help. How could he be so selfish?

"Luke, what's the matter? You seem upset." Ion questioned, noticing Luke's sudden distress.

"No I'm not upset, it's just-" everyone turned to look at Luke, "No, it's nothing. If you don't mind my asking, did Master Van ever show up? He was supposed to have met us here in Baticul."

Luke decided, he couldn't talk to Asch about it now, not with so much hanging on his new role as an ambassador. He didn't want to sound like he was just trying to get out of it, and he knew that's what it would sound like. He didn't have enough information. At the very least maybe Master Van would know something since he had been in Akzerieuth at the time too.

"He did arrive, but he was immediately arrested and placed in the dungeons," one of Ingobert's advisors replied.

"What? Why?" Luke burst out.

"He is suspected of having played a role in your recent disappearance. Until he is cleared, he will remain in our custody."

"Master Van didn't have anything to do with me disappearing!"

"Perhaps, but to go on word alone…"

"Then how about we make a deal? Put him under my command for this endeavour. Let him prove himself by having him accompany us to Akzeriuth. If he can successfully assist with the evacuation, then you will release him."

Asch sat up, he was impressed by Luke's negotiating skills, though he had to suppress a small chuckle at Luke's misconception of his role as an ambassador. He wasn't actually commandinganyone, but the thought was there. He too had been against throwing Van in the dungeon; despite the fact that it was kind of nice to know the man wasn't causing any trouble anywhere. Yet with Mohs as the more likely suspect and Malkuth's letter safely in Baticul, Van didn't seem nearly the threat he had once been. None-the-less, he was still someone who conveniently had too much information.

The advisors discussed it among themselves for a moment. Even they couldn't hold him indefinitely, and this wasn't a bad idea, they certainly could use all the help they could get. "Fine, we shall grant your request," they finally answered. "You will have the assistance of Dorian General Grants if he agrees to the terms. We will send someone to release and brief him. If you would like to speak with him personally, you may do so after we've concluded our audience here."

"Thank you," Luke replied.

"Then we will send one platoon of soldiers, along with Dorian General Grants, and all present who will be participating. Luke you may bring any others of your choosing."

"Hey Luke," Guy spoke up. "Do you think you'd mind dragging me along with you?"

"You'd come with me?"

"Of course I would come with you. Come on now, why wouldn't I?"

Luke managed a small smile, "Thanks."

"Father," Natalia spoke up, "I wish to participate as well."

"No Natalia, we've already been through this, you and Asch have duties to attend to here. You will not be going to Akzerieuth," Ingobert replied sternly. "You will depart tomorrow morning." The king returned his attention to the group before him. "Until then, you are all dismissed. Thank you for your time." Ingobert stood up, followed by Asch and Natalia, and they exited the room. The first to leave was Mohs. The rest of the group lingered for awhile, but eventually moved out of the throne room.

"Congratulations Luke," Ion said once they had made it down the stairs.

"Hm? What for?"

"For being chosen as an ambassador of course," Ion replied with a smile.

"Yeah, thanks."

"You don't sound very excited about it," Anise commented.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." Luke said half-heartedly. "I think I'm going to go talk with Master Van. I want to explain things to him myself."

"That's probably a good idea," Ion agreed. "We should go prepare for tomorrow as well."

"Good point Ion." Anise answered, "So I guess we'll see you here first thing in the morning then."

"Alright, see you." Luke waved to them as they left.

"I think I'll go make a few preparations myself." Jade spoke up.

"Yes, it's best to be well prepared; we don't know what we'll face." Tear commented.

"There's no saying what we'll encounter," Guy agreed. "So, we meet up here first thing in the morning then?"

"Yeah." Luke confirmed.

"Alright then, we're off on another adventure!" Guy patted Luke on the back. "Cheer up Luke, it'll be fun, besides, Asch is a big boy, he can take care of himself just fine." Luke smiled, Guy had completely missed the point, but he appreciated the gesture. If things were really as they seemed, Asch wasn't the one he was worried about...

"See you all tomorrow." Luke said as his three friends left to tend to their affairs. He had his own matters to see to as well, turning around and making his way down to the dungeon.

Luke knew the way surprisingly well. He had loved hiding down here when they used to play hide and seek at the castle. Natalia had always been too scared to come down on her own, so she'd never find him. Luke chuckled at the memory, walking down the steep stone steps. He hoped Master Van would be able to help him out, or at the very least provide a bit more information on just what his father and, who he now knew had been his uncle, had been talking about.

"Master Van!" Luke picked up the pace when he saw his instructor at the other end of the room. He was accompanied by one of the guards.

"I've informed him of the conditions on his release and briefed him about the situation with Akzerieuth," the soldier provided.

"Thank you," Luke acknowledged, dismissing the guard, who took his leave.

"Luke," Van began.

"Master Van, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Luke. I heard about what you did for me earlier. Thank you."

"It was the least I could do, since it was my fault you got thrown in here in the first place. But I don't get it; it's not like Uncle to jump to conclusions like that."

"I have a feeling I may know why they were so quick to judge the matter."

"Really? Why is that? You've never done anything to them, have you?"

"Not that they can prove, but I expect they've their suspicions all the same."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked curiously.

"Luke, has anyone ever told you the truth about the kidnapping?"

"Kidnapping? What kidnapping?" Luke asked with a nervous laugh. Not just anyone was privy to that. Master Van couldn't possibly know about-

"You know what I mean," Van insisted. "Seven years ago. Asch's kidnapping, or rather I should say Luke's kidnapping."

Luke froze on the spot. How did he know about that? While the actual kidnapping itself couldn't be completely covered up, the details about it was one of their family's most closely guarded secrets. Even most of the servants were clueless. The only ones who knew were those who had been there that day. The day when one Fabre boy had become two. Wait! If he knew about the kidnapping, that meant he also knew that Luke was-!

"Relax Luke." Van noticed Luke's sudden panic. "Now, I'll ask again, has anyone ever told you what really happened back then?"

"No." Luke finally admitted. It was a shady topic at best with everyone, including Asch. He had only ever asked him once, and the pain it had invoked from his sibling detoured him from ever asking again. He had never seen Asch that upset over anything. So he made due with what he did know. He knew that Asch had been kidnapped, and they had found him while searching for his older brother. He would have liked to know more, but it was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make, if only to keep Asch from feeling that way ever again.

"Seven years ago," Van began. "I came into the Fabre household, and took the family's only heir."

"What?" Luke covered his mouth, it had come out much louder than he expected. He lowered his voice again. "What? You were the one who took Asch? Why?"

"You heard the Score read upstairs, did you not?"

"Yeah, but it was cut off, we didn't hear it all."

"That's because it goes like this: ND2018. The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There, the youth will turn power to calamity and be as a weapon of Kimlasca, destroying himself and the city."

It suddenly hit Luke: that was how his father and uncle had known that one of them would die. It was written in the Score.

Luke could feel his heart crawl up into his throat. He was far from being well versed on the topic, but ff there was one thing Luke knew about the Score it was this: the Score foretold the future, that future was absolute, and it was never wrong. For that very reason any Score that foretold one's death could not be revealed. No wonder they had censored the reading upstairs... but why? Why was all this happening?

No... Luke couldn't follow that train of thought; he just didn't have the strength to deal with it right now. Besides... he had more important thing to worry about. "Still... Luke finally spoke up. "What does that have to do with kidnapping Asch?"

"I found out the Score said that Asch would die... and I didn't want to see that happen. Asch had already been my student for some time, I couldn't accept that such a fate was in store for him and I knew something had to be done. So I decided to kidnap him, and then, I made you." Luke's eyes opened wide, shock wiping his mind clean. That particular implication hadn't even occurred to him. The one behind Asch' kidnapping was also the one behind his creation. All this time... it had been Master Van?

"M-me? But why?"

"You're not the one the Score mentions. You aren't bound to the fate it has laid out for Asch. Don't you see? You are the only one capable of saving Akzerieuth. If you can save the city where the Score says Asch would fail, then you can finally prove yourself and surpass Asch."

"But, can I really do it? I mean, the Score says Asch is supposed to go doesn't it?"

"Luke, don't worry about it so much. You are more than capable of filling Asch's place."

"Thanks," Luke's smile was transparent. In the end, even Master Van saw him as a replacement.

"Luke, it's very important that you don't tell anyone about this."

"Why not?"

"Because this information is not something that I should know, and certainly not something I should have told you. Revealing a Score of death is forbidden. I could get into a lot of trouble."

"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Luke assured him.

"Thank you Luke. If you don't mind, I do have one question for you though."

"What's that?"

"Have you given any thought as to what you plan to do in the future?"

"No..." Luke provided hesitantly. The question hit home a bit too painfully. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that I feel it's my responsibility to see to your well being. It's a cruel fate I gave you. The future of this place belongs to Asch, and it leaves you with nothing doesn't it?" Luke solemnly nodded his head.

"Luke," Van said after a moment of tense silence. "Did you know that there are seven God-Generals?"

"Seven? I thought there were only six."

"You're technically right. We haven't had seven since the last one left our services many years ago. Right now, Cantabile of the 6th Division is filling in as Commander of Special Operations, but that can't last forever, she has her own duties to attend to as well. Would you consider filling in that position?"

"You mean me? As a God-General?" This piqued Luke's interest. Was Van seriously offering him what he thought he was?

"You don't have to if you don't want to. I thought it's something you might enjoy. You wouldn't be confined to the city anymore, and you could still come and see everyone when you want to. It would give you something to work towards."

Luke thought about it for a moment. "I think I'd like that," he finally said.

"Well don't be making any hasty decisions," Van chuckled. "Normally, God-Generals undergo extensive training and multiple trials before they are granted their title. How about we count Akzerieuth as your training? I realize that's very hurried, but if you can successfully pull off your job as ambassador, than I'll consider you ready, and that opportunity will be open to you. You can have as much time as you need to think about it and decide afterwards. Then if you so choose, you can join myself, Anise and the Fon Master in Daath."

Luke's eyes lit up. "Alright."

"There, that's more like the Luke I know." Van smiled, a gesture Luke returned genuinely this time. "Now, let's be off to finish up preparations for tomorrow, I'm sure you remember, it won't be an easy journey."

"Yeah, let's go!"

Luke stepped out of the castle into the light of the setting sun and smiled. He finally had a future to look forward to.

Chapter Text

The sun was still rising over the horizon when Luke approached the castle the next day. It wasn't often Luke was up this early, so he had never really seen the city at first light before. The calm morning air was fresh and the golden sky was breathtaking. It was a wonderful way to start such an important journey.

Luke had given Van's offer a lot of thought the previous night, though he remained somewhat undecided on the matter. While the opportunity was everything he dreamed for, he was still a bit reluctant to leave home. Then again, he would have to leave home eventually, and being in Daath was much better than being in a city where he didn't know anyone. This way he would still have Ion, Anise and Master Van around. And maybe he would get the chance to meet the other God-Generals when they weren't under orders to kill him, who knew, there was probably more to them than met the eye. It might not be too bad. He still had plenty of time to think it through, which made him much more comfortable about the whole thing. For now, Akzeriuth was a priority.

As Luke approached the castle gates, he noticed that both Guy and Master Van were already there and were busy talking. But as he got closer, he could clearly tell that it wasn't a friendly conversation.

"-and this isn't how it was supposed to happen!" Luke managed to catch the end of Guy's angry statement. He certainly had a lot of emotion for so early in the morning. But why was he upset at Master Van?

"I'm aware of that." Van calmly replied, "Why do you think I'm going as well? I want to be sure that- Ah Luke, good morning." Van immediately halted mid-sentence when he saw Luke approach.

"What is it you want to make sure of?" Luke questioned.

"Just that the journey to Akzeriuth goes smoothly and that no one gets hurt unnecessarily." Van replied.

"Oh I see." Luke turned to Guy, "Don't worry, things are gonna go just fine." Luke reassured him with a smile Guy couldn't help but returning. But somehow, when that smile faded, he seemed more upset than before.

But Luke didn't have much time to contemplate just what had his best friend so agitated, since within a few minutes, the rest of their group had gathered. Anise was as perky as ever, making a stark contrast to Ion who was still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, betraying the fact that the rather smug looking Jade that wasn't far behind them had to come and wake them up. Tear came from the direction of the city, having stayed in the hotel where Mohs had also been staying so she was able to deliver her report and receive her mission detailing. They were almost set to go.

"So, now that we're all here, what's our course of action? Or is our ambassador heading in without any plans?" Jade taunted.

"Well, I looked into it last night, and we can either catch a ferry to Kaitzur, or we can go by land to Chesedonia and catch a ferry there. That takes us through the desert though, but it would be a lot quicker to catch a boat from here." Luke provided, earning him a combination of impressed and shocked looks from the group for being able to provide that information. They had all expected him to be clueless.

"It's not quite that simple." Tear interrupted.

"What makes you say that?" Guy inquired.

"Apparently yesterday at least one of the God-Generals tried coming into the city, but there was some kind of ruckus and they retreated. There's no saying how long that will last though."

"So the God-Generals might still be after Ion?" Luke questioned.

"Well, they may have had other reasons for entering the city, but to be safe, we should presume that that was their objective." Tear replied.

"And it seems my orders to leave the Fon Master be have gone unheeded." Van mentioned. "Aside from my sword, I won't be able to provide you with much more help in that regard."

"That should be fine." Jade provided, "With your hand in battle, they should hesitate a bit more before they consider attacking at the very least. In which case, I would think simply taking a ferry from here would be the most efficient route. We'll need to be on a boat regardless, whether it be from here or from Chesedonia. Getting there as soon as possible should be our priority."

"And there's no saying the God-Generals aren't waiting to ambush us outside the city either. We know for sure that at least one is outside the city, so I'd say leaving by boat is the safer of the options."

"Alright so we're taking the ferry to Kaitzur." Luke confirmed. "Excuse me," Luke turned to one of the nearby soldiers, "could you inform your captain that we will be departing on the ferry to Kaitzur and that the soldiers may board the ship whenever ready."

"Sir!" The soldier gave Luke a quick nod and headed off to find the captain in charge of the Akzeriuth mission.

"Master! Master!" Mieu impatiently bounced up onto Luke's shoulder. "Are we ready to go yet?"

"Not quite yet." Luke replied.

"What can I say? It's as anxious as the rest of us to get rid of you." Asch teased as he opened the castle doors and stepped out, followed by Natalia and King Ingobert.

"And good morning to you too." Luke shot back, having fun pretending to be offended.

"I'm confused." Mieu's ears sagged. "I thought I was coming with Master…"

"You are. Asch was just teasing." Luke provided, his gaze never leaving his brother. "So what brings you guys out here?"

"We came to see you off." Natalia spoke up, as if their intentions had been the most obvious thing in the world. Luke saw Asch sigh and give him an apologetic look, but Luke offered an understanding smile. He was used to it by now.

"Yes," Ingobert spoke up, "It will be a difficult journey. Fon Master, are you certain of this? Akzeriuth will be far from safe. It is no place for one such as yourself."

"Thank you for your concern, but I will be fine. I have Luke and the others to protect me."

"Then I wish you a safe journey." Ingobert said with a defeated sigh.

"Yes, a safe journey to you all." Natalia said with a smile.

"Thank you Your Majesty. Princess." Jade said, nodding to them both. "But we should be off, the ferry departs shortly, and we should not delay."

"Yes, every moment we delay, more lives may be lost." Ion commented.

"Then we will leave you to your journey." Natalia replied. "May it be a successful one."

"Thank you." Ion said as the king and Natalia both returned inside, leaving only Asch in front of the castle.

"Come, let's head down to the port." Jade began ushering the group away. "Luke, I trust we'll see you there shortly?"

"Yes, I'll be down right away." Luke replied gratefully. Tear allowed herself to be ushered away; she saw what the Colonel had in mind now. Luke was heading out without Asch, probably for the first time in his life. For everything that Luke would have to deal with on his own over the course of this journey, he deserved a few moments to say goodbye to his family.

Asch and Luke watched everyone until they were out of sight, heading down the stairs and off to the port. Luke made a mental note to thank Jade for his perceptiveness later.

"Luke," Luke turned to face Asch who was talking to him, "are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I am." Luke softly replied.

"Are you really sure you're ready for something like this? It's no small task and you didn't look so sure about it yesterday. If you don't feel up to it, we could switch. I'm done working at the castle for a little bit, so you wouldn't have to worry about that."

"No. It's really okay." Luke gave Asch a reassuring smile. "I admit, I was a little scared and overwhelmed about it all yesterday, but I've given it a lot of thought, and I know I can do this. You enjoy the break, you've deserved it. I'll be back before you know it."

Luke hadn't lied to Asch, he had thought about it a lot. About the Score, and about what Master Van had said. And if his being in danger could save Asch's life, he'd do it a thousand times over. Because, if he let Asch go to Akzeriuth, and something was to happen to him there, he would never forgive himself.

"Alright then." Asch said taking Luke's hands in his own. "But be careful…and be safe. I'll see you when you get home."

"Don't worry I will. Everything will be fine, you'll see." Luke let go of Asch's hand. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone. I'll see you again soon." Luke smiled and waved as he turned and followed the group down towards the port.

He only hoped that he could keep his word.

Everyone was still standing on the dock when Luke finally caught up to them. The large ferry towered a couple stories above their heads, blocking the sun that was now gleaming as its reflection flickered in the waves. A single small staircase allowed entry onto the ship's upper deck. It was sturdy, but narrow, only allowing a single file of passengers to board. From the looks of things, the soldiers had all boarded already, and the ferry was all prepared to set sail.

"What took you? The ship's about to leave." Anise called to Luke who immediately picked up the pace.

"Sorry, but thanks for waiting."

"Well then, let's get onboard before the ship leaves without us." Van chuckled, heading up the stairs.

"Yeah, let's get going." Guy agreed following in his stead. Not far behind him was Luke, followed by Tear, Anise and Ion, then Jade taking up the rear.

About halfway up the stairs, Guy suddenly stopped. Not noticing the blonde's sudden halt, Van continued on his way up to the deck.

"Hey Guy, What's the matter?" Luke tried peeking over his shoulder, but failed as he almost sent himself toppling into the water below. Guy didn't answer, his hand clutching his left arm. Had he hurt it somehow? But no sooner had Luke thought that, Guy let go of his limb, the evidence of his tight grip still showing in the fabric of his shirt. What had that been about?

"Guy?" The sudden movement surprised Luke and he leaned back just in time, his eyes wide open in shock as Guy's sword sent a few red hairs flying off on the ocean breeze.

"Guy what's the matter?!" Luke backed off, his balance being tested as he dodged several more swings before he made it back onto the docks.

Jade, who had sensed something was wrong, had already backed off, and the three others did their best not to trip over each other as they got out of Luke and Guy's way.

"Guy, what are you doing?!" Tear yelled as the young servant struck again and again at his distraught master. The clash of metal resonated in their ears as Luke was finally forced to draw his own blade.

"Something's wrong with him." Luke managed as he continued to block the tirade of blows coming from his best friend. Luke knew something wasn't right. The hatred in the look that was fixed on Guy's face, wasn't something the Guy he knew was even capable of. It scared him; because all that hatred was focused solely on him.

But despite Guy's movements and well placed blows, something about him was off. It was almost like he was unconscious. His actions weren't thought out, they were almost simply reactions. Could someone be controlling him somehow? Either way, Guy wasn't letting up any time soon, and there was a limit to how long Luke could keep this up. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn't attack Guy.

Without even moving, Jade stole a glance behind him. Then before anyone could react, he sent a spear flying into a pile of boxes drawing the attention of the rest of the group. A figure jumped out of its hiding place, swiftly avoiding the blow, landing on a pile of nearby crates as the tower of boxes crashed to the ground behind him.

"Sync!" Ion cried.

"Depart!" One of the sailors called, noticing the scramble taking place on the docks. They couldn't afford to risk the ship being damaged by some pointless scuffle on the ground, and that kind of violence had no place on their decks.

"Wait what's going on?!" Van ran to the edge of the ship, but the stairs has already been retracted, and the ship was pulling away. He could only watch as the scuffle on the dock shrank in the distance, as the ship set sail for Kaitzur.

"Sync, what did you do to Guy?" Ion yelled at the God-General who was thoroughly enjoying the scene that played out before him.

"This is Sync's doing?" Tear inquired, trying to keep a leery eye on both the God-General and the fight between their companions.

"Luke!" Ion yelled to the redhead who almost took a hit when he turned to see what Ion wanted. "You have to knock him unconscious! Sync is using a curse slot to control Guy, you have to knock him out!"

Luke didn't look especially happy with that idea, but he didn't exactly have time to argue, or to come up with a better one. It certainly was better than fighting his best friend indefinitely.

Jade nodded his head at Tear who joined in the fray with Luke. While Guy couldn't be lured away from his assault on the young noble, at the very least she could distract him with attacks of her own. Jade watched, refusing to step away from his spot between the God-General and the Fon Master. Now that Ion had said something, he could see a glyph like pattern of blood that had soaked through Guy's white sleeve. A curse slot; that was no simple arte, Sync was certainly not to be trifled with.

Luke finally managed to land a hit to the blonde that sent him tumbling to the ground. Guy lay unconscious on the wet stone of the port as Luke knelt down to check the injury he had just incurred. Sync grinned, and taking advantage of Luke's lowered guard, launched himself at the redhead.

Sync screeched to a stop as a fonic arte crashed into the ground before him. He jumped backwards, dodging several arrows that were also sent his way.

"Luke, are you okay?" Asch ran to Luke's side. "What happened here? You were supposed to be gone already." He inquired, never taking his eyes off Sync.

"Sync was using some kind of arte to control Guy. We had to knock him out to get him to stop attacking." Luke replied, standing up and joining his sibling.

"Are you alright?" Natalia asked as she moved beside Tear, never lowering her bow that was fixed on Sync.

"I am. Thank you." Tear replied, as she too faced down the rather displeased Sync that stood before them.

"I'd say you're rather outnumbered." Jade commented.

"Oh I'm not out of the running quite yet." Sync smugly announced.

Asch suddenly cried out, grabbing Luke's shoulder to maintain his balance. He could feel the blood trickling down his leg. Everyone glanced behind them to see Guy, who was still lying on the ground, with his sword in hand. The tip had managed to slice the back of the elder sibling's leg. Natalia turned her bow on the blonde. But his hand was trembling from the effort, and the sword fell to the ground with a clang that seemed to resonate through the empty docks. Guy collapsed, unconscious again.

"He woke up." Sync commented, "That's some pretty intense hatred there. He may be more fun than I thought."

"What do you mean by that?" Luke almost hissed at the boy. Not only his best friend but his brother now?!

"Hmph." Sync cocked his head, the smug grin on his face indicating he had no intention of answering. Luke redrew his sword. "I'm outnumbered, so I'll retreat. I've accomplished my mission for the time being." Sync stated.

"Get back here!" Luke yelled after the retreating God-General.

"Luke!" Jade interrupted, "Let him go for now. We can't afford to get caught up in a fight with him right now."

"I know." Luke sheathed his sword as everyone else also put their respective weapons away. He turned and knelt beside Guy. "What are we going to do with him? Is he going to attack us again when he wakes up?"

"He should be fine now that Sync's gone." Ion also knelt down beside Guy. "The power of a curse slot depends on the proximity of the user. That's why Sync had to be here on the docks. Otherwise it wouldn't have worked."

"I'm more worried about what he had said about having 'accomplished his mission'." Asch stated. "He couldn't have been after Ion, and other than make us miss the boat- Ow!" Asch winced as Luke poked his injury on the back of his leg. Fortunately he had been standing far enough away from Guy that the cut was pretty shallow. "It's nothing." Asch looked over his shoulder at Luke who was still examining it.

"It won't be nothing if it gets infected." Luke stated as he took the bottom of his jacket and, much to Tear's utter shock, ripped a strip off the bottom, and used it to bandage his sibling's leg. Tear watched on and almost couldn't believe it. How many times had he complained about getting that coat dirty or wet over the course of their last journey? More than she could remember, he loved that thing, and yet here he had just ripped it apart. Maybe she took for granted just how close the two of them really were.

"It is possible that he had accomplished whatever mission he had to do before interfering with us." Jade pointed out as Luke was fixing Asch up.

"And since when have we ever been that lucky?" Anise asked.

"I'm simply stating the possibility." Jade shrugged.

"Now," Luke stood up having finished for the time being. Once he got back to the castle they could dress it properly. "What are you two doing down here?"

"We're coming with you." Natalia stated.

"What?" Luke spun around to face the princess.

"That's right; we're coming to Akzeriuth with you." Asch repeated. "I don't care what Uncle says, you'll need all the extra help you can get."

No! Luke spun around and his gaze met Asch's. Asch wasn't joking; he was serious, and very determined. But Asch couldn't go to Akzeriuth! Luke had to fight to keep his growing panic in check. Natalia, he would more than happily do without, but could deal with if he had to, but what if something happened to Asch?! He had to find someway to keep him from coming, and fast.

The second ferry pulled into the port. It was a bit smaller than the one that had departed earlier, but it too went to Kaitzur. People began to disembark, and everyone ceased their discussions, as they waited for the crowd to leave. Many people got off the ship, a few of the Baticul residents waved to Asch and Luke as they passed, a gesture Luke nervously returned. The sailors quickly made preparations for the next round of passengers to board.

"Asch," Luke started. Asch turned his attention to his little brother. "Look, I-"

"Master Asch! Lady Natalia!"

Asch grabbed Luke by the arm and they ran up on to the ferry, closely followed by the rest of the group. They ducked down around the port side, out of sight of the guards that were searching for the missing couple. "Sorry Luke," Asch whispered, "Can this wait until later?"

Luke was silent for awhile before finally managing an answer. "Yeah… sure."

Luke once again found himself in the open ocean, staring out at the sea. They were only about half a day behind the ship that Master Van and the soldiers had been on, which was good. The trip to Kaitzur would take a few days, which would give them all a chance to recover from their unexpected encounter that morning.

"Are you sure he'll be okay?" Luke asked Ion once everyone else had left the room.

"I am. I know you're worried about him, but try not to; he just needs some time to recover. He pushed himself to his limits earlier fighting it."

"Will it happen again?" Luke watched Guy resting, his chest rising and falling rhythmically.

"Unless the curse slot is removed, there is the possibility that it will. But as long as Sync isn't around, he'll be fine."

"Just what is a curse slot anyways?"

"A curse slot is an arte that's applied directly to a person's fon slots. It stirs up memories and uses them to control a person."

"I see. So you're sure he'll be fine right?"

Ion giggled. "I'm certain Luke. Now come on, let's leave him get some rest. He's got a few days to build his strength back up before we reach Akzeriuth."

"Alright, let's go get some fresh air then. Ion?"

"Yes, what is it Luke?"

"Thank you."

"You keep that up, and one of these days we're going to lose you in thought."

"Ha ha. Funny Asch."

"I try." Asch chuckled. "So what is it you wanted to talk about before?"

"Oh. Nothing important. I just… no it doesn't matter anymore."

Asch eyed Luke suspiciously. He didn't need the overwhelming sense of guilt and disappointment coming from Luke to tell him that he was lying. Why did Luke seem so upset about him tagging along. He had thought perhaps the resentment had entailed Natalia's participation, but it was clearly him. What could- and then an idea hit him.

"Hey, I'm not here to steal your job as ambassador. You're still in charge, I'm just here to help out, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Cheer up a bit; you're going to make Kimlasca look a pretty depressing place with a face like that."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"There you go, that's better." Asch laughed. "I want to talk to you about some stuff later so stop by my room sometime."

"Okay I will." Luke said with as much cheer as he could muster. Asch smiled and walked off, meeting up with Natalia along the way.

Luke's heart was in his throat. The day had started so well, but now as he watched his older brother happily chatting with his fiancée over by the railing, he couldn't get rid of the pit that had settled in the bottom of his stomach and threatened to make him sick.

There was no way for him to stop Asch from coming to Akzeriuth now.

Chapter Text

"You feeling okay Luke?" Guy stood against the railing next to his best friend. "You don't look so well."

"I'm fine." Luke replied.

"You know you're not fooling anyone right?" Guy gave him a rather skeptic look. "But if you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"Thanks Guy. But I should be the one asking you that after what happened the other day."

"I'm fine Luke." Guy chuckled having been asked that several times over the past couple days. "You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough." Luke shot back.

"There'll be plenty of time to worry once we reach Akzeriuth. We'll be arriving in Kaitzur later today, so try and relax a bit until we get there."

Akzeriuth.

"Guy, can I ask you something?"

"What is it Luke?"

"What was it like when your family died?"

"What the- Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to." Luke said after a moment of silence.

"Well it's not that." Guy grew serious, what had gotten into Luke all of a sudden? "To be honest, I don't remember when they died."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I remember everything up until that moment, and I remember what happened afterwards, but I don't have any idea of what really went on in between. I think somewhere along the way, I blocked it out. Some things are just too painful to carry with you, you know?"

"I can understand that." Luke admitted.

"Now are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You're worried about Akzeriuth aren't you?"

Luke was silent. Their impending arrival was exactly what he was worrying about. Luke desperately wished he had more information. How was Asch supposedly going to die? What exactly was going to go wrong? Even if he knew, would there be any way to even stop it? It was written in the Score.

"Well, I don't blame you for being nervous; a lot of people are riding on your shoulders. But don't forget you have the rest of us, including Asch, here with you. Try not to get too worked up about it." Guy said as he unsuccessfully attempted to console his friend. Luke felt his stomach lurch again at the thought of losing his brother. He just- He couldn't think about it. It wasn't going to happen, he wouldn't let it.

'What's the matter? You're not getting seasick on me up there are you?' Luke clearly heard the voice resonate in his mind.

'No I'm not!'

'There you go. You're getting the hang of it now.'

'Oh? You heard me that time?'

'I did. You're doing really well. It took me a lot more than two days to get it figured out.'

'Yeah well, I had the advantage of having you teach me. You had to figure it out on your own.'

'True, but it still says something for your abilities.'

'Are you implying I'm getting better than you are?'

'I told you before, don't aim for the impossible.'

"What's so funny Luke?" Guy inquired as he noticed the grin slowly spreading across Luke's face.

"Nothing really." Asch heard Luke reply as he closed off their connection and let them be. Luke had been absolutely fraught with worry the whole time Guy was out, which ended up being about half the morning. Everyone had been so annoyed with his constant pacing and badgering, that they were all just about ready to knock him out too. But Guy had woken up, and just like they had all assured Luke countless times, he had been just fine.

"Are you coming, Asch?" Natalia asked for the second time. Honestly, what was with him lately? He was constantly daydreaming, and it was getting annoying to have to go fetch him out of his own little world every time she wanted his attention.

"Sorry Natalia, what was that?"

"I asked you if you wanted to come up on the deck with me." Natalia let out a huge sigh. "We'll be arriving soon so I thought we could wait above deck with the others."

"What's the matter?" Asch inquired, noticing her distress.

"Lately you seem so distracted all the time. If you're not speaking with Luke or one of the others, you're off in your own little world. I mean, this is the first trip we've taken outside of Baticul since your kidnapping. I had hoped to enjoy some more time with you, that's all."

"I'm sorry Natalia. I know this is important to you, but remember that this isn't just a vacation. There are a lot of lives depending on us, and the peace treaty between our country and Malkuth is riding on our success."

"You're right, I'm sorry. That was selfish of me; of course you have a lot on your mind right now." Natalia had to suppress the small amount of glee that arose in her every time she heard Asch call it 'their country'. She couldn't wait for the day the two of them would rule over it together, it would be the most beautiful and prosperous years Kimlasca had ever known, of that she was certain.

"It's not just you," Asch said softly as he gave her a gentle hug, "I have been busy lately. How about after all this is over, we do something special? Just the two of us."

"That sounds wonderful." Natalia smiled as Asch let go and took her hand. "I'll hold you to that."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Now let's go."

"Yes. For Akzeriuth, and for Kimlasca."

The ferry pulled into the Kaitzur docks just before midday. Scattered clouds cast their shadows on the open fields that still lay between the group and their destination. It didn't take long for everyone to disembark and gather in the port.

"So first things first," Luke spoke up once everyone had gathered, "where are Master Van and the soldiers?"

"Yes," Jade agreed, "We should locate the remainder of our forces. Their ship should have arrived first thing this morning."

"Well I don't see anyone around." Guy mentioned taking a second look just in case.

"How about we check in with headquarters here and see if he checked in with them when he arrived." Jade suggested.

"Excuse me," a nearby soldier tapped on Luke's shoulder. "Are you searching for Dorian General Grants?"

"We are, why?"

"You are Master Luke I presume?"

"Yeah that's me, why did anything happen?"

"No. Dorian General Grants left a message saying he was taking the troops on ahead to Akzeriuth and that he would await your arrival there."

"Thank you." Luke dismissed the guard.

"So I guess we're heading straight for Akzeriuth, huh?" Anise pitched in.

"Are we going to try and make the trip in one day again?" Tear inquired curiously.

"No. We wouldn't make it before nightfall, and besides, we'll need our strength for once we reach the city."

"Jade's right." Asch agreed. "How about we camp at the base of Deo Pass tonight? We should be able to make it to Akzeriuth from there in about half a day." Everyone nodded in agreement. "That sound good to you Luke?"

"Oh! Uh, yeah... sure."

"Really now," Natalia pitched in, "you're worse than Asch is with all that daydreaming you do!"

"Please Your Majesty, Luke has a lot on his mind." Guy interjected in Luke's defence.

"Guy! I told you yesterday not to refer to me like that while we're away. We don't want anyone finding out I'm the princess."

"Yeah, the poor things, they'd be so devastated, they'd probably move to Malkuth." Anise mumbled under her breath. Luke bit his lip to keep from laughing, but couldn't hide the grin.

"What was that?" Natalia demanded.

"Oh nothing!" Anise said with her best innocent smile on.

"Well now that we're done having fun, let's move along, shall we?" Jade said with a grin.

"Yes let's," an indignant Natalia agreed. "Don't fall behind now." She shot back at Anise.

"Oh don't worry; we'll keep an eye on her." Jade said in the creepiest possible way.

Luke rolled his eyes. At least Jade had the right idea, or at least, Luke hoped he did. He had every intention of keeping his eye on Asch. While he may not be able to stop Asch from coming, it certainly wouldn't stop him from looking out for his sibling.

He only hoped it would be enough.

As planned, the trip took the rest of the day and night had fallen by the time they reached the base of Deo Pass. Taking a valuable lesson from previous experience, Luke was not allowed to lead the group, a job that Jade willingly accepted. While Luke often wondered if he purposely took the scenic route just to piss them off, they had still made relatively good time. He certainly wouldn't put it past Jade.

Setting up camp was relatively easy, the surrounding rock formations giving them a natural shelter, and soon they all found themselves sitting around a roaring fire that Mieu had gratefully started.

"Hey Jade?" Guy's question silenced the chatting and shared mirth that had been taking place around the campfire.

"Yes Guy, what is it?"

"I've been meaning to ask you about that fon disk. I gave you the papers since I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it, and you never did tell me if you got anything figured out."

"Ah yes, my apologies, I meant to share but we got a bit distracted somewhere along the way." Jade pushed his glasses back up his nose and waited a moment to be sure he had everyone's attention.

Asch in particular was drawn by the question that Guy had posed, but for very different reasons. He had… personal interests to look out for. Asch stole a glance at Luke. He couldn't quite make out how Luke was feeling, which was an oddity all in itself, but as soon as he caught sight of his little brother, he knew why.

Luke had completely frozen up. His eyes were open wide and he was tenser than Asch had ever seen him. If someone were to walk up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder, Luke would probably jump a couple feet in the air. Asch just didn't get it. Was he that afraid?

Asch had always known Luke was a bit apprehensive about being a replica. Maybe it was because Luke was so open with him about it, that he had never noticed just how carefully Luke hid it from the rest of the world. And this wasn't just anyone, these were his friends. People he knew and respected and looked up to. He wasn't just scared; he was downright terrified of them finding out. He didn't want to be abandoned, he didn't want to be alone.

Now that was a feeling Asch could understand.

"To be honest," Jade continued, "there wasn't much else that I was able to figure out either. Most of the information was too scattered to make heads or tails of. Exactly what Dist and Sync were working on, I cannot say. The only thing I do know is that it involves fomicry."

"Isn't fomicry that technology they use to replicate things?" Anise inquired.

"Yes, that's correct." Jade confirmed.

"So like isofons?" Guy inquired.

"No, replicas look the same; but they have their own fonon frequencies. Fomicry can't create isofons."

"If you don't mind my asking, what is an isofon?" Natalia asked.

"Well, you know that all matter emits a fonon frequency that is unique to itself, right?" Tear spoke up.

"Yes, a fonon frequency is like a fingerprint, no two are the same." Natalia recited, recalling a lesson she had on the topic, some time ago.

"Right. Isofons have identical fonon frequencies; of course, they don't exist unless they are artificially created."

"Thank you Tear." Natalia smiled at the other girl.

"You're welcome." Tear returned the gesture.

Asch watched Luke. This conversation was most definitely not helping his nerves.

"The other interesting thing that came up was Lorelei's fonon frequency." Jade continued on as he flipped through the stack of papers.

"You mean as in the aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon?" Asch finally spoke up. Why on earth had Lorelei's fonon frequency shown up on the disc? Shouldn't it have been his and Luke's?

"Yes, that's correct." Jade confirmed.

"Why would Lorelei's fonon frequency show up? Last I heard, its existence hadn't been confirmed." Guy spoke up.

"Lorelei hasn't been observed," Asch confirmed, "but do you think the God-General's plan could have something to do with it?"

"It's possible, but unlikely. My best guess would be that it showed up because of the fomicry. Fomicry consumes a large amount of Seventh Fonons; Lorelei's fonon frequency may just have been detected and recorded due to an excess amount of fonons during the replication process."

Asch wondered if that was really the case. It was certainly something to keep in the back of his mind. He could look into it later; there were more pressing concerns at hand.

"Well, I think that's more than enough for one night." Jade placed the papers back in his bag. "It's getting late, and we have a lot to get done tomorrow."

"I wonder what they were trying to make!" Anise excitedly pondered as she helped put out the fire.

Asch couldn't help but smile as he watched Luke sitting across form the fire, relaxed, but now staring aimlessly into the night. He knew exactly what they had made, and he was eternally grateful that they did.

"Is it just me, or has Luke seemed awfully down lately?" Anise asked as they worked their way up the steep mountain trail.

"It's not just you," Tear commented as she watched the redhead who was out of an earshot at the front of the group. "He has been upset about something recently."

"Why don't you go and cheer him up Tear?" Anise suggested.

"Me? Why me?"

"He seems to enjoy talking to you. Besides, I think he has a thing for you." Anise said with a devilish wink. Tear's face turned several shades of red.

"Wh-What? Are you sure?"

"Yep. Positive."

"Now, now Anise, let's not forget your last venture in to the realm of seduction." Jade taunted, having slowed his pace to match theirs.

"Shut up Colonel!" Anise pouted.

"Oh my, what adventure was this?" Natalia inquired.

"You know what, maybe I will go try and cheer Luke up." Tear interrupted. She wasn't going to be the one to have to tear the rather possessive princess off of Anise for hitting on her fiancée.

"Wait Tear! I'll come join you!" Anise ran after her.

"What? What is it?" A confused Natalia stared at the girls running ahead. Jade just couldn't resist, an evil grim spreading across his face.

"Well you see…"

"Aww that's too bad Tear, it looks like you lost your chance." Anise said as they noticed Ion who was now walking beside Luke and the two were talking.

"That's alright. The Fon Master could probably do a better job that I would anyways."

"I don't see why they have to spend so much time together." Anise mumbled.

"You're sounding an awful lot like a certain someone." Tear couldn't resist the taunt.

"Who, Princess Moody back there? No way!"

"She did what?!" The shrill could be heard from up front.

"I think that's my cue to run." Anise nervously looked behind her as she laughed and ran ahead, flying past Luke and Ion. She stopped at the very top of the hill, and didn't move until everyone came and joined her.

From where they were, they could see Akzeriuth, or rather; they should have been able to see Akzeriuth. All they could see was a dark purple mist that had settled into the valley where Akzeriuth would be.

"I think we'd best pick up the pace," Jade commented, "it seems we've come later than we thought."

The rest of the journey was downhill, so they proceeded as fast as they could without getting hurt, or wearing themselves out. Just how urgent the situation was hadn't really registered until theysaw it. They couldn't afford to delay. But as always, things never go quite as planned.

The dirt in front of Luke exploded as the shot missed its mark, landing not an inch away from his foot.

"What the-" Luke instinctively stepped back, everyone's gaze immediately drawn to the God-General from which it had come.

"Major Legretta!" Tear exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to get you. You've spent enough time with these fools. You have no business here!"

"I'm under orders from Grand Maestro Mohs, why are you here?"

"Harassing our student again Legretta?" A second woman stepped up beside her colleague.

"Cantabile! What are you doing here?" Legretta viciously eyed the new arrival.

"Cantabile?" Guy curiously watched the second God-General.

"You know her Guy?" Luke inquired.

"No. But I've heard of her, she's the sixth God-General."

"Oh I thought I'd come along and keep you in check." Cantabile shrugged, answering Legretta's demand.

"I beg your pardon, but since when do I need babysitting, and from you no less." Legretta got defensive as she unconsciously lowered the gun she had aimed at the group.

"Oh I never said I was here to baby-sit you. But orders are orders and I figured you might want some back up."

"Since when am I believed to be that incompetent?" Legretta's tone was getting vicious; Cantabile's growing grin showing just how much she was enjoying every moment of it.

"I don't know." She taunted.

"You should, you two spend enough time together." Legretta spat.

"Oh I see what this is about," Cantabile said with a devilish grin. "You're jealous!"

"I harbour no such petty feelings, towards you least of all!"

"Are they always like this, Tear?" Jade asked as Tear only watched on in shock.

"Tear, you know them?" Luke inquired.

"Yeah. They both trained me when I was still young and trying to become a soldier. But I've never seen them fight like this before. But you know, now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever actually seen them together before."

"You think I don't know that the stupid Score has this entire world under its thumb?!" Cantabile yelled back at Legretta. "That why we do this! For the freedom of humanity!"

"Of course! People check the Score to see what to eat for supper! It needs to stop! I know that! Don't insult me."

"As much as I'd like to stay and listen to their plans…" Guy whispered.

"I agree," Jade said quietly as the two God-Generals continued to bicker. "Let's move onto Akzeriuth, before they notice we're gone."

Once they were out of sight, everyone began soft discussions of the scene they had just encountered, despite still being able to hear the yelling echoing in the distance. Even Anise, who had spent a significant amount of time with most of the God-Generals, had never seen any of them fight like those two had; although she could recall rumours of quite the rivalry between their respective squads. Only Guy was silent, occasionally peeking over his shoulder back in the direction of the two women they had just left behind.

It just couldn't be…

But Guy didn't get much of a chance to think about it.

They had finally made it to Akzeriuth.

Chapter Text

Akzeriuth was completely unrecognizable. The blanket of miasma that had settled over the city blocked out the sun that otherwise would have the city alight with the golden evening hues to which it was usually accustomed. Very little of that light made its way to the houses that dotted the cliff, and the haze it created made every step dangerous. With such poor visibility, it wouldn't take much to wander off the edge of a cliff and they could only wonder how many unfortunate people had already met their end in such a way before the miasma itself claimed their lives.

The populace wasn't fairing much better than the city itself. Streets were littered with emergency supplies, and with bodies. People sought to escape the miasma that had built up in their homes, only to find the streets just as suffocating. The sick were everywhere, intermingled among those that had already undertaken their eternal slumber, their children still sobbing in their lifeless arms.

It- It just couldn't be possible. How could things have gotten so bad? Luke stared in pure unadulterated shock at the devastation that lay before him. Only a few weeks ago, everything had been alive with hope and ambition. How did everything suddenly become this?

"Things are worse than I thought." Tear finally managed. "The miasma is thick. It has affected people a lot quicker than we had anticipated."

How could she be so calm like that? People were dying everywhere. Why were they even here? Why did they bother to come? What could they possibly do in the face of… of all this?

"Well then Luke?" Asch asked gently easily able to detect his sibling's distress. "What first?" This would be Luke's true test. They were all bothered by just how far Akzeriuth had fallen, but would Luke be able to deal with it and fulfill his role as ambassador?

Luke stood in silent hysteria, oblivious to everyone's attention that was suddenly on him. He just couldn't…

"Luke." Guy put a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"What…..what can we possibly do?" He said softly, fighting back the waves of despair that were overwhelming him. "There's too much… we can't… we can't do anything!"

"Luke!" Tear reprimanded him. "How could you say that?! What kind of message are you giving the citizens here? They're waiting for us to help them! We're their hope! And here you show up saying there's nothing we can do!"

"I know that! But-"

"We just have to do what we can." Asch tried to comfort Luke. "Even if it's just a little, we can still save more people then if we hadn't come at all."

"But…. I don't…." Luke trailed off.

"Okay. Tear, Natalia, can you see if you can rally up the sick and injured? Our first priority should be getting everyone out of the miasma. Only heal anyone enough for them to move, you'll need to save your strength. We can handle any more extensive healing after we get them out of here. Jade, Guy can each of you go with one of them and help them move people?" Asch took over.

"What about Van?" Tear inquired.

"He should be here already with the Kimlascan troops, but since we don't know what he's doing, we can't count on him for the time being. If you do come across him, find out what he's up to. It'll be wasted effort if we're working on something he has covered already."

"Alright." She confirmed.

"What about us?" Anise inquired.

"You and Ion are going to help me and Luke try and find anyone that isn't in the residential area. We'll split up: You and Ion can go together and check the upper working areas, I'll take some of the lower levels and Luke can check the middle levels."

"Okay!" Anise said with as much cheer as she could manage.

"We'll all meet back here in an hour and we'll decide where to go from there. We've only a few more hours of daylight, and this is going to be impossible once the sun sets."

Each of them with their allotted tasks, set off to work. Tear and Guy took the western residential areas while Natalia and Jade set off to the eastern one. Ion and Anise managed to track down one of the functioning lifts and began their search of the upper mining sections while Asch found his way to the lowest ones, leaving Luke alone to wander with his thoughts.

Luke had made it to the first tunnel before he came upon the sudden realization that he had let Asch out of his sight. If the state of the once peaceful mining town didn't already have him on edge, the sudden wave of worry for his sibling would have done just as well. How could he have been so stupid! He let Asch run off on his own. What if something were to happen to him?

Luke stopped wandering, closed his eyes and focused.

Where was Asch?

It was faint, much fainter than what he suspected Asch saw when he did the same, but he could sense Asch's presence at the back of his mind. He was talking to one of the watchman, showing him the safest route to take the workers to safety. Luke decided not to bother him. He was okay…for now.

Luke had debated several times as to whether or not he should warn Asch. At least let him know something was up, something was going to go wrong, that he might be in danger. But Luke would have to explain how he knew these things, and that was something he couldn't do. Even if it wasn't forbidden and Van hadn't asked him to keep it a secret; he couldn't be the one to tell Asch that he was going to die.

"Hey, can you help me over here?" A man from one of the nearby tunnels called out as soon as he saw Luke in the distance. The boy looked rather lost in thought, but unlike the most of the others in town, he still looked healthy and able.

Noticing the man, Luke ran over. "What's the matter?"

"I have a wife and two boys at home, but there are men still trapped in the mine. I can't leave them."

"Which mine is this?"

"Tunnel 14." He replied. "A whole group of workers went down in there and haven't come out. I'm getting worried; this was the tunnel the miasma first started coming out of, so it's especially thick down there."

"You go take care of your family, I'll go get my friends and we'll try and help the people stuck in the tunnel." Luke finally told the man after having contemplated it for a moment. He wouldn't be able to do this alone.

"Thank you." The man gratefully told Luke as he headed off towards the houses on the western edge of town.

Luke didn't find anyone else the rest of the way around, which gave him more than ample time to think, something that he just might have been better off not doing. His imagination enjoyed torturing him by providing the several thousand things that could possibly happen to Asch while he was wandering the empty streets. Eventually he made it back to where they had started and found everyone waiting, letting out a huge sigh of relief when he saw his brother among them.

"The eastern residents are all warned, they're in the process of evacuating. Several of the Kimlascan troops are assisting them." Natalia reported.

"Did you run into Master Van?" Luke inquired.

"No. We found several divisions of troops, but it seems that Dorian General Grants had gone off on his own to search through the mines." Natalia provided.

"Okay then now that the mines are evacuated-" Asch began to give the next round of directions when Luke cut him off.

"Asch, there are a bunch of workers still stuck in Tunnel 14. I wanted to help them but the miasma is supposedly pretty thick down there so I came for help."

"Yes, several of the women that I met also mentioned they had husbands trapped in Tunnel 14." Tear added.

Asch smiled. He was glad to see Luke had somewhat recovered from the state he had been in when they first arrived. "Alright, we'll head down to Tunnel 14 while everyone else is still gathering."

"Good job Luke." Asch said once everyone had left. "See you can do something."

"Yeah well, it's not like I did much."

"Don't be like that, it's better than if you hadn't been there. Now come on, we don't want to get separated from the others in this miasma."

"Yeah, I guess. I'll try to help out a bit more."

"There you go, just do whatever you can do, even if it's just a little. Now let's get going, those people need our help."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." Luke said as he walked off with his brother; holding back the words he really wanted to say.

Please be careful.

The 14th of Akzeriuth's mining tunnels was by far largest and deepest of the many mines that had been constructed over the years. As the minerals and metals for which the town was known had slowly become scarcer, the workers had been driven to greater depths in attempt to provide for their families, until they went far too deep, and uncovered something that they weren't able to handle.

The miasma was much thicker in the tunnels, diminishing what little visibility the remaining lights provided. Taking advantage of the weakened state of the workers, several monsters and other creatures had also taken up residence in the lower mines. Despite this, the group continued on forward, determined to rescue the few that were still lost in the toxic fog.

"Over here!" They heard a shout in the distance, cut off by an abrupt fit of hacking and coughing. At the source of the cries they found half a dozen men, some already passed out from the poison, others barely hanging onto their remaining strands of consciousness.

Their group immediately scattered, each going to the side of a different man. Only Luke was still clinging to Asch as he ran to the side of the man who had called out.

"Are you all right?" Asch asked as he helped the man sit up.

"I'm fine, but some of the others…"

"We'll take care of them, but first we need to get you out of here."

"There-" The man burst into another fit of coughing. "There are more of my men, still deeper in the tunnels."

"Okay." Asch summoned a group of Kimlascan guards that had followed them down. "You and your men help these people to the surface and see to it they are looked after. The rest of us are going to split up and search for the rest of the workers."

Wait…split up? Asch's idea caught Luke's attention. It was a very bad idea. But before Luke could protest, an Oracle knight came running down the mine.

"Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants?"

"That's me. What is it?"

"Ma'am, we've located the Seventh Fonstone. We request your presence immediately." The soldier reported.

"They've found the Seventh Fonstone?!" Ion inquired incredulously.

"We believe so."

"But-" Tear looked hesitantly back at the group. She still had responsibilities here.

"Go on Tear." Jade offered. "We can handle things here. They need you to verify its authenticity correct?"

"Yes Tear," Ion agreed, "Please go verify if it is indeed the Seventh Fonstone. We'll be fine."

"Alright, do be careful."

"You as well." Asch nodded to her and she immediately left with the Oracle Knight. "Now, we need to cover as much ground as possible. Jade, you-"

"I don't think splitting up is a good idea." Luke interrupted, earning him a silent look from all the others. "I mean, what if one of us needs help?" Luke explained hesitantly. It wasn't entirely a lie…

"Luke, we don't have time to waste!" Anise protested.

"She's right," Asch confirmed, "The longer this takes, the more miasma the workers will inhale, not to mention us. The miasma is especially thick down here; we don't want to be down here any longer than we have to."

"But…!"

"Luke, don't be so worried, you can do this. I know you can."

'Besides, if you run into anything you can't handle, let me know, and I'll come help you. Okay?' The last reassurance resonated in his mind.

"Okay." Luke finally answered.

"Then let's not waste anymore time." Jade said, glaring at Luke out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah let's get going." Asch agreed, "The sooner we can get everyone to safety, the better."

In that regard, Luke couldn't agree more. As he watched Asch slowly vanish in the thickening miasma, he could only hope that everyone would indeed make it back safely.

Luke found the branch of the tunnel down which he was sent, completely empty. As he pushed forward, the miasma steadily grew thicker until he could scarcely see a few feet in front of him. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. The miasma was competing for space with the air itself and his chest was starting to hurt as his lungs struggled for every bit of oxygen they could get. He doubted he would get much further before he had to turn back.

Luke was about to give up when he saw a vaguely familiar shadow a few feet ahead of him. Relief washed over him, temporarily brushing his worries aside.

"Master Van!" Certainly he would know what to do.

"Luke! There you are. How are things going with your group?"

"Master Van we have a huge problem!" Luke blurted out.

"Slow down Luke, what has you so worked up?"

"Asch is here!"

"Asch is here?" Master Van replied in shock. "What is Asch doing here?"

"He disobeyed Uncle's orders and came anyways. I tried to stop him, but I didn't know how without telling him the truth, and you said not to say anything-"

"Easy Luke." Van cut off Luke's growing panic. "Asch will be fine as long as he stays away from the passage ring."

"The what?" Luke asked, steadily calming down.

"I'll show you. This is where I'm going to need your help. Will you come with me?"

"Why don't I go get some of the others and we can all help?" Luke suggested.

"No, this is something only you can do."

"Something only I can do?"

"That's right. The only other that could help is Asch, but the Score says that he will fail, taking Akzeriuth with him as he perishes."

"No…" Luke wouldn't accept that. He wanted, more than anything, to protect Asch, and to protect Akzeriuth.

"So will you come help me save these people?"

Just do whatever you can do.

"Okay, you lead the way."

Van led Luke down a ways before branching off into one of the side tunnels. Luke thought they had reached a dead end until Van pointed out a small doorway in the wall. Wait… a doorway in the wall?

There was no door or seal on it, but the opening in the wall was shaped in an arch, and was far too smooth and precise to be a natural occurrence. Luke hesitantly eyed the opening before taking as deep a breath as he still could amidst the miasma, and stepping in.

When Luke first stepped into the room, the first thing he noticed was the air. It was clean, and felt as fresh as the cool morning breeze had been the day he left Baticul. He took a deep breath, and another as his lungs gratefully took in the oxygen of which they had been deprived for several hours now.

The next think Luke noticed, was the fon machines. They were everywhere and Luke needed a moment to let his eyes adjust to the light that had also been lacking in the rest of the mines. Glowing glyphs danced around the room leading Luke's eyes on a roller coaster of swirls and curves as he attempted to follow them. It was as if he had stepped into a completely different world.

"Master Van, what is this place?"

"This is known as a passage ring." Van provided as he began to make his way forward. Luke followed suit as Van continued his explanation. "They are closely guarded by the Order of Lorelei. Didn't Ion ever tell you of them?"

"No, he didn't."

"Well I suppose that's understandable, it is highly confidential information. Though he is allowed to tell those he trusts to keep it a secret. My apologies, I thought perhaps he might have mentioned them to you."

What did Master Van mean? Did Ion not trust him? It was just like with Asch's kidnapping. Why didn't anyone ever tell him the truth? Didn't they trust him with that information?

"So what exactly are we doing down here?" Luke finally asked as he came upon a huge structure at the very bottom. It was huge, and Luke was trying to figure out if it was actually a fon machine, or if it was something else altogether. Regardless, it was unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"This," Van replied motioning towards the large object that had the young noble in awe, "is the cause of the miasma. We should be able to get rid of the miasma from here. That way, we can save both the citizens of Akzeriuth, and the town itself."

"Can we really?" It was more than Luke had dared to hope for. "But how? And how exactly am I going to help?"

"Don't worry about a thing. I'll coach you through it. All you have to do is follow my instructions."

"Alright. So what do you want me to do?"

"First come closer, over here." Van positioned Luke right in front of the huge fon machine.

"Now, I need you to close your eyes and calm down. Can you sense those small bits of energy around you?"

"Yes." Luke replied. Of course he could sense them. There were Seventh Fonons everywhere in this place; the entire room was saturated in them.

"Those are Seventh Fonons. I want you to focus, and gather them. They should answer your call."

Luke did as he was told, and just as they always had, the fonons willingly flocked to him, answering his summons. Luke instinctively found himself raising his hands; he needed somewhere to focus on, somewhere to channel that power.

"Good, good." Van continued, impressed at how well everything was proceeding.

Luke maintained his focus, Asch's careful instructions clear in his mind.

Don't' lose focus. The slightest mistake can be devastating.

It was then that Luke realized exactly what it was Master Van was coaching him through. He had done this countless times with his brother at his side.

Van wanted him to cause a hyperresonance.

"Where's Luke?" Guy inquired looking around the tunnel entrance.

"I don't know, I sent him down the shortest branch, he should have been back a long time ago." Asch replied.

"No luck over here." Anise said as she approached the group.

"We weren't able to spot Luke in the tunnel he was supposed to be down." Ion added, his attention on the other redhead. "Asch?"

But Asch wasn't listening. Focus. Where was Luke? He was having a hard time locating his wayward sibling as he simultaneously fought the growing panic that something had happened to him. Luke had been on edge the entire time they had been here, and seemed especially apprehensive about going down the tunnels on his own. He was so stupid! Why hadn't he paid more attention to Luke? Now who knows what might have happened to him!

But then Asch found him. It was faint, but he was deep in the mines. What was he doing there? He was in a room the likes of which Asch had never seen but-

"Asch? Asch!" Natalia raised her voice in attempts to get her fiancée's attention but to no avail. He was completely zoned out. His eyes were open, but he was staring intently at a small pile of pebbles at Jade's feet, and somehow she doubted that was the object of his sudden intense interest.

"That idiot!" Asch yelled all of a sudden before bolting down the tunnel.

"What the hell?" Guy exclaimed.

"Tear what's the matter?" Anise suddenly asked as she noticed the young Oracle Knight running as fast as she could towards them.

"Something's wrong! It's a trap!"

"What? Slow down, you're not making any sense!" Anise protested.

"There was no Seventh Fonstone. When I went to check, a group of Oracle Knights tried to take me away! Van is up to something! And whatever it is, he doesn't want me caught up in it!"

"Let's head after Asch. He could be in danger." Jade said, wasting no time following Asch's trail, which was quickly growing cold.

"What about Luke?" Tear asked as she followed.

"I suspect that is who he ran after."

"But how would he know where to find Luke?" Natalia inquired.

"We can save that for after they're out of harm's way." Jade cut her off in the most concerned and panicked voice they had ever heard out of him.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Natalia apologized as she focused her energy on not falling behind. They would both be okay. They might need a good stern talking too, but they would both be just fine.

They just had to be.

"Master Van? Just what exactly is it you are trying to get me to do?" Luke inquired. He wanted to be sure that Master Van knew exactly what he was doing, and the consequences that might ensue.

"Don't worry Luke." Van came up behind Luke and gently held Luke's arms up. "You're doing fine. Just keep on going as you are now."

"No." Luke stated. He wouldn't do it. At the back of his mind he could sense a sudden concern and fright from Asch, not to mention the feeling he had in his gut telling him that this wasn't the right thing to do.

"I can't set off a hyperresonance here." Luke stated firmly as he slowly and carefully let the Seventh Fonons dissipate. Letting them all go at once could be as dangerous as setting off the hyperresonance itself. Van let go of his grip on Luke's arms but leaned in as he whispered into the boy's ear.

"A tool like you doesn't have a choice. Foolish replica Luke."

All of a sudden, the seventh fonons around him raced out of control. Those he had allowed to dissipate swarmed back bringing with them far more fonons than Luke could control. It was the same as on the ship to Chesedonia! No! He wouldn't set off a hyperresonance here! He couldn't! The entire city rested on these tunnels! Luke fought with all his might to control the sudden swarm of fonons that was engulfing him. Slowly but steadily, he was gaining ground. He could do this; no, he had to do this.

"Such a fool." Van spat as he backed off from the replica. "You think you can fight your fate? This is the sole purpose for which you were created!"

The words struck Luke like an arrow to the heart. The sole purpose? Was everything Van had told him a lie? His future, his hope, every word of encouragement, and every gentle hand that had helped him back up on his feet; he didn't mean a word of it? The fonons were gaining ground. No! He had to focus!

"You are such a failure." Van continued as he enjoyed watching Luke fight the inevitable battle. Someone like him with no experience in such matters didn't stand a chance. "You want to know the truth replica? You were created for the sole purpose of replacing Asch. But being the miserable failure you are, you couldn't even do that properly. Instead you welcomed him home with open arms. But now, you will fix all that. You will die, along with this Score-forsaken city, and Asch will finally join my side to take revenge on the Score that killed his beloved baby brother." Van finished mockingly.

At those last three words, Luke completely lost what hold he had on the situation. The rage, pain and despair that overtook him drew in even more of the fonons that he was already so desperately tying to keep in check. Alone, he didn't stand a chance. There was a brief moment, a split second that froze in time, where the world around him was silent.

And then it went off.

"Something else to try and remember is your feelings." Asch said as he leaned against the cliff. An exhausted Luke had sat down beside him and was using the same cliff face to sit back against. The sun was just starting to crawl down the sky and the gentle mountain breeze swept through the valley while gently pushing the cotton white clouds across the azure sky.

"My feelings?"

"Yeah. Really powerful feelings like anger and hate, and even sadness have a tendency to draw in more fonons. The same thing can happen if you're excited. Normally something like that isn't a big deal, but that's really all it takes to lose control of a hyperresonance."

"That's kind of scary." Luke said with a nervous chuckle.

"Don't worry, like I said before, as long as you practice, and you maintain your focus, you won't have to worry about it."

"Hey Misters." A young boy said from behind them clutching his runaway ball in his hands. "What are you doing over there?"

"We were just practicing something." Luke replied with a smile. "What are you up to all the way out here?"

Akzeriuth.

Children were running happily in the streets, laughing as Asch playfully chased after them. Luke enthusiastically evaded his brother as well, laughing along with them. The setting sun cast a golden light on them, carefully watching over them all.

No… It can't….

Workers cheerfully walked in and out of the mines, chatting about the day's work and what they would have for supper that night. Gloating about their son or daughter's latest achievement, glowering as a young groom describes the beauty and love he has for his soon to be wife.

It can't…disappear!

Jade chuckling as Anise and Tear stood in shock. Guy yelling at them for switching again as the mining carts continued along their tracks in the background. The city alive with fon machines.

It's going to be gone?

Anise yelling at a mine worker who backed away nervously. His coworkers laughing in the background. The rocks around the tunnel glittering and sparkling in the afternoon sun.

It can't! It won't!

Tear sitting quietly, Jade not far from her side, smiling as she watched the sunset as it faded over the mountains.

But it was. All those bright moments, all those smiling faces, all those dreams and wishes and hopes and opportunities: gone in the blink of an eye. He would never see those children laugh again, he would never quietly watch the sunset with Tear, he would never laugh or smile or play games in Akzeriuth ever again. All the moments he loved were gone forever.

The entire cavern began to shake. Rocks fell from the ceiling as it crumbled, fon machines crashed and shattered as the room fell apart. Luke fell to his knees in disbelief of the destruction that lay before him. He had… he had only wanted to help.

"Well done." Van applauded the fool as he turned to leave.

"Van!" Asch shouted as he dove straight for the commandant, launching himself from the upper level. Van drew his blade and easily fended of Asch's sudden attack sending the boy crashing across the floor and into a pile of debris. Asch crippled under the blow.

"Asch!" Luke screamed in desperation as he tried to reach his brother only to be thrown aside by Van.

"Asch was never supposed to come." Van stated to no one in particular. He snapped his fingers, and almost out of nowhere, two large birds, not unlike the ones Luke had seen Arietta use, appeared at Van's side. One of them gently took Asch in its talons, while Van quickly mounted the second.

"I can't have you dying here," Van looked down at the unconscious redhead, safely secured in the grip of the other bird. "That's what the tool was for." He stated with one last look down at Luke. "This is farewell then, replica. I wish you a quick demise."

Then Van and Asch were gone.

Luke sank down to the floor, the pain and harsh reality slowly creeping its way through his shell-shocked mind. He had nothing. He was nothing. He had been used and thrown away and Luke could no longer hold back the tears that leaked down his face.

Everything, and everyone he had wanted to protect…was gone.

Chapter Text

Akzeriuth was falling. Dust and miasma shot into the air as entire sheets of rock split in two. Houses crumbled like dry flowers in the wind, turning to dust, obliterated forever. Even from a distance, the screams could be heard in the streets, panicked people attempting to escape their fate, all in vain as they died along with their forsaken city.

And the man overlooking it all couldn't help but laugh.

Watching from the safety of the nearby mountains, Van stood, two gleaming crimson birds carefully preening their feathers behind him. One freely moved about while the other still held onto its burden that had been carefully moved up on its back.

Asch remained unconscious, which was just as well for the time being, it gave Van some time to enjoy the success of his endeavours. Oh they were still far from nearing completion, but now, after 7 long years of catering to the needs of a couple selfish brats, he could finally set everything into motion.

And they would move.

He still remembered the day seven years ago when Asch had turned him aside to return to his family. It had been his first miscalculation. He had let the boy escape and make his way home, all with the expectations that upon seeing how easily he was replaced would return to the only place he had left, at Van's side.

But things hadn't worked that way at all, that miserable failure had somehow swayed the boy, despite his innate stubbornness, and Asch had slipped through his fingers. Van had lost count of how many times he cursed the replica. Not only had it failed to replace Asch, but it became the thread that tied Asch back into his former life. Time after time he had invited Asch to join him, but he was always shot down; and always for the same reason. The replica.

But that was finally taken care of. Not only had he found a scapegoat to the Score that condemned Asch to death, but he rid himself of the good-for-nothing fool. With the boy none the wiser as to what had happened. It would be so much easier to gain Asch's vital cooperation now. He had a motive, he had a drive. Who wouldn't hate the Score that ripped away the two people for whom he cared for most?

It would be the replica's first success.

The fool had proven to be easier to work with than he had expected. The way it accidentally stumbled onto its abilities on the ship to Chesedonia had worked out especially well. It had been so simple to implant a trigger, just a few choice words, into its mind as it slowly lost consciousness. So easy to turn that on the replica when it thought it had control of the situation, when it thought it could say no.

The amount of control his tool ended up having was something of a surprise, even to him. It had managed to hold on to the point where he had to resort to upsetting the thing to break its focus. Now just how had it managed that? It had absolutely no experience in such things, to have held on so long… Just where had it learned so much in such a short time?

One of the birds behind him squawked, drawing his attention to the dormant redhead.

Of course. Foolish of him to have overlooked that particular fact. The boy had grown unexpectedly attached to the replica that was supposed to take his place. It wasn't all that much of a surprise he would have taught the fool. He was intelligent, there was no denying that. If given the chance, Asch could become a powerful enemy. He would have to do something about that.

The boy slowly moved his head and groaned. He was starting to come to.

Yes, he would have to do something about that indeed.

Chapter Text

No sooner had Tear and the others gotten to the bottom of the mines, did the tunnels begin to shake. Large cracks began to appear in the rock around them, and everyone had to struggle to stay on their feet. Only Ion, who had taken the lead claiming to know where the missing twins may be, somehow managed to maintain his balance and swiftly continued down into Akzeriuth's depths, with everyone else struggling to keep up with his pace.

"Ion, are you sure you know where they are?" Anise called after the Fon Master but got no reply.

"This is a dead end." Jade stated the obvious.

"This way." Ion replied, showing them a hidden arch in the wall. "Hurry, I fear we don't have much time, if any at all."

Everyone quickly slipped through the opening and into the room on the other side. Had it not been such a dire situation, Guy would have been ecstatic at the myriad of ancient technology present in the place, but now wasn't the time for such things. This room seemed to be the source of the collapse. They were already pushing their limits, dodging falling debris as they made their way down towards the center, and things were only getting worse.

"Ion, where are we?" Jade demanded, the severity in his tone making his message clear. It wasn't a question.

"This is a passage ring, built from Dawn Age technology to protect and operate the Sephiroth." Ion replied, not missing a pace as he sidestepped a small boulder that had dislodged from the ceiling.

"What makes you think they'd be here?" Jade questioned as they finally reached the lower platform.

"Luke!" Guy ran to his friend's side, everyone else not far behind.

"Luke what happened here? Luke? Luke!" But Luke wasn't answering. He was sitting on the floor, covered in dirt and debris, staring wide-eyed at a huge empty space enclosed by flickering and dying glyphs, lines drawn down his face where tears had once been. What in all of Auldrant had happened here?

"The passage ring is… gone?" Ion said in shock.

"Ion what will happen with the passage ring gone?" Jade demanded.

"The passage ring produces a pillar that supports this area! Without it, Akzeriuth is going to collapse."

"Oh no! What can we do?!" Anise cried.

"There isn't anything we can do now." Tear interjected. "Quick, everyone gather in close – I'll use a fonic hymn."

"Wait no!" Natalia cried grabbing Tear's sleeve. "What about Asch?! We have to go look for Asch!"

"We don't have time! The entire area's about to fall! If we wait any longer we'll all die!" Tear argued as Natalia clung to her even more desperately.

"No! You can't just leave him to die!" Natalia screamed. Jade forcefully pulled the princess off Tear as she began to sing. "No! Let go of me!" Natalia fought with all her might, her nails digging painfully into the Colonel's arm, but his grip held firm. "Asch! Asch!" Natalia's hysteric cries, laced in with Tear's sorrowful song, were the last thing anyone heard before everything went black.

Luke slowly cracked his eyes open. He was lying against hard stone. Rocks and debris lay all around him, and miasma once again saturated the air. Where was he?

"He's waking up." Guy noted from where he was sitting on a nearby rock.

Luke slowly sat up and looked around him. Miasma clouded the horizon as far as the eye could see, sitting ominously on an endless purple sea. Pieces of wood and other broken debris lay among the rocks and stuck out of the nearby sludge. It was all that remained of Akzeriuth.

Everything that had happened suddenly crashed back down on Luke.

"Help." The faint cry drew the attention of the rest of the group that had been patiently waiting for Luke to awaken. They all scanned the empty horizon for the source of the plea when a faint movement caught their eye.

Trapped on a piece of wood, was a young boy pinned under the body of an older man. Luke immediately recognized him, it had been the man that he met at the entrance to Tunnel 14, the one who had gone home to help his wife and two boys, and now, his lifeless corpse was dragging his surviving son to his death.

"No Luke! Stop!" Tear yelled as Luke made a dash towards the boy. Guy instinctively grabbed Luke's arm before he reached the edge of the poisonous sea. "That's a bottomless sea of mud and miasma! You'll die if you jump in there!"

"I don't care! I have to save him!" Luke screamed, as Guy struggled to keep his grip. Luke was completely out of his mind. With a single swift movement, he brought Luke to the ground and pinned him down as Luke flailed under his weight.

"Let go! He's sinking! I have to do something!" Luke cried as he struggled under Guy's weight.

"Can I get some help here?!" Guy yelled, as the child's piercing cries for help were further driving Luke's desperation to get free.

"Someone… Help….it hurts…" The child wailed.

"Let me go! Let me go! He's going to die! I have to save him!" Luke continued to flail. It took Guy, Jade and Tear to hold down the frantic noble as he scrambled helplessly under the weight of his companions.

He couldn't move! The little boy choked and screamed as he sunk deeper into the miasma. No he had to do something! He had to- He had to-

The boy's screams silenced as the toxic sludge claimed yet another victim.

Tear got up, and Jade followed. Guy waited a moment before slowly letting up, just in case Luke decided to try and rescue the poor child from beneath the surface, but Luke didn't move. He remained face down in the mud, his entire body shaking as he sobbed. His white coat was torn and stained, his red hair was covered in mud and streaked crimson with dried blood. He was a mess, physically, mentally and emotionally. What had happened to him?

"What are we going to do? It's only a matter of time before this land sinks as well." Ion pointed out, after a moment's silence.

"I was going to suggest we employ that." Jade said pointing to the other end of the small island on which they were trapped.

"Hey! It's the Tartarus!" Anise exclaimed.

"That's right… wasn't it Legretta and Cantabile's units that were working on it? I suppose it makes sense that it was in Akzeriuth if both of them were hanging around." Guy pitched in.

"Did no one else survive?" Anise asked solemnly.

"I doubt it." Jade replied with an equal degree of seriousness. "Without Tear's hymn, I doubt any of us would have survived either."

"We should get out of here." Tear quietly suggested, "Ion's right, it's only a matter of time before the land we're on sinks as well."

"Luke?" Ion tried in vain to get his attention. Luke was once again oblivious to the rest of the world.

"I don't get it. I've never seen anyone like that before." Anise noted before turning to Guy, "Do you have any idea what-" The rest of her question was cut off as Guy solemnly nodded and pointed behind her where, not far away, Natalia was stumbling around among the rocks and debris.

"Asch? Asch! Can you hear me? Asch! Answer me! Please! Asch?!" Natalia's desperate cries echoed in the emptiness of the Qliphoth. Anise bit her lip as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

"Let's get those two out of here," Jade suggested, his gaze shifting from the screaming princess to the broken young noble, "Before either of them get any more bright ideas."

"Has he said anything?" Anise inquired. Ion softly shook his head.

"Not a word." They both turned to look at Luke. He was now sitting on the floor of the deck, leaning against the railing, staring aimlessly into the Qliphoth.

"So now what?" Guy inquired, as he returned his attention to the discussion he had been having with Tear, Jade, and Natalia, who had just joined them. The young princess was faring a bit better than Luke was, but under that strong front, she was almost just as broken.

"We've been sailing for quite some time now, and have yet to see anything." Ion pointed out, as he and Anise joined in the conversation.

"Are we really underground?" Natalia inquired.

"We are. This is known as the Qliphoth. Where we came from is known as the Outer Lands, and floats above the Qliphoth, supported by the Sephiroth." Tear provided.

"That's correct," Ion confirmed, "Two-thousand years ago, Auldrant was enveloped in miasma, and Yulia raised the lands with the Sephiroth to escape destruction."

"That was quite a brilliant plan." Jade admitted.

"Yes, she developed it after reading the Score." Ion continued, "Only those of Maestro rank or higher know of it, as well as those who are born in the Qliphoth."

"So you're from the Qliphoth then Tear?" Anise inquired.

"If you're from the Qliphoth, then there must be someplace that's inhabited." Jade pointed out.

"Yes, Yulia City is northeast of here. If we continue on this heading, we should eventually arrive there." Tear confirmed.

"Good. Now that that's settled, there's one more issue I'd like to resolve." Jade said, his gaze returning to Luke, who still hadn't so much as budged.

"What's that Colonel?"

"I want to know what happened in Akzeriuth." Jade replied, his statement directed at Luke. Luke didn't even acknowledge that anyone was speaking to him.

"Luke?" Guy asked gently, "What happened in Akzeriuth?" Still no answer.

"I know it must be difficult, but it's very important that we know." Ion tried.

"What about Van? What did my brother do?" Tear gave it a shot. But Luke didn't respond to any of them. He just continued to gaze out into the Qliphoth.

"Tear, we don't know for certain that Dorian General Grants was involved." Jade pointed out. "Aside from the words of the soldiers, we don't have any evidence that he was even in Akzeriuth, much less have been involved with the passage ring."

"No, it's just the sort of thing my brother would do."

"But Tear, where did he go then? Luke was the only one we found in the passage ring." Anise pointed out.

"I'm sorry," Mieu pitched in, hopping down off Luke's shoulder, "I don't know what happened either. I should have stayed with Master."

"It's not your fault Mieu." Ion consoled the little creature, "We had asked you to come with us to help light the torches. Don't blame yourself."

"So in the end, it looks like Luke's the only with any answers." Guy pointed out.

"Enough of this nonsense," Natalia mumbled as she bushed past the blonde who was all too eager to get out of her way. She grabbed Luke's collar and forced him to his feet. "Luke! What happened?!" She yelled, "What happened to Asch? Where is Asch?!"

"Asch is…" Every watched on in shock as Luke finally spoke, though the hysteria in his voice made their hair stand on end. "Asch is… Asch is gone."

"What do you mean Asch is gone?!" Natalia yelled. She let go of her hold on Luke's collar and he fell back to the ground, as if it had been the only thing keeping him standing.

"Luke…" Guy watched as Luke sat there, dazed and confused, mumbling something to himself as Natalia yelled at him. He had seen Luke upset before, he had seen Luke devastated before, but he had never ever seen his best friend like this. What could have possibly happened at Akzeriuth that could have made him like this? Then a horrible idea crossed his mind.

"No way…Luke… tell me… Tell me you didn't do this. Tell me this wasn't your fault." Guy managed, earning him a shocked look from everyone else.

"What did you do?!" Natalia renewed her tirade.

"I just…" Everyone fell silent as Luke stood up. "I just wanted to save everyone!" He finally yelled.

Looks of shock, apprehension, and downright disgust swept across the faces of Luke's companions: by defending his actions, he had proven his guilt.

"What were you thinking?! Why did you have to go and do anything?!" Natalia screamed as her voice broke further with every word. "Asch had everything under control! Everything was going just fine!"

"Asch couldn't have done it either-" Luke's statement was cut off as Natalia slapped him across the face.

"Is this some kind of sick competition for you?! I don't even want to look at you right now! Do you have any idea how many people just died?! And now because of you Asch is… Asch is-" Natalia could no longer fight back her emotions and fled into the Tartarus in tears.

"But I was just trying-"

"What were you thinking Luke?" Luke cringed as the reprimand came from his best friend. "How could you possibly think any of this could protect us?! I thought… I though you of all people would be better than that."

"But that's not-"

"Don't make excuses." Tear harshly cut him off.

"Aren't we being unfair?" Ion hesitantly intervened. "We haven't given Luke a chance to explain his side of the story."

"Don't bother Ion. He can explain all he wants, but it's not going to bring any of those people back to life." Anise spat. "I don't care what he says, it won't change the fact he mass murdered a whole city. Over what? Some stupid inferiority complex with his brother."

"But I wanted to protect them…" Luke cried desperately, his voice edging on insanity, "I was trying to protect Asch!"

"Don't you get it?!" Tear snapped, "Asch is dead! Asch is dead because of you! Now he's gone because you had to be the hero and try to save everyone all on your own! It doesn't matter what you meant to do! It doesn't change what you did do!"

Luke's eyes opened wide in shock, and the pain that her harsh words inflicted on him was as obvious as his trembling. But in spite of all that, for the first time, Tear didn't regret her words.

"But it wasn't… I didn't…" Luke muttered.

"Colonel, where are you going?" Anise inquired as Jade began to make his way back inside.

"I'm returning to the bridge, I've had enough of this." Jade replied curtly.

"Allow me to join you." Tear's voice came out venomous and her harsh gaze never left Luke.

"Yeah us too, I don't even want to be around him anymore." Anise agreed as she, Ion and Guy followed Jade and Tear inside.

"Luke…" Guy turned back for a moment, "No, never mind, It looks like I may have thought too much of you after all." And the last of Luke's friends, abandoned him.

"Why…." Luke mumbled "Why won't anyone believe me? Why won't anyone listen to me?" He yelled into the emptiness of the Qliphoth.

Wait, someone would understand. Asch would understand, Asch always understood. Asch would listen to him, and understand, and even if he yelled at him, it would always be because he understood and Luke still deserved it.

'Asch?'

Luke waited a moment.

'Asch?'

Again silence. But it wasn't the usual silence like when Asch was thinking, or just plain ignoring him; it was an empty, echoing silence. Asch simply wasn't there.

'Asch…where are you?' Tears slowly began to leak down his face. 'I…I need you. You said if I ever needed help…to just call and you'd come help me. Please…I… I don't know what to do anymore…'

The emptiness that followed his desperate plea wrought on him even more pain than his friend's accusations had. Luke completely broke down, sinking to the floor sobbing. Because thousands of lives had just been lost, lost because of him; because everything he had been hoping for had crashed down around him; because the people he cared about had just abandoned him, and maybe because for the first time in his life, he was truly alone.

"Master…" Mieu approached Luke and gently set one of his paws on his master's side. Luke continued to cry, oblivious to the young cheagle's presence. "I know I can't replace your brother…" The small creature began as he climbed up onto the young noble's lap, "but maybe…if I stay here with you…I can help some of the pain go away." He finished as he quietly curled up in Luke's lap.

It was all he could do for him. Maybe this way, at least, he wouldn't be completely alone.

Chapter Text

Luke's steps echoed as he followed behind everyone. No one was waiting for him to catch up; no one was even looking over their shoulder to see if he was still following. They didn't care. Nobody did.

Yulia City was a dead city. Despite the myriad of glowing lights and abundance of Dawn Age technology, the city's purple hues drowned it in the miasma its barriers kept at bay. Save for his former companions a few steps ahead of him, there wasn't a person to found anywhere. So Luke just continued to walk, entranced by the steady echo of his own footsteps.

Maybe no one lived here, or maybe they had all died, murdered by the poisonous fog that lay just beyond the city's boundaries, just like Akzeriuth. Just like you how you killed them. No. No! He didn't want to kill them! He didn't kill them! All that blood couldn't be on his hands… no… it just couldn't be. It wasn't... He wanted to protect them! He had to protect them!

Luke's erratic thoughts were cut off by the sound of ruffling feathers and a soft thump followed by footsteps. Luke slowly glanced over his shoulder to identify the source of the noise. His heart jumped and he flew around when his eyes caught a glimpse of a very familiar crimson.

Asch's emerald eyes were hard and cold as he slowly approached his counterpart, but his harsh mood didn't get through to Luke. Rather, Luke's eyes lit up and he ecstatically made his way towards his sibling. Finally…

But before Luke even had the chance to react, Asch had his blade drawn and pointed straight at him. He froze on the spot, the tip of his sibling's sword dancing dangerously close to his face. Luke began to tremble as he took a hesitant step back, then another, and another. Shaken, he continued to move away as feelings of complete shock and defeat crashed over him.

No... Asch was - Asch was supposed to understand. Asch was supposed to be the one to listen to him...Of course. This wasn't Asch… It couldn't be Asch. Asch would never… this was just some figment of his imagination, a trick of his mind. Yeah… that was it. Then in that case... all he had to do was-

Luke drew his own sword and in a heartbeat was charging his reflection. Rage, pain and desperation coursed through every vein of his body, and it was all because of this person before him. Their blades met and he threw all his racing feelings behind it. Without even missing a beat, Asch took his sword in a single hand and threw Luke aside like a rag doll.

With the back of his hand, Luke brushed away the blood that ran down his face. He pulled himself to his feet, his left arm trembling in anger to the point where he almost dropped his sword. His opponent didn't make a move, standing calmly, watching him, his blade loosely dangling in his right hand, waiting for him to move.

Luke clutched his own sword so hard his fists turned white, his aberrant mind unable to follow any coherent thoughts. Everything was gone. Everyone was gone. No! They weren't gone! He had to protect them! Raising his blade, he assaulted his sibling only to be blocked without any trouble at all.

'What's the matter Luke? I thought you were trying to kill me!' Asch's mocking voice echoed in Luke's racing mind.

'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!' Luke screamed back as he placed blow after blow only to be easily fended off.

'Why did you do it? Why did you kill all those people?'

'I didn't! I didn't kill them!' Luke swung his sword down on his original.

'You're never going to beat me,' Asch easily blocked Luke's attack, 'until you learn to control those emotions of yours!'

Asch struck and Luke was sent skidding across the ground. Luke trembled as he pulled himself to his knees, and then to his feet. He wouldn't lose, not now, not ever. He still had- he still had to protect them.

'Don't be a fool.' Asch stated solemnly as he fended of Luke's ensuing onslaught. 'There's no one left to protect. They're all gone!'

'No! No they're not!' Luke cried attempting to force his statements into reality with every swing.

'They're dead Luke! And they aren't coming back!'

No it wasn't true… It couldn't be true- He wouldn't let it be true! Luke asserted every bit of his anger, his desperation, and even his loneliness, as he struck again and again. Make it go away. Just make it go away and it won't hurt anymore. Make him go away and it won't be painful anymore. He just had to make them all go away.

'Do you think if you beat me they'll come back? That all this will just disappear?'

'Stop it. Don't- Leave me alone!'

'No Luke. I will not leave you alone. Not until you tell me what you did!'

'I didn't do anything!'

'You're lying!'

Asch had yet to place his other hand on his blade. He effortlessly parried Luke's increasingly desperate attacks, and easily tossed him aside. Looking down on his scrambling sibling, he relentlessly dominated the fight.

'Why didn't you try and protect them?' Asch demanded.

'I did! I did try to protect them!'

'Then what were you protecting them from?'

'From the miasma! They were all going to die! I had to get rid of it!'

'And how were you going to get rid of it?'

'I just had to go down to the passage ring. There were Seventh Fonons everywhere-'

'Why the hell did you need Seventh Fonons?!'

'-but there were too many.' Luke continued to ramble in desperation, his attacks picking up their pace, completely oblivious to Asch's demand. 'So many fonons… they were everywhere, and they kept coming and coming and coming and they wouldn't go away! They wouldn't leave me alone! I couldn't- and I… I…'

Luke's onslaught suddenly stopped. His shoulders sagged and a laugh escaped him that made Asch's hair stand on end, drowned as it was in sorrow and tinged with insanity.

'They're all gone.' Luke finally admitted when his disturbed laughter had faded away. 'I was the one who killed them all. I wanted to save them but they're dead, and it's all my fault.'

'You don't understand anything do you?'

'Understand?' Luke's attacks began again with a renewed intensity only to be effortlessly blocked by Asch. 'I don't understand?! How could you understand? How could someone like you possiblyunderstand?! You have a life! You have a future that no one can take away! How could you possibly know what it's like to have all that ripped away from you?!'

'You think I don't know what its like to lose everything important to me?'

'Of course not! People look up to you and admire you! They always have! Everybody loves you and trusts you and worries about you when you're gone! It's always been that way, even when we were kids! You were always more important! No one cares about me! They use me until I'm useless and they throw me away like a piece of garbage! So tell me-' Luke eyes filled with tears as his rampant onslaught continued, 'tell me how you could possibly understand!'

'If I can't understand, then make me understand! Tell me why you did it!' Asch placed his other hand on his sword and in a single powerful swing he met Luke's strike and sent him crashing down onto the cold stone beneath him, staining it with the blood of his steadily accumulating injuries.

If Luke had been a mess before, it was nothing compared to how he looked now. His once pristine white coat was tattered and torn, covered in splotches of mud and dirt. Red stained the sleeves and waist where blood continued to trickle from the countless injuries that he now wore. He was beaten and bruised from having been thrown around and the way he fought to keep his hand steady betrayed his steadily weakening will. He was having trouble getting back up; this fight wouldn't last much longer.

'You're just like everyone else.' Luke finally managed once he had pulled himself to his knees. Blood and sweat camouflaging the tears that hit the ground along side them. 'I get it now. You don't believe me. You don't trust me. No one ever did… because no one has ever told me the truth. You never told me about your kidnapping you know… I had to hear it from Van! And not just you, Ion never told me about the passage rings, or the Sephiroth, or anything. Then even Master Van! Everything he- Everything…' Luke wiped away his tears as he stood up. 'So now... I have nothing left to lose.'

Luke renewed his assault, but it was different then before. The anger and the hard feelings that had previously driven him were all but gone, leaving a shell of pain and remorse. True to his words, Luke put everything he had left into his attacks. There was no thought out strategies, no complex patterns in his movement, he simply attacked; over and over, becoming more wild and reckless with every swing. At this rate, he was going to end up hurting himself.

'I see now.' In a single fluid motion, Asch disarmed Luke sending his sword skidding across stone, and without leaving Luke any time to react, landed a solid punch across his face that sent him crashing to the ground. Asch then placed his sword neatly between Luke's eyes. Luke could only weakly look back up at his original; he no longer had the strength to get up.

Asch calmly watched Luke as the tense silence enveloped them both. In spite of the mess Luke appeared to be, Asch was finally starting to feel a bit relieved. When he had first arrived, he could sense Luke's erratic thoughts, bordering so very dangerously on the edge of insanity. It scared him. It had scared him far more than he'd care to admit, and he had been willing to do anything to bring Luke back. He just couldn't lose Luke, not to this, not to any of Van's atrocities.

But now Luke seemed okay. He was still devastated, and more upset than Asch could ever describe, and though it was going to be a long and hard journey, he would eventually get better. All the anger and resentment, and even a bit of the loneliness had faded away. He had finally accepted what had happened, and as painful and difficult as that was; he could finally start to deal with it. And then someday, he would smile again.

'I have nothing left anymore.' Luke brokenly admitted as he struggled to hang onto his consciousness. 'Everyone's left. There's no one who would care about me.'

'You're wrong.' Luke confusedly looked up at his older brother and saw a sad smile on his face. Everything else around them dissolved and Luke watched as Asch lowered his blade and extended his hand.

'Come with me, and I'll prove it to you.'

Luke hesitantly reached up, afraid that at the last second it might all disappear. His arm was heavy, and it dragged him down, but he wouldn't let it beat him. He desperately needed to reach out, to know that someone still cared. He took Asch's hand and as soon as he did, he felt a suffusing warmth sweep over him. Leaving that heaviness and suffering behind, Luke carefully allowed Asch to pull him up.

All the pain and sorrow was gone, if only for that brief moment, and the strangest feeling washed over him. He came to the realization that a part of him was still on the ground, lying under the intense scrutiny of Asch's blade.

'What's going on?'

'Relax.' Asch's reassuring voice infused him with comforting warmth. Luke closed his eyes. 'Just trust me. I won't let anything happen to you.' Luke quietly accepted Asch's words for what they were and allowed his consciousness to rest.

Everything had gone wrong, and because he had messed up, countless people died. But the burden wasn't as heavy anymore.

At least he had been able to protect one of them.

Chapter Text

The early spring breeze gently blew across an open field. The bright spring blossoms softly swayed in the wind, basking in the light of the sun that shone down from the endless blue sky. In the center of the field sat two children, no more than seven. The boy was dressed in white and had crimson hair that was being gently tossed around in the wind, and seated among the flowers, a young girl with golden hair and an azure dress looked happily up at him.

"Someday, when we're grown up, let's change this country. Change it so that no one has to be poor. Change it so that war never happens. Let's work to change our country. For the rest of our lives." The boy smiled as the young girl's face lit up.

"Yes, someday we shall wed and together we'll make this country a wonderful place!" She replied with a smile. She took a ring that she had made out of the flowers and placed it on the boy's head. The white and yellow blossoms stood out against the boy's deep red hair, unlike the matching one on her own head.

"Together." He replied.

"Together." She took his hands. "It's a promise."

----

'What is this?'

----

"Luke! To have snuck out like that is bad enough, but to have taken Natalia with you?" The red-haired boy cringed as his father reprimanded him.

"You are to be this nation's ruler. For that you will need to learn responsibility, to have the capacity to lead the people."

"You don't have to tell me, I know that." The boy replied.

"We know you do sweetheart." The boy's mother spoke up, "but you need to try and be more careful, you're the only one we have, there's no one other than you who can do this."

"I'm sorry, I'll try not to disappoint you."

----

'Where am I?'

----

The young boy sat alone in a room of the manor, gazing quietly out the window into the clear summer sky. The room was empty, as was the courtyard he was observing. He sat alone allowing his sorrows to grow in the silence.

"If it's you Luke, you'll make a wonderful king," The boy turned around to see his teacher, "I can guarantee you that." The boy smiled gratefully as his inconsequential concerns were swept away.

"Master Van..."

"You're capable of many, much greater things." He continued, "because you are the chosen one."

"Thank you…"

----

'What is all this?'

'My memories.' Asch's simple response came rather unexpectedly as Luke watched many scenes play out before him.

'But why am I seeing your memories?'

'You wanted to know didn't you? You wanted to know the truth.'

'Well yeah…'

Luke suddenly found himself back at home. The moonlight softly filtered in through the window and lit the room, providing Luke with enough light to look around. It was one of the guest rooms back at the manor, the one at the northern edge of the courtyard, but it wasn't how Luke remembered it. Rather than the flowery bed spread and neatly kept end tables, there were shelves of books and toys. Training swords neatly lined the wall and the closet was full of clothes all carefully hung up and ready for their owner to pick them out. A dark blue blanket covered the bed in which slept a young red haired boy.

Luke watched Asch sleep, or 'Luke' rather; he couldn't be any more then ten. So this had been Asch's room when he was young, that might explain why it seemed vaguely familiar. If it had been Asch's room, then it had also been his for a time. But since Luke had moved to his current room, no one else had claimed it, and it had become a guest room.

A soft knock came at the door, and Asch sat up. Luke instinctively ducked out of sight at the foot of the bed. Wait… what was he hiding for? This was a memory, that's what Asch had said. Did he even exist here? Luke hesitantly peeked up from the foot of the bed and found himself eye to eye with his future sibling. But Asch didn't make any indication of having seen him; rather he sleepily blinked and rubbed his eyes before replying.

"Who is it?"

So Luke couldn't be seen, he was just an observer. Someone watching this chain of events play out before him but not able to do anything about them. They had happened a long time ago after all. But just what was he watching?

"I apologize for waking you so late Master Luke," the voice came through the door. It was Guy! His voice was quieter, and a bit higher pitched, but Luke still recognized it.

"You can come in; I can barely hear you out there." Asch replied with a yawn. The door opened, and just as Luke had guessed, a fourteen year-old Guy walked in.

"My apologies, but your presence is requested in the entrance hall." Guy said once he had entered.

"So late? What's going on?"

"Nothing to concern yourself about, but I was asked to fetch you despite how late it is." Guy replied stiffly. What was with him? The Guy Luke knew wasn't anything like that.

"Alright, just give me a moment."

"I'll await you outside." Guy acknowledged before stepping out the door.

Asch quickly changed out of his pyjamas and threw on a pair of shorts and a shirt. It was a bit cold out for such a light outfit, but he wouldn't be out long before he could return to the comforting warmth of his bed.

"So what's going on?" Asch inquired of Guy as they made their way across the courtyard.

"I wasn't given any details on the matter."

"Well you must know something, what did it look like? Is there a guest?"

"I don't know." Guy stopped before opening the door, causing Asch to almost trip over his feet.

"What is it Guy?" Guy remained silent.

"Guy, what's the matt-" But before he could finish his question, someone with a strong grip grabbed him, holding him still with one arm, while the other pressed a wet cloth against his mouth. Asch struggled but wasn't able to budge, his eyes pleading with Guy to help him. He couldn't breathe!

Forgetting where he was, Luke pounced on Van who he could clearly see holding Asch and pressing the drug-soaked rag against his brother's mouth. But this wasn't real, or at least this wasn't his reality, and he passed right through the man, landing in a heap on the ground.

Guy help him! Luke yelled at the blonde, despite the fact that he knew full well that Guy couldn't hear him. Why wasn't Guy helping? Why wasn't he even putting up a fuss? Even if he didn't stand a chance against Van, he could still make enough of a ruckus to attract some attention. But he didn't. Guy simply stood, watching the struggling boy as the drug took effect and he slowly lost consciousness, still silently reaching out to the person he had trusted for help.

No way, Luke watched on in horror as Asch weakened. Guy wasn't involved in this. He couldn't be… Guy would never do anything like that. Luke's surroundings began to fade to darkness as Asch lost consciousness. It was his memory after all, the spaces he hadn't seen and things he didn't know, couldn't be filled in. But as everything around him melted away, Luke caught a glimpse into the empty entrance hall. His heart sank as he noticed that there was no one there, and nothing going on. As Asch's last traces of consciousness faded, Luke had one final realization.

No wonder Asch doesn't trust Guy.

Luke had no idea how long he had spent in the darkness before Asch awoke. But when he finally did, the surroundings were once again a place Luke was familiar with. This time they were in the basement of Choral Castle. Asch sat up and held his spinning head, the effects of the drug still not completely worn off. He was sitting in the small cell that Asch had shown Luke on their previous trip, easily identifiable by the jagged bars and harsh surroundings.

Suddenly realizing what was going on, Asch ran up to the bars and tried to pull them out, but they were solidly implanted in the rock, and didn't budge. He looked out from his prison, trying to spot someone, anyone, but there wasn't anyone else around. He shivered from the cold and the fact that he had been lying on wet rock. He too recognized where he was, but he didn't remember any of those strange machines being there before.

Asch turned around to try and find a place to sit in his cell and wait for someone to come. Certainly someone would come, he was sure they must be looking for him right about now. He had to find a way to get out and get back home. Everyone must be worried.

It was then that he noticed the food. Some one had left him a tray with something to eat and a container full of water. On the tray was some bread and some fruit that made Asch's stomach rumble. He hadn't realized how hungry he was.

After a moment's inspection, he decided the food wasn't poisoned and began to eat, but as he did, he grew steadily tired. It wasn't until he was almost done that he finally realized it. The drug was in the food! But it was far too late, and he was already slipping back into the realm of unconsciousness.

Time passed and Asch spent most of it in a haze of unconsciousness and vague consciousness. Even when he was awake, he couldn't manage to string a proper chain of thought together. He couldn't think straight, and it frustrated him beyond belief. He couldn't stay here. It was cold, and he wanted to go home. Twice he had tried not eating, but after a couple days, though his mind had cleared, he barely had the strength to move much less break out. Then as soon as he was discovered, he'd be force-fed, and the haze would return.

Luke quietly sat beside his future sibling. It tore him apart to see Asch like this, so completely helpless. He was so desperate to get home and frustrated with his own lack of strength. Even though Luke knew this was nothing more than a memory, he placed a comforting arm around the boy. As expected, the young Asch remained completely oblivious to his presence, and Luke would have given anything for the chance to change all this. To make all the pain and sadness go away. But he couldn't, all he could do was sit in the cell and try, in vain, to comfort the sobbing ten-year old.

Not long after that, the pain began. Every day, Asch was forcefully hauled from his cell, and bound to a strange machine he didn't recognize. It was a bizarre device with green lights, and it was what brought the pain. Time and time again it was inflicted on him, until he had reached his limits, at which point he was thrown back in his cell, to have the entire process repeated later once he'd recovered. It was cold, he wanted to go home. He just, he just wanted to go home. Everyone was waiting, he had to get home. They needed him, he just had to get home. As soon as he got home, all the pain, everything, it would all go away.

Time itself became completely inconsequential. There was no sense of night or day, even if his mind would have been lucid enough to notice. Even Luke couldn't make out how much time had passed. His perception of their surroundings was affected by how Asch had seen them after all. Everything that happened, the pain, the lights, the machines, it all blended together into a single existence. Asch hated it. It was cold, it hurt, and he just wanted to go home. Everyone must be worried; everyone must be looking for him. They needed him; he just had to get home.

Then suddenly something stood out from the torturous cycle. When he was hauled out of his cell and bound to the machine, the pain came as expected, but then a strange warmth appeared beside him. Asch, and subsequently the observing Luke, couldn't identify what it was… but it was a wonderful warm feeling that made all of the pain and all the sadness go away, even if just for a brief moment. Asch desperately reached out to that warmth, but as soon as he did, it disappeared, leaving nothing but the cold to which he had become accustomed in its wake.

Then that too became a part of the endless cycle. Every time the same comforting, suffusing warmth would appear beside him, and every time he would reach out to it. It could make all the pain go away, and then maybe, he could finally go home. But every time, it would always vanish, slipping through his fingers as it dissipated.

Maybe he could never reach it. Perhaps such happiness and appeasement was not meant for him. Perhaps he would never again make it home. But what would happen then? Mother would be completely devastated, and surely Father would be upset as well. Then what about Natalia? He had made her that promise, and she would never forgive him for breaking it. He wanted to go home… but how? He had begun to believe that if he could reach that warmth, then everything would be better. Then it would all go away. But even that seemed out of his reach.

Luke didn't want to be here anymore. It was too much. He couldn't stand to see Asch like this. It was just too cruel. His hatred for the man who had put him through all this grew exponentially with every painful and torturous moment that Asch went through, and there were many of them.

Luke had no idea how long all this had gone on, but it had been long enough to break whatever strength and will Asch had left. His hope was nothing more than a flickering flame, desperately clinging to a dream of home and of returning to all those he loved; of fulfilling his responsibility to his country and his family. It was all he had left to hold onto.

It began the same as any other time. Asch was hauled from his cell, offering far less resistance then he had the first time it had occurred. Again he was strapped to the strange machine with the green lights, and once again the strange warmth appeared beside him. But for the first time, he didn't reach out. He wouldn't be able to handle it if it were to disappear again. It was so bizarre, why did it upset him so every time this strange feeling went away? But without even realizing it, that feeling, that strength, had become his hope, and he couldn't stand losing it again. Maybe if he didn't reach out, it wouldn't go away.

Don't be afraid my child.

The deep voice softly resounded in his mind, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. Asch had no idea what it was, but, something about it made him feel safe. It brought with it a strength and a hope that he had long lost somewhere along the way. Asch hesitantly reached out again.

As long as I am able… I will watch over you.

Asch didn't know what the warmth would feel like, and he realized he hadn't given any thought to what it might be. But as he carefully held onto the hand of the boy next to him, he felt at peace for the first time since he had been taken away. And for that moment everything else became inconsequential.

Both of you.

"That's it!" A cry came from across the room. "It's stable! We've finally created a stable one!"

A looming shadow came over Asch, and the warmth beside him was ripped away. Asch struggled and fought but in spite of his efforts only ended up back in his cell.

Asch desperately pulled at the bars, fighting to get free. He didn't even know why he was fighting so hard, but something in him was reaching out for what had just been ripped away from him. Something inside of him had been relit, and he knew he needed to get out and away from here. He had to get back home.

After that, no one came to take Asch from his cell. The warmth that Asch had found that day never returned, nor did the strange voice. There wasn't anymore pain and his cell wasn't frequented as often as it had been. Even though he continued to eat what he was given, the haze began to lift and Asch's mind was no longer a clutter of unconnected ideas. Things became perceptible and the harshness of the environment that Asch had been living in became all the more clear, and it made Luke sick.

Time after time Van would pass by the cell, and every time it was always the same scene that played out.

"Master Van! Why?! Let me out! Please Master Van!" Asch flailed, fighting against his imprisonment.

"I'm sorry Luke, but for the sake of the world, your power is needed."

"No! I'm to be the ruler of Kimlasca, I'm needed back home! Please let me go!"

"Give it up Luke. I've already made a replacement for you. It's useless for you to return to the mansion, you'll no longer be needed." Luke's stomach lurched as soon as Van said the word 'replacement'. He couldn't possibly mean…

"You're lying!"

"Even if it isn't you it's fine."

"No! It's not true!"

"They don't need you."

"Shut up! It's a lie! It can't be true!" Asch screamed as he pointlessly pounded the bars. Tears of anger streamed down his cheeks as Van simply walked away. Once he was gone, Asch would always sit at the back of the cell and sob until he fell asleep.

The next thing Luke knew, he was back at the manor. This time it was daytime, about mid-afternoon judging by the height of the sun. There was a soft breeze blowing through the yard of the mansion soft, cotton clouds drifted across the blue sky.

Luke quickly found Asch standing under a tree watching something that was behind him. Seeing the look on Asch's face, Luke almost didn't want to turn around. Asch was beaten and bruised, some of his wounds still bleeding as he used an arm to prop himself up. The clothes he had on were different than the ones he had been wearing at Choral Castle, but they weren't in much better condition. They were dirty and torn, and Luke didn't want to know what Asch had been through anymore than he wanted to know what was behind him that was causing Asch so much pain. He had been through so much just to get home. What could it be that would have him upset now that he had finally made it? He was finally home. Despite Luke's own apprehension, his curiosity got the better of him, and he slowly turned around.

That was when Luke first saw himself.

Dressed in Asch's clothes, he was stumbling around as everyone watched on, not a care in the world. Luke's heart stopped. Mother was smiling, the servants were happily playing with him and Natalia wasn't far off playing among the flowers. No one seemed to notice that anything was wrong. Amnesia they called it, caused by the trauma of the kidnapping. He was their Luke and they were happy to have him back.

Guy calmly watched on as the young replica chased a butterfly around the yard. Luke watched his best friend. He knew. Guy knew that the boy before them wasn't really Luke, that he was a replacement. But he stayed silent and accepted it all. Why? What connection did Guy have to Van?

"Luke!" Natalia's voice drew Luke's attention. The young princess was standing over his younger self with her hands on her hips, one of them carefully holding a ring of flowers she had laced together. "Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!" She said with a smile, placing the ring of flowers on his head.

Luke's heart stopped as he hesitantly turned around to see Asch, who was now completely broken, tears streaming down his face. Luke knew better than anyone what those flowers meant.

How? How did Asch not hate him? Even he hated himself right now. After everything that Asch had been through, all that time, he thought only of coming home, to fulfill his responsibilities and to keep everyone from worrying. Now, not one of them cared that he was gone.

A sudden movement and Luke found himself ducking behind a tree. No wait…he wasn't, Asch was. Luke couldn't look around anymore and realized he was now seeing things from Asch's perspective. He saw his younger self peek around the tree and move to follow. The boy tripped, and Asch instinctively caught him. Their eyes met. It was like looking into a mirror.

Luke could feel Asch's racing emotions as he watched his replacement, still unsteady on his feet. In its own way, this was far worse than all the pain he had endured since his kidnapping and Asch was fighting to keep his emotions in check.

Luke held his breath, afraid of what might happen next. He hoped beyond all hope that his younger self wouldn't do anything stupid, that he wouldn't cause Asch anymore pain. He just wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did.

But in spite of all the things Luke feared he might do, or rather, that he might have done, the young boy just curiously watched Asch as if he was another new addition to his environment. After a moment's contemplation, he took the ring of flowers and placed them on Asch's head, and in that moment, Luke could feel Asch lose what little control he had left over his emotions.

Luke had to fight back his own emotions, though he wasn't having much more success than the boy whose story he was watching. It had never crossed his mind just what Asch had been through, or just how painful the story of his own birth might be. He had been so upset at being left out of the loop that he hadn't stopped to think about how hard it might be on Asch to tell it. He had just been selfish, and it outright disgusted him.

Suddenly, the young Luke took Asch into a gentle embrace, catching both Asch and the observing Luke by surprise. Asch stood in shock for a moment before hesitantly returning the gesture. He clutched his replica as he sobbed and time froze for that moment. Luke then noticed a realization that suddenly dawned on Asch.

It was the warmth that had made all the pain and sadness go away. The same feeling that had given him strength when he thought he had lost everything. He had found it again.

And when he reached out, it didn't go away.

He had finally found his hope.

Luke woke up. The memories and scenes were gone and darkness now surrounded him. Where…?

'You done tromping around in my memories?" Asch's voice resonated within him.

'But I- I didn't-' Luke stuttered, scared by Asch's offended tone.

'I was joking Luke.' Asch chuckled.

'I'm sorry.' Luke replied quietly.

'What for?'

'For…for everything. For everything I put you through… for all of it. I'm… sorry.'

'Hey. I didn't show you that so you could feel guilty about it. None of that is your fault.'

'But if it wasn't for me-'

'Luke if it wasn't for you, Score knows where I'd be right now. I'd probably have gone back with Van and ended up in the Oracle Knights or something.'

'With Van?' Luke replied in shock. 'After all that? You would have gone to Van? Why?'

'I was only 10. I wouldn't have had anywhere else to go.'

'But still…'

'There's no point in getting worked up over what didn't happen. The point is I don't blame you for anything so there will be no blaming yourself.'

'Is that why you never told me?' Luke inquired hesitantly.

'Partially. Also partially because reliving it…isn't easy.'

'I'm sorry for making you go through it all again.'

'Luke you can stop apologizing for everything.' Asch chuckled. 'It's okay; I would have had to tell you eventually. It was actually easier this way.' Both of them were quiet for awhile.

'Asch, can I ask you something?' Luke finally spoke up.

'What is it?'

'Why did you stay?' The question caught Asch off guard and silence fell over them both.

'I guess because…there was still someone there who needed me.' He finally replied. Again silence fell over the siblings. Asch could feel Luke deeply contemplating everything he now knew.

'So where am I anyways?' Luke finally asked, serving both as a change of topic and as a way to qualm his steadily growing curiosity.

'I took your consciousness into me.'

'So…I'm inside your head?' Luke inquired confusedly.

'Basically, yeah.'

'But how? Wait…'Luke thought on it for a moment. 'Fon slots?' He finally guessed.

'Right. Don't worry; you're asleep in the bed on the other side of the room. Of course, you won't wake up until your consciousness returns to your body though.'

'In bed? Where are we anyways?'

'That's a long story.'

'Well I'm not going anywhere.' Luke offered.

'Yeah well I plan on going back to sleep at some point tonight.' Asch shot back as he rolled over in bed and further buried his head in his pillow. Luke now had a broader sense of where he was and he could feel Asch shuffling around under the blanket trying to get comfortable. It was the strangest feeling. They weren't his movements, but they felt no different than if he had moved himself. That would take some getting used to.

'Well can you give me the short version?' Luke eventually asked.

'Tear's house.'

'What? How?' Luke demanded.

'That would require the long version.' Asch muttered.

'Fine, but I want to hear it in the morning. Or I guess, you could just tell me in the morning. I'll probably have to go back to my own body.'

'Eventually. But I want you to stay with me for awhile. There's still something I have to show you.'

'What's that?'

'In spite of what you think, there are people who do care about you, some more so than they care about me.'

'I don't know about that anymore.'

'What would make you think that?' Asch inquired. He knew they couldn't have been easy on Luke after Akzeriuth, if only from the state Luke had been in when he had found him. But he had no idea what had exactly gone on.

Luke was silent, that was a memory he wasn't ready to relive just yet.

'You'll see. If no one else, Guy will be worried sick about you.'

'Guy…' Luke trailed off. 'I didn't know about what he did. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for not trusting him. I guess I never stopped to think that there might actually be a reason…'

'What did I say about the apologizing?' Asch snapped.

'But-'

Asch couldn't help but laugh sleepily at how quickly Luke became defensive, though he quickly stifled it when Luke didn't follow suit, choosing to get embarrassed instead. 'Seriously, stop apologizing. You couldn't have known.'

'Do you really think he has something to do with Van?' Luke asked.

'Maybe, maybe not. But Luke, don't distrust him over what I showed you. There's a good reason I never told you why I don't trust Guy. I don't believe that he would ever try to hurt you.' Asch replied. He held back his theory that Guy's true colours may yet show themselves now that Van had started to put his plans into motion, but what he said was still held true. In the seven years since Luke had been born, Asch had seen just how important Luke was to the blond. He valued Luke as a friend as much as his little brother did the same. 'I may not be able to fully trust him yet, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.'

'Okay.'

'More importantly, our first priority should be figuring out what it is Van's trying to do.'

'Yeah…' Luke trailed off.

'Luke… I know this is going to be hard for you. But I need you to tell me exactly what happened in Akzeriuth.'

Chapter Text

"Asch?" Luke tugged at the 12 year old's sleeve.

"What is it Luke?" Asch did his best not to look annoyed at being distracted from the book he had been reading. Luke looked upset.

"What's a replica?"

"Why do you ask that all of a sudden?"

"Well...you said that I'm a replica, and everyone else calls me a replica and I don't understand. Does it mean that I'm fake?" Luke asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"What are you talking about? Of course you're real, you're standing right here."

"But then why-" Luke let out a sob.

Asch stood up and pulled him in to a soft embrace.

"It just means you were born different than other people." Asch told him gently as Luke continued to sob in his arms. "No matter what anyone else tells you, you're still my little brother - and that's the only thing that matters."

Asch sat down on the bed overlooking his unconscious sibling. He gently brushed a few stray hairs out of Luke's eyes and frowned as his hand came upon the dry blood that stained the side of Luke's face. He had been so tired the night before that he had hauled the cot up from the storage room and promptly fallen asleep. He regretted not having taken the time to at least properly bandage Luke up.

"Will Master be okay?" Mieu hesitantly hopped up on the bed and looked up at Asch.

"He'll be fine after he gets some rest. He's had a hard time lately." Asch quietly replied as he examined the extent of Luke's injuries.

"That's true." Mieu replied. "Everyone was really mad at him too."

"They were…" Asch trailed off as he fought against his growing anger. It wouldn't do to wake Luke, whose consciousness was quietly resting in the back of his mind. He had gotten the full account on recent events from Luke the night before, from Van's manipulations, to what everyone had said on the Tartarus. Asch got the impression that Luke hadn't intended to tell him that last part, but as he had told the story, everything had just come out, and despite Asch's best attempts to comfort him, he had cried himself to sleep. "Hey Mieu," Asch distracted himself from that train of thought; "do you think you could do me a favour?"

"Sure!" The little cheagle's ears flapped in excitement. The little creature certainly did love to help out.

"Do you think you could go get me a cloth soaked in warm water?"

"I think that might be a bit too big for me to carry, mieu."

"You don't need to bring the water," Asch chuckled, "Just the wet cloth."

"Oh okay!" The little cheagle promptly bounced down the stairs.

Asch could hear the soft mumble of everyone else as they talked downstairs. So everyone else was up too. Asch quietly listened but couldn't make out what anyone was saying. Then eventually, over the soft mumble of their discussions, Asch heard a scuffling noise, followed by slop, as a wet cloth hit the ground. Then came the scuffling, and another slop, and the cycle continued until Asch's curiosity got the best of him and he stood up to investigate.

The source of the sound was the little cheagle as he fought to get the cloth up the stairs. He had soaked the cloth with water and it was too heavy for him to bounce back up the stairs with, so instead he would toss the cloth up to the next step, then jump up himself and repeat the process. Asch hopped down the first few steps to where the cheagle had made it and picked up the cloth, allowing Mieu to hop up onto his shoulder. Asch stole a glance into the living room where everyone was, but took off back up the stairs when he was noticed.

'What's that for?' Luke's sleepy presence inquired.

'Nothing important.' Asch replied as he took he place on the bed again. 'I'm just going to clean you up a bit. We can't leave you like this.' Luke didn't know what to say, so instead he watched as Asch removed the bloodstained pieces of fabric that had once been his jacket and threw them in the garbage. Once that was gone, the number of bruises and cuts became all the more obvious. None of them were major injuries, but there were so many…

Luke could feel the guilt build up in his older brother as he began to wash the dried blood and dirt off Luke's face.

'Asch...'

'I'm sorry.' Asch pre-empted whatever Luke was going to say

'No, don't apologize.' Luke replied softly. 'I'm glad you did it. I don't think you would have gotten through to me any other way.'

'I don't care. It's still no excuse for having hurt you like that.'

'Okay,' Luke replied with an exasperated sigh, 'how about we make a deal. I won't feel guilty about what you showed me last night if you stop feeling guilty about having hurt me. We'll call it even.'

'But that wasn't your-'

'I don't care.' Luke cut Asch off. 'Do we have a deal?'

Asch couldn't help but smile. 'Fine. It's a deal.'

Out of the corner of his eye, Asch noticed Mieu curl up on the bed near Luke's feet and promptly fall asleep. He chuckled. All that effort must have worn the poor little thing out.

'Why didn't you just go get the cloth yourself?' Luke inquired curiously. Asch didn't answer, simply continuing the process of cleaning Luke's wounds as best he could. That's when it dawned on Luke.

He was avoiding the others.

Of course, it made sense now that Luke thought about it. He could only imagine what it must have looked like to everyone else. Asch mysteriously comes back from the dead, or miraculously survived Akzeriuth's fall, depending on how you looked at it; either way he then proceeds to attack his twin brother and successfully cut him into ribbons. Yeah…they would have a lot of explaining to do.

'So then why did you come to Tear's house?' Luke tried.

'I wouldn't have if I had known it was Tear's house.' He replied. 'I just asked the first person I came across where we could stay and he directed me here saying that the regular occupant was out of town. He told me I was welcome to use the bed upstairs and that I could grab an extra cot from the storage room. It wasn't until they all showed up later that I realized it belonged to Tear.'

'What did they say?'

'Nothing, they thought I was asleep.'

'You're going to have to go downstairs eventually. I somehow doubt the secrets to Van's plans can be found in Tear's bedroom.'

'You never know…' Asch jokingly replied.

Luke chuckled at the joke and simply watched as Asch finished with the cloth and proceeded to bandage Luke's wounds as best he could with what few supplies he had. Asch worked slowly, putting off the inevitable. Luke could sense just how much he was loathing trying to explain everything. And he wouldn't have Luke to back him up.

Luke could only hope it would go over better than his attempts at explaining Akzeriuth had.

A flash of red caught her eye as Asch darted back up into Tear's room. Natalia still couldn't believe it. It was Asch. Asch had actually come back to her. She had almost given in to the fact that she had lost him forever this time. But he had come back.

She had been so happy to see him. At first she didn't believe her eyes, but there he was. She had wanted nothing more than to run up to him, hold him, and never let him go. But before she had made it two steps, he had drawn his sword, on Luke of all people. Certainly after Akzeriuth Luke more than deserved it, but Asch wasn't typically inclined to agree with her on those points. And despite the fact she was always trying to get Asch to scold him when necessary, something about this had seemed off, and it had frightened her.

"Asch! What the hell are you doing?"

She hadn't been the only one. Guy's outraged cry had fallen on deaf ears as the two boys had fought, completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Jade had forbidden any of them to try and get between the two. There was no saying who was on what side anymore, and Jade wouldn't risk anyone else getting hurt. But it was Asch; surely he of all people would have a reason for acting as he did, no matter how it appeared to the rest of them. So they could only watch on as two of the closest people they knew, chased after each other's life.

Then there had been that laugh. That horridly sad and insane laughter that escaped Luke; it had made her hair stand on end. If she closed her eyes, she could still hear it, and it gave her the shivers even now. But it was the only thing that had come out of either of them. There was never any attempt to talk, any effort made to discuss; they had simply gone straight for each other's throats. Just what had happened between them?

Things just went on and on, getting worse by the second. Natalia found herself cringing every time she heard Luke crash into the stone leaving trails of blood behind him. Just when she though she couldn't take it any more, Asch clearly won, and Luke's sword went skidding across the ground. He placed his sword in Luke's face and watched him until he lost consciousness. No one had dared say a word. She so desperately wanted to talk to him, to ask him what was going on,anything, but the words froze in her throat, and she didn't know what to say.

Once Luke had lost consciousness, Asch sheathed his sword. He picked up Luke's, sheathed it, then removed it from Luke and hung it over his shoulder. Then much to their surprise, he pulled out some bandages from one of his pockets and quickly tied up the most severe of Luke's injuries. He then knelt down, managed to get his unconscious brother onto his back and proceeded to brush right past the rest of them as if they didn't even exist.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" Tear had inquired once the boys were out of sight.

"Who knows?" Anise shrugged. "Asch isn't making any more sense than Luke did."

"It's strange though." Ion had added, "Why would Asch provoke Luke, go through the trouble of overwhelming him, injuring him, and then turn around and take care of him like that. It doesn't make any sense."

"Not when you put it like that." Jade had simply replied.

Natalia felt inclined to agree with Ion. Asch's action just simply didn't make any sense. They hadn't had the chance to speak with him since then either. Everyone had been incredibly surprised to find them both asleep in Tear's room when they got there. Admittedly they'd had some forewarning. A man on the street had stopped Tear and apologized for sending a couple of guests to her house since she wasn't expected back for a couple months yet. Tear reassured the man that it was fine, and they had proceeded to find the boys sound asleep in her room.

She had so desperately wanted to speak with Asch, to ask him what was going on. But she didn't have the heart to wake him, and they all decided that it could wait until everyone had a good night's rest. None of them had had any real sleep since before Akzeriuth.

So now they were here, patiently waiting for Asch to come downstairs. Discussing what they thought was the reason behind yesterday's… events. The possibility also existed that Asch also knew what happened in Akzeriuth, a fact that greatly seemed to interest Jade. But what else was there to know? Luke had clearly admitted to being at fault. It was obvious, just what more could there be?

Jade noted the frequent looks he got from the Kimlascan princess and wondered if she was going to ask the question he knew was on her mind. But she averted her gaze and instead began speaking with Tear.

He himself had quite a few questions for the young noble, whenever he decided to grace them with his presence, which, judging by how quickly he had bolted back upstairs, may yet be awhile. He wasn't stupid; he knew the interrogation he was due to face as soon as he came down.

But Jade wasn't so much interested in the reasoning behind Asch's rash actions towards Luke the previous day, rather if Asch felt the need to assault Luke for whatever reason he deemed necessary, far be it from him to stand in his way. What he wanted was another vital piece of information that Asch potentially held: what had really happened in Akzeriuth.

While the others had been content to blame Luke and have that be the end of it, something with that reasoning didn't sit right with Jade. It left the question as to how the young noble could have done it, unanswered. Even after speaking with Ion to get more details on the passage rings themselves, all the possibilities he could come up with didn't make sense.

First there was the possibility that Luke had unknowingly tampered with the passage ring somehow. But that could easily be ruled out by a simple fact: The passage ring hadn't been tampered with, it had been outright disintegrated.

So then it boiled down to one thing: what exactly could disintegrate a passage ring like that? Passage rings were Dawn Age technology, and not even the Order of Lorelei had the slightest clue how, or out of what, they were made. There was really only one thing Jade could think of with that kind of destructive potential. A hyperresonance.

But that theory too had its flaws. While Luke was indeed a Seventh Fonist, and an untrained one at that, when they had found him, he had been alone. It took two Seventh Fonists to cause a hyperresonance. That implied that there had to have been someone else, another Seventh Fonist, in the passage ring with Luke.

Perhaps Tear's suspicions about her brother's hand in the matter weren't completely unfounded. Commandant Grants was a Seventh Fonist, but his lack of presence in Akzeriuth bothered Jade. Rather than put him in the passage ring with Luke, it seemed more likely he had known what would happen and was already long gone.

The only remaining candidate was Asch. Asch and Luke causing a hyperresonance made far more sense, and was much more likely considering just how similar the two were, but that didn't work either. Asch wasn't the type of person who would run away and leave Luke to take all the blame. If anything, he was more likely to have shouldered all the blame himself. Jade didn't doubt that if he had ever been in the passage ring with Luke, he had been forcefully removed. That of course introduced the question of who… and Jade was right back at square one. There was a critical piece of the puzzle missing, and Jade knew that as soon as he found that piece, everything else would fall into place. The question remained, was that piece in the hands of the young Kimlascan noble?

The room fell silent as Asch made his way down the stairs. He watched them apprehensively, as he suddenly became the focus of everyone's attention. No sooner had he stepped off the last step, had Guy grabbed him by the collar and pinned him up against the wall. Everyone in the room held their breath, but no one came to Asch's defence.

"What the hell did you do to Luke?!" Guy demanded, practically lifting the young noble off the ground. Guy's anger towards Asch had reached an all time high, and that was saying something. He was so completely and utterly disgusted with him. Luke trusted Asch more than he trusted anyone else! How could Asch have done that? How could he have just beaten him up, without giving any sort of rhyme or reason for it?! And after everything Luke had just been through!

Asch looked Guy straight in the eye, with the most venomous look any of them had ever seen.

'What did I do?" Asch seethed, his voice getting louder with every word, "I gave him something to hold onto! Even if that something was hatred, I gave him something to live for! It was a hell of a lot more than any of you did!"

An awkward and guilt-ridden silence filled the room and Guy released his hold on the red head, retreating to a far corner of the room, his own venomous looks never leaving the boy he had just let go.

"Asch?" Natalia finally spoke up.

"What is it?"

"It is really you… isn't it?" She hesitantly asked.

"It's me." He replied with a soft smile. Before he could say anything else, he found the princess in his arms and he held her in return.

"How did you escape Akzeriuth? We all thought you had died." Natalia inquired, still holding onto him as if he would vanish should she let go, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yes, I'm certain our young princess isn't the only one who would like to know." Jade added as Asch gently separated himself from Natalia.

"Van got me out." Asch eventually replied.

Her brother did? Tear watched Asch as he faced the rest of them, a mix of emotions on his face. Tear couldn't quite pick out what Asch was feeling. It had sounded like resentment in his voice. Did he not want to be saved? Or was her brother more involved in Akzeriuth's collapse than the others seemed led to believe? But no, Luke had admitted to it. Though his intentions may not have been malicious, he had still admitted fault. It just didn't make sense.

"See Tear!" Anise piped up, "The Commandant didn't have anything to do with it! He's the one that saved Asch!"

"Didn't have anything to do with it?!" Asch yelled in outrage, "Van-"

'Asch don't!' Luke's cry stopped Asch mid sentence. 'Don't…'

'Why shouldn't I? After all this, why should we hide the truth?! Why let them believe it was all your fault?'

'It doesn't matter anymore. Whether I was at fault or not, it doesn't change the fact that it still happened.'

The rest of the group watched Asch, waiting to find out what had caused his sudden fury. But his anger seemed to appease before he spoke again.

"Van isn't to be trusted. I found out that much." He spat, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

"But he saved you from Akzeriuth didn't he?" Anise inquired.

"I get the feeling there's more going on here than we realize." Ion intervened, earning him a grateful smile from Asch. "Would it be best we not inquire for the time being?"

"Thank you Fon Master." Asch replied, "I still have quite a bit to sort out."

"No kidding, I mean his twin brother just annihilated a town." Anise mumbled, earning her a glare from Asch. "Hey!" she protested, "Don't look at me like that! You're the one who showed up and beat him up! Isn't that why you did it?"

"What would you know?"

"I could ask you the same thing. You haven't been around since Akzeriuth. You didn't see how he acted or hear what he said! What do you thinkyou know?"

"I know that I showed up in Yulia City and found my brother half insane. How about you tell me the rest?"

"Oh you're going to lecture me after what you did yesterday? Admit it! You know full well that he's the low, good for nothing brat that he is, and you're just trying to defend him!" Anise glared back at Asch. "Well I don't care. You weren't there, the things he said made me sick. I don't think I've ever hated anyone that much in my life!"

Luke was taken aback as he watched the scene play out before him. He knew Anise had been mad, but she really hated him. As cruel as the things she said were, they felt genuine. She wasn't putting up a front, it was how she really felt. Luke fought to keep his emotions under control since he could tell Asch was already struggling to do the same. He didn't need to have to deal with Luke's overwhelming sense of disappointment and guilt on top of his own growing anger.

"I don't have time for this." Asch forcefully replied letting out a frustrated sigh before he tore the child before him to pieces. "Tear, where can I find the mayor?"

"The mayor? Why?"

"I want to see about going back up to the surface as soon as possible."

"And you're just going to leave Luke?"

"Yeah." Asch replied without a second thought. He and Luke had already discussed it and had decided to leave as soon as possible, rather than wait the few days it would take for Luke to fully recover. As it stood, Luke wasn't physically well enough to do the heavy travelling that was likely going to be necessary, so he had decided to tag along with Asch until his body healed rather then remain aimlessly in Yulia City. But it's not like they could explain that to the others.

"I can't believe you! You're just going to abandon him? Just like that?!"

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black." Asch shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

'Asch…' Luke's warning tone helped settle some of the anger that had been building up inside of him .

'Fine.' He replied to Luke before saying anything aloud. "Nothing. Do you know where I can find him or not?"

"My grandfather is usually in the conference center next door." Tear curtly replied.

"What are you doing that's so urgent?" Jade demanded as Asch began towards the door.

"There's something important I have to look into." He replied, turning to face his newest inquisitor. Jade simply stared at him for a moment. Asch had no idea what he was looking for, but he met the Colonel's unnerving gaze, and after a moment, he seemed satisfied, as if he'd decided something for himself.

"You realize you'll probably have to take the Tartarus correct?"

"The thought had crossed my mind." Asch replied.

"Good. With Akzeriuth's sudden disappearance, I doubt there will any ferries running. It wouldn't do you any good to wind up stranded now would it?"

"No, not especially. But where do you plan to get the manpower to run that thing? Since I assume you're planning on tagging along."

"Well staying here indefinitely doesn't seem especially productive, and I do have a few things I would like to look into myself. As for manpower, that depends on whether staying here indefinitely appeals to our young Fon Master Guardian here." Jade replied with a smirk in Anise's direction.

"Of course we'll help." Ion offered. "But are you really determined to leave so soon? I'm certain Luke will recover quickly."

"I'm certain." Asch replied, much to Ion's disappointment.

"It's your decision to make, I won't say any more on the matter." He replied.

'See, I told you they care about you.' Asch stated as Ion took a seat on one of the couches.

'You don't have to keep this up. This isn't fair to you. I can stay here for a few days.' Luke protested, noting the animosity towards his sibling.

'It's okay, I don't mind. As long as you don't feel like I'm abandoning you here.'

'I don't, I know it's important we figure out what Master Van is up to as soon as possible, before more people get hurt. Besides I want to try and help however I can.'

'You just know you'd go crazy from the boredom if you stayed.' Asch taunted.

'Shut up.' Luke jokingly shot back.

"I can't believe you. I don't even want to have anything to do with you." Asch heard Guy mumble as he left the room out a back door. Asch sighed, he hadn't realized a smile had crept onto his face as he joked around with Luke. It had successfully antagonized Guy, and from the looks of things Tear wasn't all that impressed either. Well not much point in hanging around now.

"I'm going to find the mayor, I'll be back sometime later." Asch stated as he closed the door behind him.

"Asch wait!" Natalia said once he had left and quickly slipped out the door after him.

"Are you going to come along too Tear?" Anise asked the melodist.

"No. I have no reason to return to the Outer Lands for the time being." She replied. "Guy what are you doing?" She inquired as the blonde popped back in the room and made his way towards the stairs.

"Sorry I know we said we'd let him sleep, but I'm waking Luke up, there's something I have to talk to him about."

"Asch wait!" Asch stopped and turned around to see Natalia chasing after him.

"What is it Natalia?"

"I just…I wanted to talk with you." Natalia hesitantly answered as she caught her breath.

"What's the matter?"

"Asch…why? Why did you really attack Luke like that?"

"Do you trust me?" was Asch's simple response.

"What?" Natalia was caught off guard by his retort.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do! I'd trust you with my life!"

"Then trust me that I had my own reasons for doing what I did, and leave it at that."

"Are you really leaving Luke here alone?"

"From the sounds of things he won't be completely alone. Tear isn't coming along, she's staying here, and I doubt Guy's going to come along either."

"But still…it's not like you to leave him behind like that."

"Everything will be fine. It's not like I'm leaving him behind forever, I'll be back for him by the time he's back on his feet." Luke chuckled, Natalia was the last person in the world he expected to be worried about him. Though she was more worried about Asch's behaviour concerning him, still coming from Natalia that was pretty unusual.

"Please don't do that again." Natalia said softly as she walked up to him and held him gently. "I thought I'd lost you again. After what happened seven years ago, I just can't- I can't lose you."

"Hey," Asch softly answered as he rested his cheek comfortingly on her head, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. You're coming with us when we head back up to the Outer Lands right?"

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of letting you go on your own."

"Good, because we may have some problems to deal with, and I'm going to need your help."

"What sort of problems?" Natalia took a step back so she could look into Asch's eyes.

"War problems," Asch replied as he pulled her closer again. "Akzeriuth disappeared, and I imagine we're both presumed dead, and not only us, but Luke too who's in line for the throne after you and me. I doubt things will stay peaceful much longer." There was a long silence where Natalia happily allowed herself to get lost in Asch's embrace, her presence gently helping appease his growing worries, if only just for that moment. "I'm sorry." Asch finally said.

"My goodness, whatever for?"

"It looks like that something special I promised you is going to have to wait a bit longer."

"That's okay, I don't mind waiting. It's our country after all."

"That it is." Asch replied letting Natalia go. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to go talk with the mayor. I'll see you back at Tear's house okay?"

"Alright." She replied softly and began making her way back.

'What are you so happy about?' Asch prodded his sibling who was just overflowing with mischievous amusement.

'Oh nothing.'

'Uh huh. I'll believe that the day you voluntarily clean your room.'

'It'sorganized chaos! If I clean it up I won't be able to find anything.'

'Whatever lets you sleep at night.' Asch taunted as has made his way up to the conference room.

'Hey you-'

'Shush for a bit.' Asch cut off Luke's retort.

"Are you the mayor of Yulia City?" Asch questioned the only person in the room. He was seated at the far end of a long conference table and looked up at the visitor.

"Yes, I am Teodoro."

"My name is Asch."

"Ah yes, the young heir to Kimlasca's throne."

"That's right…"

"Don't look so surprised young man. Very few people know of us, but we stay informed on matters concerning the Outer Lands."

"I see. I was wondering of you could help me with something."

"You seek a way back to the Outer Lands, don't you?"

"How-"

"Is it really that hard to believe that you would want to leave? This Qliphoth is no place for humans to live."

'I wonder why they all live here then.' Asch repeated Luke's question.

"We are the watchers. We cannot leave this land," Teodoro replied, "but if you are looking for a way to the Outer Lands, you are welcome to utilize the Yulia Road."

"The Yulia Road is used to transport people up to the Outer Lands from here?"

"That is correct."

"Is there any way that it would be possible to raise the Tartarus as well?"

"It would be difficult, but possible. We may be able to attach a fonon activator to the ship that will allow you to use the last of the power Akzeriuth's Sephiroth possesses to push you up. It would be dangerous; do you need the ship that badly?"

"I'm afraid we do."

"Alright then, I'll arrange to have preparations done as soon as possible. You should be prepared to leave within a few hours."

"Thank you very much. But before you go, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Is it true that Akzeriuth's fall was predicted in the Score?" Teodoro looked at the boy, almost surprised at the nature of the question.

'Wait a second! You think it might be true?' Luke was also surprised by the question. He had come to believe that it had been a lie Master Van had used to trick him.

"Yes, Akzeriuth's fall was foretold in the Score." Teodoro replied before leaving to make preparations.

'No way that's impossible! If it was in the Score, why didn't anyone do anything about it?!' Luke yelled in outrage.

'Easy there…' Asch cringed as if Luke had yelled in his ear. 'It's probably part of the Closed Score that the Order of Lorelei keeps secret.'

'But someone had to have known about it! Why didn't anyone do anything! Why did all those people have to die?!'

'Luke, try to calm down. I understand how you feel, and to be honest I agree with you, but think about it from a different standpoint. The Score promises prosperity, and if the Score isn't followed then we lose that prosperity.'

'There's no point to prosperity if you're dead before you reach it.'

'I agree with you there.'

'That's not what's bothering you, is it?' Luke inquired sensing Asch's unsettled thoughts.

'No it isn't. It's Uncle and the others, they knew too. It would explain why he refused to let me and Natalia come, and why he kept trying to talk Ion out of it.'

'What?' Luke suddenly remembered the conversation he had overheard in the drawing room. 'Wait you're right. Father too. I overheard him talking about it but at the time I didn't know what it was.'

'Father knew too?' Asch sounded disgusted.

'What's the matter all of a sudden?'

'That's just so like Father.'

'What is?'

'Not to give a damn about whether his son is about to go die.'

'Come on Asch, that's not it.'

'Oh come on! Since when has he ever given a damn about either of us?!'

'Sure he's distant and doesn't really spend time with us but he's not that bad of a person.'

'How can you be so calm about it?! Don't you care at all?'

'I don't know…he's our father. I'm sure he has his reasons.'

'You're a naïve fool.'

'Yeah well, I'm seven. Deal with it.' Luke shot back and Asch just burst out laughing. Leave it to Luke to turn it all around like that. Now all that was left was to go get the others and they could finally be on their way.

"Come on Jade!" Guy was yelling at the necromancer when Asch walked in the door. "Don't give me that crap about him being fine! I can't wake him up!"

"I've already told you," Jade repeated in a surprisingly calm voice considering he had a blond in his face, "Luke's pulse is normal, his breathing is regular and his heart rate isn't out of the ordinary. If it wasn't for the fact that you can't wake him up, I would say he is simply sleeping." Asch quietly made his way up the stairs while Guy continued to yell at the Colonel.

"Lay off Guy." Anise pitched in after a moment. "What else do you want him to tell you? He can't make Luke magically wake up any more than you can."

Guy let out a frustrated sigh. "I know that but, I can't just do nothing. I'm going to check on him again."

"You realize nothing will have changed from when you checked on him 5 minutes ago right?" Anise pointed out. Guy simply waved his hand dismissing her taunt as he made his way up the stairs.

"You're back!" Mieu hopped up when he saw Asch come upstairs.

"Shhh." Asch quieted the young cheagle, Guy's yelling was clearly audible all the way upstairs.

"Are you really going to leave Master all alone, mieu?"

"Just until he gets better, I wouldn't leave him for good. There's just something I have to take care of first."

"But why not wait for Master to wake up?"

"Because it's something really important, and Luke wouldn't forgive me if I waited. Besides, even if he did wake up, he's still not all better. If he came with us as he is now, he would probably end up getting hurt again. I wasn't able to protect him in Akzeriuth, so I'm going to make sure he stays safe this time." Asch replied.

"I'm going to stay with Master." Mieu replied.

Asch smiled as he ruffled the fur on the little cheagle's head. "Okay... you watch over him for me."

"I will. What should I tell him if he wakes up?" Mieu inquired.

"Don't worry, I'll be back by the time he's up."

"But what if he wakes up before then? He'll be all confused and sad and mieuuuu."

Asch had to bite his lip, Luke was already dying of laughter at the back of his mind at just how complex Asch's web of lies was growing, and at the level of concern the little creature possessed.

"Then tell him I'll be back for him, or that if he's feeling better, he can come find me." Asch managed.

"But how will he know where you are?" The young cheagle insisted. Asch let out a snort before managing to compose himself.

"If he doesn't know, tell him to wait for me."

Mieu looked at him strangely for a moment, but decided against inquiring for the reason behind the strange sounds and faces Asch was making. "Okay!"

"Alright, I'd better go, take good care of him." Asch stood up from where he had taken a seat on the bed.

"I will. Good luck!"

'You are so dead later' Asch shot at Luke who was still stifling his laughter.

'I know, that's why I figured I'd best enjoy myself while I can.'

'Yeah well-' Asch stopped dead in his tracks when he turned to head down the stairs. He found himself looking into a pair of blue eyes. "Guy." The blonde didn't answer. "What do you want?" Asch tried, deciding he probably wasn't interested in idle chatter.

"You need another person to help with the Tartarus right?" The blonde finally said.

Asch simply shrugged. "No idea, ask Jade. Besides I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me."

"I'm not going because of you. I want to see just what you think is so important you're leaving Luke behind." He replied, turning around and heading back down the stairs.

'He overheard us.' Asch stated as he followed Guy down the stairs.

'You really think that's why he changed his mind? Maybe he just wanted to help you.' Luke offered.

'He's not doing this for me; he's doing it for you.'

"Ahh there you are," Jade spoke up once Asch made it downstairs. "A messenger just arrived from the mayor; the preparations for the Tartarus are complete."

"Good," Asch replied, "Then let's go."

"Wow, the Tartarus is in pretty good condition considering what it's been through." Asch commented as he ran his hand along the relatively straight railing of the deck.

"Indeed, it's held up rather nicely." Jade commented as he gave the deck a quick glance. He had done a far more thorough inspection of the Tartarus after it had fallen from Akzeriuth. While the hull had sustained some damage, all the engines and operating systems were still intact, and there was little compromise to the ship's maneuvering capability.

"What the hell is this?" Anise yelled from the other end of the deck. Asch made his way over to where Anise was standing. At her feet was a giant pile of what looked like crimson feathers.

As soon as Asch got closer, a head poked up out of the red mess and Asch found himself under assault by the huge creature. Everyone had their weapons drawn and ready to fight when they realized that Asch was laughing as the creature nuzzled him. Asch eventually managed to calm the bird down but couldn't convince it to move aside. Instead he absentmindedly stroked the bird's plumage while under the confused gaze of everyone else.

"Care to explain?" Jade offered.

"I have no idea, it was the bird Van used to get me out of Akzeriuth, and it was how I got to Yulia City after that. I have no idea what it's still doing here though." Asch offered. The bird just responded by nuzzling him.

"Awww he likes you." Ion spoke up, "I bet he waited here for you since the citizens wouldn't let him in city."

"Well if it likes Mr. Temper over here it must like anyone." Anise reached out to pet the bird. Rather than indulgently allow the handling like it did for Asch, it turned vicious and snapped at the young girl causing her to shriek and retreat behind the Fon Master. "Hey! That stupid bird almost bit my hand off! Stupid thing…"Anise mumbled, "I bet Gloomietta raised it."

Asch stifled his own laughter, and grinned as he continued to pet the creature. Luke too was in fits of laughter at the back of Asch's mind.

"My, my," Jade pushed his glasses back up his nose, "the Fabres do seem to have a strange affinity for befriending monsters. How does the saying go? Birds of a feather?"

"Well that would explain why it's so comfortable on your ship." Asch shot back. Jade simply shrugged off the insult and made his way to the bridge where Guy had already installed himself and was keeping himself entertained by examining the various devices and switches on the panels.

"So what are you going to do with him?" Ion inquired with Anise still sending the thing death glares from behind him.

'Uh oh' Luke spoke up.

'What is it?'

'Your pet bird is going to eat my pet cheagle isn't it?' At Luke's comment Asch couldn't help it and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ion inquired.

"Somehow I don't imagine he'll get along very well with Mieu. I'll let him go once we've reached the Outer Lands."

"He certainly is majestic." Natalia commented, keeping her hands clear out of the bird's reach.

"Are you four coming?" Guy called impatiently from the bridge.

"Come on guys," Asch said as he managed to detach himself from the crimson bird that insisted on following him to the bridge. Thankfully the bridge was spacious enough and it was content to sit in one of the empty corners.

"So where are we heading?" Jade inquired.

'That's a good question, where are we going?' Asch questioned Luke.

'Well we wanted to know why Van destroyed the Sephiroth in Akzeriuth, right? So we should try and find some information about the Sephiroth. The best place for that would probably be Daath.'

'True,' Asch countered 'but Daath is where Van and the God-Generals have their base. I'd like to save that as a last resort. We could always try Baticul.'

'Baticul? Why would there be anything in Baticul?'

'Well after you were born we gathered a lot of books and papers on fomicry. It's possible something about the Sephiroth and Dawn Age technology got mixed in-'

'No.' Luke abruptly cut off Asch's thought.

'Why not?'

'Please Asch. No.' Luke pleaded.

'Alright,' Asch conceded easily guessing the reason behind Luke's plea, 'I guess we could try Belkend then. They have a huge research lab there, they might have something.'

'Thanks.'

"We'll head for the research labs in Belkend." Asch stated. He looked around at all the empty seats. "Are you sure we can handle the Tartarus with this few people?"

"Yes, we'll be limited in mobility and attacking is out of the question, but it is operable." Jade replied.

"Alright then. Everyone ready? Let's depart."

'Back to the Outer Lands.' Asch added.

'Yeah, where we'll hopefully find some answers.'

Chapter Text

"How much further is it?" Anise whined as they made their way through the woods.

"I'm certain it can't be that much further." Ion replied as he ducked under a low branch.

It had been a couple hours now that they had been wandering through the woods, slowly making their way towards Belkend. After their rather spectacular rise from the Qliphoth, they had spent most of the morning sailing to the port northeast of the city.

Everything had been going fine until Asch had spotted a group of Oracle Knights heading back to port. What were Oracle Knights doing way out here? While their presence somewhat reassured Asch that this wouldn't be a pointless venture, they didn't do much for his nerves, so he had insisted they go through the woods North of the road to stay out of sight.

Anise watched the redhead who was currently in the lead alongside Natalia. Neither he nor Guy said a word, though they had certainly had enough to say on the Tartarus. It was unreal. Sure they had never been comfortable around each other, but without Luke around, they were downright vicious. Anise ducked at the last second, the same low branch Ion had ducked under almost catching her as she was lost in thought. Jade who was behind her chose to push the branch out of his way rather than duck down, letting it go as soon as he passed by.

"Ow!" Guy cried.

"Shhht!" Asch harshly quieted the blonde, who shot him back a venomous look.

"Jade!" Guy hissed, keeping his voice down as not to attract unwanted attention, despite the fact he'd rather drop dead then take orders from Asch right about now. "What the hell was that? That branch hit me in the face!"

"I'mso sorry Guy," Jade replied, his voice laced with sarcasm, "I didn't even see you there. You know how it is when you get as old as I am, eyesight starts failing…"

"Yeah sure thing Jade." Guy shot back before picking up his pace and taking the lead. "Let's just get to Belkend already."

"My goodness, he certainly isn't any fun." Jade shrugged, getting more than enough enjoyment out of the stifled laughter his commentary had gotten from the redhead.

The city of fon machines was indeed that, a city full of fon machines and had Guy not been in such a foul mood, he would have been far more thrilled at the sights. The stone streets were lined with all sorts of machinery, and the buildings that stood along them gave the city a rather quaint feel in spite of its obviously industrial features. The famed Belkend labs, renowned throughout Auldrant for their research into fonic technology, were located at the heart of the city, giving everyone plenty of time to see some of the sights before getting there.

The labs themselves were almost as amazing as the city was. Grouped together in a building that was easily the size of a small town, with a layout that could mess with even the most oriented mind; they truly were a sight to behold. Asch let out a huge sigh.

'What's up?' Luke inquired.

'I don't think I actually thought this through. It's going to take us forever to go through this whole place.'

'Hmm,' Luke thought on it for a moment, Asch certainly had a point, the place was huge! There was no way they could go through all of it. 'Well maybe we could ask around and see if Van's been here.'

'That could be dangerous. I'd like to stay below the radar as much as possible. The longer we can go without him knowing we've been digging around, the better, and I doubt there's anyone in there we know.'

'Well then, I guess we'd best get started.' Luke replied.

'Easy for you to say.' Asch shot back jokingly.

'Oh shut up. I still have to read everything you read.'

'No, you don't.'

'I know, but I want to. You're always the one explaining things to me, I'd like to try and learn stuff on my own too.'

'That sounds funny coming from you. You hate reading, why the sudden change?'

'Because I don't want to end up in a situation like Akzeriuth ever again.' Luke replied simply.

'What makes you think that Akzeriuth had anything to do with your level of knowledge?' Asch decided to ask before getting on Luke's case again.

'I don't know, I can't help but feel that if I had known more, I would have been able to stop it.'

Asch listened to Luke, but the matter of fact tone that Luke took on as he spoke of this kept Asch from scolding him. He wasn't sulking or whining, or wallowing around in guilt, but he was looking at the matter objectively and trying to identify his flaws and find ways to make sure events wouldn't repeat themselves. Asch couldn't help but be impressed. He had never ever seen Luke approach something like that before. So he said nothing on the matter. While he certainly wasn't going to let Luke beat himself up about it, he didn't want to intervene if he could avoid it. Luke needed to learn how to deal with things on his own. After all, he wouldn't be there to hold Luke's hand forever.

"My goodness," Natalia looked at the building, "I don't remember these facilities being quite so extensive."

"We've got some work ahead of us." Asch replied.

"Well then shall we?" Ion said as he approached the entrance.

"Yes, let's go."

"Remind me why we're here again?" Anise complained after having wandered around the labs for a good half hour.

"Ah yes, well our young friend here has yet to divulge that information." Jade replied with a sly look at Asch.

"I'm certain Asch knows what he's looking for." Natalia piped in. "If he doesn't want to share with the rest of us-"

"It's okay Natalia. Thank you." Asch cut her off. "I'm looking for information here."

"Yeah well, I hate to burst your bubble and all but the only thing we're doing is going in circles!" Anise ran to the center of the empty room they had just entered. "Now I'm not moving until you tell me what's up!"

But before Asch had the chance to tell the young girl off, the door on the opposite end of the room opened and one of the researchers entered. His gray hair and balding crown betrayed his advancing age, but the white lab coat and pile of papers he carried, identified him as one of the lab's researchers.

"Dr. Spinoza? What are you doing here?" Asch asked incredulously as he approached the man.

"Doctor?" Jade mumbled, "Now this should be interesting."

"Asch! How have you been doing lately?" Spinoza replied, surprised to see Asch of all people here.

"I've been fine thank you."

"How have those headaches of yours been?"

"Same as ever."

"That's too bad, I'm afraid I don't have anything to help you in that regard."

"That's alright. But what has you all the way out here?" The red head inquired.

"Ah yes well, I have a lab- er I mean, I have an office-" Spinoza stuttered. Asch simply chuckled.

"That's alright; I know you do research."

"I have a lab here in Belkend." Spinoza sheepishly admitted.

"Actually that's a good thing, maybe you can help me out with something."

"As much I'd hate to interrupt this wonderful conversation…" Jade butted in.

"Yeah you wanna slow down a sec and explain just what is going on here? How do you know some old guy from Belkend?" Anise asked.

"Spinoza is Luke's and my doctor. We used to come see him a lot when we were kids."

"Really?" The information piqued Jade's interest. "I didn't know you were a doctor."

"I got a degree in medicine before I undertook research." Spinoza replied.

"Is that so?" Jade continued.

"Yes. Certainly it mustn't be that uncommon. I hear you have one yourself Dr. Jade Balfour."

"So what made you decide to fall back on medicine?" Jade cut in quickly detouring the conversation.

"Actually, it was a private request from their family. I don't have any other patients."

"Yeah," Asch confirmed, also anxious to steer away from the reasons someone like Spinoza was asked to be their 'doctor'. After all, your normal everyday doctor could handle most things that popped up, but as far as he and Luke were concerned, there were some aspects in which they were pretty much useless. "In exchange for being our doctor, our family helps fund some of his research."

"Ah yes." Jade said after a moment of thought. "I think I remember a similar request, but I turned it down. By that point I had already joined the military."

'Thank Lorelei,' both redheads let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. The thought of Jade as a doctor was downright scary.

"No way! You used to do research Colonel?" Anise inquired.

"Yes but it was a long time ago." Jade replied.

"Yeah. Back when they were inventing the fork, Jade was right up there." Asch teased. Jade shot Asch a look that was the closest thing he would ever come to gratitude. Asch smirked, the least he could do was return the favour.

'What was that about?' Luke inquired.

'Nothing.' Asch replied. Luke obviously hadn't caught on, so Asch figured he'd leave him to figure it out on his own rather than have Luke fret about it. Of course he knew, he was the Jade Balfour after all.

"So Asch, how is Luke doing?" Spinoza inquired. An awkward silence fell over the group as Guy simply seethed an aura of pure resentment, despite the fact that he had yet to say a word.

"Luke's been okay." Asch replied, "He hasn't been all too great lately so he's enjoying some down time." At the back of Asch mind Luke was laughing. Down time huh? Laying unconscious in the Qliphoth of all places, didn't get much lower. Asch smirked as Luke enjoyed his pun.

'Having fun at all?' Luke managed.

'Oh you have no idea.'

"So what is it you were saying you needed help with?" Spinoza inquired.

"That's right." Asch replied, "Have you seen Van around here lately?"

"Van…as in Dorian General Grants?" Asch nodded and Spinoza thought on it a moment. "Yes in fact I have, it was a couple months ago. He's been working on something with a few of the other researchers. I think they're calling it the 'Preservation Project'. I'm afraid I don't know much else about it though, I've been quite busy with my own research lately."

"So do you have any idea what this 'Preservation Project' might be?" Asch tried.

"I'm afraid not, other than it has something to do with fomicry. I couldn't tell you anything else."

"That's alright. Also, do you know if there would be any information on the Sephiroth or other Dawn Age technology here?"

"Well you're more than welcome to look, but I highly doubt it. Most of the documents we have here pertain to current fon machines and physics. There might be the odd things on fomicry as well, but I'm afraid that's about all." Spinoza replied.

"Okay." Asch sighed disappointedly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help."

"No, that's alright," Asch spoke up, "You've saved us having to dig through it all, thank you."

"It was my pleasure, next time you're around stop by, and say hello to Luke for me." Luke chuckled at the back of Asch's mind.

"I will."

By the time they made their way back out of the maze of labs and corridors, the sun was beginning to set. The golden light cast over Belkend gave the city a very calm look. It made Luke happy, it reminded him of that evening in Akzeriuth, and while the loss of Akzeriuth still saddened him, it still gave him a peaceful feeling that swept over his original, and Asch smiled.

"Asch." Jade drew the attention of the red head, his tone was serious. This had gone on long enough, he wanted answers.

"What is it old man?" Asch sighed, he was in a good mood, and while he knew this was bound to come sooner or later, he had hoped it wouldn't be so soon.

"Why are you inquiring about Commandant Grants' activities?"

"Because I know he's up to something." Asch stated simply.

"Yeah, sure. You're just ungrateful that he saved your life." Guy mumbled.

"Oh really? And since when do you care if I live or die?" Asch shot back.

"I don't. But Van chose to save you instead of saving Luke and I'm just trying to figure out why!"

"So this is about Luke?"

"Of course this is about Luke! Not that you give a damn about him."

"Excuse me?" Asch seethed.

"You heard me. Here you are off chasing some random theory you have, rather than staying with him and helping him recover! Now explain to me how that could possibly mean you are even so much as thinking about him!" Guy yelled back, getting more and more worked up.

"It's not like you stayed either."

"Yeah well when you said it was something important, that Luke would have wanted you to do, I thought it might actually be something important! Not some wild goose chase halfway around Auldrant because you can't come to terms with what happened in Akzeriuth!"

"You don't have a clue as to what happened in Akzeriuth!" Asch stated hatefully.

"Yeah, well neither do you! And don't make me remind you who was the one to beat Luke up about it!"

"Since when do you have the first clue as to why I choose to do something?!"

"Maybe because you never have any reasoning at all! You constantly make decisions for purely selfish reasons and then go on and on about how noble your intentions are! You never think about anyone other than yourself!" Guy yelled back at Asch.

"I'm not logical? How are you and your senseless fear of women supposed to be logical?!"

"You don't know anything about that!"

"Of course I don't! I don't read minds; for all that you seem to expect me to."

"That's because you never trust me! In all these years you never have! Not once!"

"You've never given me any reason why I should trust you." Asch stated maliciously.

"So is that why you would never leave Luke alone around me?"

"No, if I left him with you he'd end up nothing but a weak and spoiled brat!"

"Spoiled brat?! I'm not the one who constantly beats him down. Nothing he ever does is good enough for you! For heaven's sake let up! Not everyone in the world has to be as perfect as you seem to think you are!" Guy was livid.

"I may not be perfect, but you sure as hell aren't either." Asch shot back venomously. "Who the hell do you think you're kidding? The way you constantly cater to his every little whim day and night, it's a wonder he's grounded at all!"

"Don't even go there, you think you don't spoil him too?!"

"Not nearly as much as you do. For all you may hate it, he still has to live in reality, just like the rest of us!"

"So I'm not allowed to want him to be happy?! What, are you the only person in this world allowed to have any joy at all?"

"So you're saying all those times we spent together are completely irrelevant? All those memories, all those good times, it's all worthless?! None of that could possibly mean anything to Luke?! None of that ever made him happy?! It's all totally meaningless?!" Asch's volume shot up as Guy's last remark hit home.

"It sure as hell is to you! If you gave a damn, then you'd stop and think about that before putting Luke through hell!"

"So what, the rest of the world is supposed to be a kiss ass like you?!"

"I am not a kiss ass! You're always yelling about how I dote on Luke all the time, saying that I spoil him too much, but you're no different!" Guy spat. "You always take the blame for things that happen or try to shove it off on something else. How is Luke ever going to learn to be responsible if you never let him take responsibility for what he's done?!"

"Then how will you ever learn to understand anything unless you stop blaming the first thing that's convenient for all your problems?!"

"Don't talk about things like that when you don't know the first thing about them! You don't know anything about me!"

"No I don't. But I can say the same thing for you." Asch stated, quietly, but venomously.

"So this is it?" Guy said matching Asch's hateful gaze with one of his own.

"Yes it is." Asch replied.

"Fine then." Guy gave Asch one last hateful look before spinning around, and walking away.

"Wait! Guy, where are you going?" Anise called after the blonde.

"I'm leaving. I don't see any point in staying around any longer."

"But where are you going to go?" Ion asked.

"Somewhere I'm wanted." He yelled back before he vanished from sight.

At the back of Asch mind, Luke was almost in tears. He had no idea just how deep the distrust between Asch and Guy truly went. He had kept his mouth shut at first, but their argument had so very quickly gotten out of control, and he couldn't help but feel responsible. They had been arguing about him, and it was all so stupid! Why did anyone have to get hurt? Why couldn't they just get along?!

"So what now?" Jade inquired of Asch who watched the blond go.

"We're not going to find anymore information here." Asch stated, "Let's spend the night and head for Daath. I'd rather avoid God-General headquarters, but I don't see any other options right now."

"But Asch," Natalia interrupted.

"Don't worry Natalia, we'll head for Baticul as soon as we're done in Daath." Asch provided.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" She asked, as she stared in the direction Guy had stormed off.

"Yeah, let's get some sleep and we'll set off in the morning."

The passage to Daath proved to be rather uneventful. The day and a half trip on the Tartarus passed with a tense silence that blanketed them all. Even Luke had been relatively quiet since the fight with Guy. He hadn't gotten angry at Asch like the last time; he knew that not only Asch was at fault. Guy had taken some pretty low shots as well, but that didn't change the fact that he was still upset. Upset, and disappointed in them both. But he wasn't the only one that was unsettled, since then Asch had been in a bad mood, and every one was walking on eggshells around him.

"So there you are." Jade said as he joined Asch by the starboard railing.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Asch replied.

"Now, now don't be short with me young man. You can hardly afford to antagonize anyone else." Jade teased, but Asch wasn't in the mood for jokes, and didn't reply. "You know," Jade tried again, "You still haven't answered my question."

"What question would that be?"

"Why are you looking into Commandant Grants' activities? And just so you're aware, 'I know he's up to something' is not a valid answer."

"Why should I tell you, old man?"

"Because I was polite and asked rather than torture it out of you." Jade replied, earning him a pointed look from Asch.

'He's not serious is he?' Luke wondered.

'Of course not.' An annoyed Asch shot back.

'I don't know, I wouldn't put it past him…' Luke's weak attempt at a joke didn't so much as elicit a response from his sibling. He really wasn't in a very good mood.

"I'm joking." Jade provided after a moment of silence.

"I'm laughing on the inside, really." Asch rolled his eyes.

'No you're not.'

'Shut up.' Asch replied. Oh…Luke grinned, that one almost got a smile out of him.

"You're not dodging the question this time." Jade stated, drawing Asch away from his sibling's frivolous attempts to cheer him up.

"Oh, really? Just watch me." Asch said with a smirk.

"This has to do with Akzeriuth, doesn't it?" Jade remained serious, his gaze never leaving the red head. He was waiting for it, it never failed. Asch averted his gaze, looking out at the water instead. And there it was. If the boy had one flaw, it was that he couldn't look someone in the eye and lie to them. Though whether or not that was a flaw remained somewhat debatable.

"Why would you think that?" Asch replied, still not looking at the Colonel. "You've heard it from everyone, just like I have."

"Yes, but I haven't heard it from you." Jade pointed out. "Not once have you explicitly said that you believe Luke to be at fault, or rather, you have yet to mention anything about it at all. Why is that?"

Asch didn't answer.

"You know what happened down there don't you?"

Jade still got no reply.

"And it has to do with Commandant Grants, which is why you were so anxious to get back and find out what he's trying to do. Even if that means going head first into enemy territory, even if it means leaving Luke behind, you still need to find out what it is; before more people get hurt. Am I wrong?"

"I don't know what you're talking about old man." Asch stretched. "But as much as I'd love to listen to your crazy stories, I'm going to take a nap. We'll be reaching port soon and I'd rather not have to take on a God-General half-asleep."

"You're doing it again." Jade taunted.

"I warned you didn't I?" Asch shot back as he made his way inside and into his sleeping quarters, leaving Jade alone on the deck with his half answered questions.

"Do you really distrust me that much?"

"Natalia." Asch grabbed the princess' arm.

"Asch, what is it?" Natalia replied concerned but quieted when Asch brought a finger to his lips. What was he listening for? The rest of the group behind them quieted as well, sensing Asch's concern. Jade too was listening intently, just what was it? Their trip from the port had been frightfully uneventful, which she certainly wouldn't complain about, but it seemed that it wouldn't stay that way much longer.

She looked around, and this was a bad place for it to become eventful. They had just entered the opening of the valley cutting through the mountains that surround Daath. The rock walls on either side made closing them in much easier. At the foot of those mountains was a small patch of woods on either side of the road, giving potential attackers a good cover. It was no wonder everyone was on edge.

Then she heard it as well, the faint rustling of leaves as someone made their way through the woods to their left. Asch gave a slight nod in her direction. In the blink of an eye, she spun around, notching an arrow and sending it flying in the direction of the noise she had heard. At the same moment Jade sent a spear crashing into the woods on the other side. Two people stumbled out of the woods from either side, just barely dodging the blows. Bandits. Just great.

"The rest of you can come out too!" Asch called, drawing his sword.

The two bandits that had been attacked recovered themselves and a third joined them blocking the group's retreat, while three more blocked the road towards Daath.

'Are we going to have to fight them?' Luke questioned as Asch carefully eyed both groups of bandits.

'Most likely.'

"Let us through!" Asch called to the group before them. The bandits gave no response. They simply grinned, revealing their weapons. They consisted of an assortment of knives and swords, that they had stolen off of some less fortunate travelers no doubt.

Without warning the first bandit struck, and was quickly followed by the others, beginning the scramble. Luke knew there was nothing he could do to help, no matter how much he wanted to. All he could do was follow along with Asch as he made his move. It was the strangest sensation.

He could feel Asch's movements. They were smoother and much more experienced than his own. There was no hesitation in his strike, no fighting against the urge to stay his hand at the last moment. He flowed swiftly and fluently from one move to the next, he wouldn't slow down, he wouldn't stop. Because if he did, someone might get hurt; he might end up losing someone important to him, and he swore he would never let that happen again.

Two of the bandits had fallen; Asch jumped back and did a quick assessment of the situation. Ion had taken cover in the nearby woods, carefully watching for any bandits that might try and sneak up on him, moving if a scuffle came too close. Anise, Jade and Natalia were each holding their own, and doing a formidable job. The bandits were trying to corner them, group them together. Well that plan certainly had one major flaw in it, if they grouped everyone together, they were grouped together themselves.

Fonic artes were always something that had evaded Luke. No matter how hard he had tried, he just couldn't grasp the concept of how it worked, and he had never so much as come close to pulling one off. But as Asch quieted his thoughts and drew in the fonons, it surprised Luke just how similar to a hyperresonance they really were. The basic skills were almost identical.

Luke could feel the flow of the fonons, as Asch drew them in and wove them together with his incantation, giving them a physical form. An iridescent blade of third fonons crashed down on the bandits, and Asch relaxed, allowing the last fonons to dissipate. Luke remained in awe, maybe fonic artes weren't as completely beyond his reach as he thought.

"You guys alright?" Asch approached the group as Ion carefully rejoined them. Instead of answering, Natalia drew an arrow and before anyone could breath, sent it flying towards Asch, missing his ear by an inch and sticking into the bandit behind him.

"I am now, thank you." Natalia smiled.

"You're scary sometimes you know that?" Anise piped up as she placed Tokunaga over her shoulders.

"Hmph." Natalia indignantly looked away and everyone laughed.

"Shall we be on our way?" Ion spoke up after a moment.

"Yes," Jade pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Let's be off."

'Whoa!' Luke couldn't believe what he saw when they finally made it too Daath. The tower was huge! It was probably as tall as Baticul! They had seen the large black structure that served as the home to the Order of Lorelei from the moment they had gotten over the Fourth Monument Hill, but up close it was just that much more spectacular.

"So is this where you live Fon Master?" Asch inquired as the made their way up the stairs.

"It is; Anise and her family live here as well." Ion offered.

'That's amazing!' Luke's excitement was getting to Asch and he smirked before giving Luke a mental shove and telling him to calm down a bit.

"Yep, this is home. I can give you the grand tour if you like." Anise sang as she grabbed Asch's arm.

"Excuse me?!" Natalia put her hand on her hips.

"Well if want a turn then you'll have to get in line." Anise stuck her tongue out at the princess, and snuggled closer to Asch tauntingly.

"Why you little!"

"Please you two," Asch detached himself from Anise. "We're trying to keep a low profile, do remember this is where all the God-Generals are based."

"As much as I'm enjoying watching you spend quality time together," Jade added, "I'm inclined to agree. It would be best not to attract unnecessary attention for now."

"Well then, what is it you're looking for here in Daath?" Ion inquired.

"I'd like to find out as much as I can about the Sephiroth, especially anything pertaining to the Akzeriuth Sephiroth." Asch replied.

"Well then I guess the best place to start would probably be the library." Ion said after a moment's thought.

"Can you lead us there?"

"Certainly, it's the first room to your left once you enter the cathedral."

"The library?" Anise whined, "Man, it'll take forever to find anything in there!"

"Then I suggest we get started." Jade said with a smirk.

'Jade scares me sometimes…' Luke commented.

'Only sometimes?'

"Anise is still looking, but I think this is the last of them." Ion set down another stack of books on the table their group had appropriated.

"Thank you Fon Master." Asch closed the book he had been looking through and added it to the growing pile of books he had already gone through.

"There's no need for such formalities, you may call me Ion," the green haired boy smiled.

"Sure thing, Fon Master." Asch joked as he picked out a book from the pile Ion had brought over. Ion laughed.

"You're certainly making a lot of progress." Ion commented as he eyed the stack of discarded texts.

"No kidding!" Anise pitched in as she approached the table, unable to find anything else that looked remotely related to the topic at hand. "Man you read fast!"

"Well we've been at it for several hours now." Asch pointed out, not even looking up from the pages.

"Still," Anise pointed out as she picked up a bunch of books to put away, "even if you're just skimming, you're almost as fast as the Colonel!"

At that comment Asch peeked up over the top of his book, and the rest of them turned to look at Jade who was seated across the table. His eyes were darting across the page at impossible speeds and his discarded pile was easily twice the height Asch's was.

"I used to read a lot when I was younger." Asch provided as he returned to his own book.

"Really?" Anise asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "I guess you never struck me as the reading type."

"No," Asch said with a chuckle, "that's Luke."

"Luke doesn't like to read?" Ion inquired as Anise walked off.

"Not really. He's always preferred to go do something than just sit around and read."

"Yes, he is rather active." Ion commented as he took a seat next to Asch and picked up one of the books. Asch smiled.

'Speaking of you…' Asch prodded his sibling.

'Slow down!' Luke whined.

'What?'

'How do you read so fast? I can't keep up!'

'Practice.' Asch chuckled as he flipped the page.

'I give up, I can't keep up with you.' Luke let out a sigh.

'That's okay, at least you're trying. Besides, this one is useless.' Asch shut the book and added it to the pile.

'So have we made any progress at all?'

'A little,' Asch replied as he noted the setting sun outside the large window. 'But it's looking like we'll have to call it a day soon.' Across the table, Jade set down the book that he had been reading.

"Before you start another one," Asch interrupted as Jade reached for another text, "I'd like to see what we have so far."

Natalia closed the book she had been reading. She had only gone through a couple texts, since she didn't tend to skim for important information and ended up reading the entire thing. "I'm afraid I didn't come across anything that seemed useful." She admitted, placing her own text in Asch's discarded pile.

"What about you old man?" Asch inquired.

"Unfortunately, most of these," Jade replied indicating the stacks of books on the table next to him, "didn't have anything of much use. There was however one that provided some rather interestinginformation."

"Alright, I'll bite," Asch sighed, "what did you find?"

"According to this, the Sephiroth are operated by specific devices. That is what the passage rings are." Jade provided.

"I'm sorry," Natalia interjected, "but could you remind me what the Sephiroth are?"

"The Sephiroth are the ten pillars that support the Outer Lands and keep them floating above the Qliphoth," Ion provided. "Since the Sephiroth are created with memory particles, to those who don't know of the Qliphoth, they are known simply the planet's ten strongest fon slots."

"So these pillars that support the land are controlled by the passage rings?" Natalia inquired.

"That's right." Anise confirmed. "In Akzeriuth, the passage ring was completely destroyed so the Sephiroth gave out, and that's why the city collapsed."

"That's terrible! If these passage rings are so important and so fragile, why has nothing happened before now? If anyone can just walk up to them like that, surely we would have heard of something happening before now!"

"But they're not fragile." Asch interrupted. "We may not know what they're made of, but as far as we can tell, they're almost indestructible."

"Not just indestructible either," Jade jumped in before Natalia could object, "They're very well guarded. There are three different levels of protection."

"I found some information on that as well," Asch took over, "First off, each passage ring is sealed off by a Daathic seal."

"But wait," Anise interrupted, "we didn't see any kind of seal when we were in Akzeriuth, we just walked right in, and I doubt someone like Luke could have possibly figured out how to open it."

"I'm afraid that may be my fault." Ion spoke up.

"How so Fon Master?" Jade inquired.

"When I was with Arietta, we travelled to many of the Sephiroth and she had me unlock the seals. I wasn't sure of their intentions, but I never dreamed anything so dangerous could happen. Besides, I thought they would still be protected by the Albertesque and Yulian seals."

"The alba-what?" Anise inquired.

"The Albertesque and Yulian seals." Asch answered. "Remember Jade said there were three levels of protection? The first is the Daathic seal, but second is a seal known as the Albertesque seal. It's a seal centered around two of the Sephiroth. As long as those two Sephiroth remain active, then no one can actually operate the passage rings."

"Well that's good news." Anise said.

"No it isn't. One of those Sephiroth…was Akzeriuth." Asch stated.

"But as long as the other one is okay that means nothing bad can happen right?" Anise looked confusedly at Asch.

"I'm afraid that it's not quite so simple," Jade provided. "After all, the other Sephiroth that protected the Albertesque seal… was Hod."

"So both have fallen?!"

"Yes," Ion replied, "but the passage rings should still be protected by the Yulian seals. Also, operating the passage rings require the use of the Seventh Fonon. Not many people are capable of using the seventh fonon, much less to the extent that would be necessary to operate the passage ring, so I don't believe that they are in any significant danger."

'That doesn't do us much good seeing as Van's a Seventh Fonist, and a descendant of Yulia to boot.' Asch sarcastically remarked.

'So the reason Master Van had me destroy the Sephiroth was…'

'Yeah, he probably wanted to break the Albertesque seal.'

'So you think his plans may have to do with the other passage rings?'

'It's very possible.'

'He's not going to try and drop the Outer Lands is he?!' Luke suddenly shouted.

'I have no idea.' Asch replied, 'but as much as I'd hate to think he would do something like that, we can't deny the possibility.'

"Jade," Asch spoke up, "did you find any information as to how the Yulian seals worked, or how they might be broken?"

"No, I didn't," the Colonel replied.

"Don't be so concerned," Ion placed a reassuring hand on Asch's arm. "As it stands, no one should be able to operate the passage rings. No one can accidentally cause an Akzeriuth."

'What about that Key of Lorelei thingy?' Luke inquired.

'What?' Asch replied in complete shock at the question Luke had just asked.

'I read it in one of the books you went through, but someone turned the page before I was done.'

'The Key of Lorelei is a sword that is part of a set that also includes the Jewel of Lorelei.' Asch laughed, 'There are lots of different rumours about them and whether or not they even exist. Some stories say that the Sword can gather fonons while the Jewel disperses them. According to the legend, they were a symbol of the pact that Yulia made with Lorelei. She used them to create the planet storm.'

'Couldn't something like that control the Sephiroth?'

'Probably, but according to the legend, Yulia cast them both down into the core, and that's even if they ever really existed. I don't think it's something that's going to come into play now.' Asch replied.

'I guess.'

"So shall we continue?" Natalia inquired, reaching for another book.

"No, I think that's more than enough for a single day." Jade replied.

"I agree," Asch spoke up, "I think that's plenty for now. I'm ready to call it a night. Shall we head for the inn?"

"Why don't you stay here in the Cathedral?" Ion suggested. "We've more than enough room."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous with the God-Generals so close?" Natalia inquired.

"I don't think it's that much of a problem," Jade pitched in. "If they're aware of our presence, we're in as much danger no matter where we are."

"I have to agree with Jade, we're gambling no matter where we stay, so we may as well stay here where we're close at hand in case they try to get Ion to open the rest of the Sephiroth." Asch added.

"All right, then the rooms are this way." Ion said as he led them across the large entrance to the cathedral.

The upper levels of Daath proved to be a veritable maze of corridors that put even the Belkend labs to shame and they were very glad to have Ion showing them the way. Asch very carefully noted the path that led up to the rooms where they'd be staying and made it a point to remember each turn in case he'd have to find his way back later. Jade easily caught on to what he was doing.

"Now, now, there will be no midnight wandering." Jade taunted as the made the last turn before coming upon a set of rooms. "We don't need you running into any God-Generals in the middle of the night."

"Why are you all looking at me when you say that?" Asch objected. Everyone just laughed.

"Well, I'm heading off. I'll meet up with you guys in the cathedral tomorrow morning!" Anise said as she spun around.

"I'll be off as well," Ion said with a bit of mirth still lingering in his voice. "Will you be able to find our way back down in the morning?"

"I'm certain we'll manage," Natalia offered. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"You don't need to thank me, it's the least I can do after the hospitality you showed us Baticul. Have a good night." The young Fon Master replied as he too returned from the direction in which they had come.

"So are we going to draw straws for rooms?" Asch teased.

'Ummm Asch, we don't have any straws.'

'I was joking stupid.' Asch responded amusedly. 'There's three rooms and three of us, we aren't drawing straws!'

'I knew that.' Luke protested.

'Sure you did.'

"I don't think that will be necessary, I think this one will be adequate for me." Jade replied indicating the door he was closest to.

"Alright then, we'll take this one," Asch yawned, "see you guys in the morning." He added as he entered the room closest to where he was and closed the door behind him, leaving two rather confused people in the hallway to ponder Asch's mysterious statement.

We?

Asch set his sword down by the wall and removed his jacket, hearing the other two doors close as both Jade and Natalia settled in for the night. He flopped down on his bed and started at the ceiling for awhile before letting out a sigh.

'Feeling restless?' Luke hit the nail on the head.

'Yeah.' Asch grabbed his sword from where he had placed it near the door.

'Where are you going?'

'I'm just going to go for a walk.'

Luke chuckled as he contemplated what Jade would do when he found out, knowing that there would be no detouring Asch.

'Don't worry, I'll be careful.' Asch stated when he sensed Luke's concern.

'You better be.'

"What do you mean you didn't find anything?" The young pink-haired girl shrieked at the two Oracle Knights that stood before her.

"We're sorry ma'am." The first knight stuttered, "No one has been seen matching the Fon Master's description within the vicinity of Akzeriuth's former location."

"You're both completely useless! Go and search again! Increase your search parameters this time!"

"But ma'am…" The second soldier hesitantly interrupted, "We've been searching for almost two days non stop…"

"Do I need to remind you who you're looking for?!" Arietta's fury made the two soldiers step back in unison.

"No ma'am!" They both replied.

"Then go! I don't want to see your pathetic faces until you've found him!"

"Yes ma'am!" The soldiers answered, wasting no time getting out of her presence.

Arietta watched them go. Bunch of fools. Her friends were far more competent than the bunch of idiots that made up her 3rd division. But her friends hadn't had any more luck in locating Ion than the Oracle Knights had. Stupid Anise, this was all her fault! Her and those friends of hers! If they hadn't taken Ion away from her, then he wouldn't have been anywhere near Akzeriuth when it blew up and now… No he was alive, she knew he was alive, and she was going to find him, and bring him back home where she could keep him safe.

"You know," the voice came from behind Arietta, "You really shouldn't take out your anger over losing the Fon Master on your men."

"Shut up, Cantabile!" Arietta spun around to face the violet-haired woman. "You least of all should be the one lecturing me about that."

"True enough," Cantabile shrugged. "But do as I say, not as I do, kiddo."

"I am not a child!" Arietta protested.

"Of course not. You can't be. After all, now is when everything is getting started." Cantabile replied, gaining a serious air.

"It's St Binah that's next right?" Arietta inquired.

"That's-" Both women froze when they heard the door close.

They both made their way over to the door and opened it, gazing out into the dark chapel. Walking away from them was one of the acolytes who, sensing the attention turned around and waved at her superiors before hurrying off to bed.

"Girls… honestly," Cantabile sighed, "if they're going to spend the night with their boyfriends, they should just go rather than try and sneak around all the time."

"What do you mean by that?" Arietta inquired.

"Nothing you need to worry about, kiddo."

"Well," Arietta continued ignoring the taunt, "there are worse things it could have been. At least it was just one of the acolytes."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you."

Asch closed the door to his bedroom and finally allowed himself to catch his breath. So stupid! He accidentally knocked the door that the two Oracle Knights had left open, closed. Luckily he had managed to get out of sight before either of the God-Generals had spotted him. But in spite of how close he had come to getting caught, it was definitely worth it.

'What do you think they meant by that when they said is next?' Luke asked as Asch crawled into bed.

'I don't know it could be a lot of things. If we're lucky, it's just where they're going to look for Ion next.'

'But they said something about –everything getting started- what do suppose that's all about.'

'To be honest I don't know…' Asch answered. 'But regardless, we need to assume the worst case scenario.'

'You don't mean…'

'I do. Worst case scenario, St. Binah is going to become the next Akzeriuth.'

'No! We can't let that happen! We need to find a way to stop it!' Luke protested.

'I know. Don't worry we will.' Asch reassured his sibling. 'But I'm not going to be able to do this alone anymore Luke. I'm going to need your help.'

'You mean like go back?'

'Yes. Most of your wounds should have healed by now. While you're in Yulia City, check with Teodoro and see if there's anything about St. Binah falling in the Score. Then come and meet up with us.'

Luke was silent. He had grown comfortable in the safety of Asch's mind, and he found that he was reluctant to leave it. Luke fought back his apprehension. It had been easy enough to deal with things while in the sanctuary that Asch had created for him. Here he had only his own contempt for himself and his actions to deal with, while being surrounded by the support and faith Asch had in him. Outside, it wouldn't be nearly so friendly. He was nervous; he wasn't ready to face the others, their harsh judgment and the ruthless reality of the world on his own yet.

'I know it's hard,' Asch said softly, 'but you can't stay here forever. You have to take that first step on your own.'

'I know…' Luke replied.

'I believe in you…' Asch trailed off as he fell asleep.

Luke quieted and allowed his consciousness to slowly follow suit, a single thought lingering as he fell asleep.

He wondered if he could find it in him to believe in himself.

Chapter Text

Luke looked around but everywhere he looked was black. It wasn't the darkness brought on by the lack of light, but an empty void where no light existed at all. There was no ground, nor was there a sky. There were no definitions of any kind, just an endless black abyss.

Luke fought down his racing feelings. He had to move, he had to go save them. If he didn't hurry then people would get hurt! But he was scared, he didn't want to move. What if he fell? He would be left to fall forever in this immeasurable emptiness.

His hesitation got the better of him and he stayed fixed to the spot. No sooner had he made his decision, he began to sink. Luke struggled but that only made him sink faster. He looked down around his feet and he was no longer sinking into the darkness, it was the miasma! Luke suddenly looked up and everything wasn't black anymore. He was sinking in the miasma in the Qliphoth and Akzeriuth was sinking all around him.

People were reaching out, grabbing him as he fought against the miasma, begging him to save them. Their ragged cries and screams for help drowned him. He could feel their desperate grasps as they clung to his clothes, their cold lifeless skin brushing against his own as they dragged him down. No! Just leave me alone! I didn't- I can't- Luke fought and fought and fought but they wouldn't let go! He was sinking! He couldn't breathe! He-

Luke woke with a start, sitting up in bed, bringing his hand to his head when it started spinning from the sudden rush of blood. He sat for a moment allowing his breathing to slowly return to normal as he looked around.

He was back in Tear's room. The cot where Asch had slept had been put away, but he still recognized the paintings on the wall and the large window that overlooked the garden.

'Asch?' Luke tried, but got no response. He must still be asleep, which was very possible seeing as there was no way to tell what time of day it was down here, or how long he himself had been asleep before waking up.

"Master!" Mieu happily bounced onto the bed.

"Mieu." Luke acknowledged the little cheagle.

"I'm so happy you're awake! I was getting really worried when you wouldn't wake up."

"Thank you." Luke replied, "…and thank you for staying with me on the Tartarus. I'm sorry I didn't pay any attention to you then," he continued after a moment.

"That's okay," Mieu piped up, "Master wasn't feeling good back then too right?"

Luke smiled at the little cheagle's perceptiveness. "That's right, but I'm feeling better now."

Following his statement Luke removed some of the bandages to check his injuries. They were doing well, in fact, they were doing surprisingly well. Most of his cuts had completely faded and only some of the larger bruises still showed the tiniest traces of having ever existed at all. Mieu hopped onto the end table as Luke swung his arms around. He wasn't sore either, albeit a little stiff from the lack of movement over the past few days, otherwise, he was in pretty good shape.

In fact, he was in much better shape then he had expected, and he couldn't help but wonder if Tear might have had something to do with it. Tear…Luke really didn't know what to do about the melodist. He was more than certain that she probably didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore, which was understandable enough, but he couldn't just up and leave without saying anything.

He let out a huge sigh. But that would mean he'd have to face her, which wasn't something Luke was sure he was ready for yet. What would he say? His hesitation bothered him. Luke was nervous about facing the others, their pitiless judgements still fresh in his mind, but of everyone, she was the one that frightened him the most. He was so afraid that she'd reject him, that she would abandon him; and yet at the same time he knew he couldn't get her involved anymore. He had betrayed her trust and faith in him enough already and it wasn't fair to even ask that of her. Then in that case, there was really only one thing to say…

"Asch says he's sorry." Mieu interrupted Luke's contemplation.

"Sorry, what was that?" Luke inquired.

"Asch wanted me to tell you that he's sorry but he had something that was really really important to do. But he said he was going to come back and get you as soon as he was done." The young cheagle repeated.

Luke smiled at the little additions Mieu had chosen to make. "Thanks Mieu. But first, do you know where I can find Tear?"

"I think she's in the garden."

"Thanks," Luke replied as he stood up out of bed, "could you wait here? I'll be right back."

"Okay!" The little cheagle squeaked. Luke ruffled the fur on Mieu's head then proceeded to make his way out towards the garden. As much as he didn't want to, as much as he feared it, he had to go face her.

You have to take that first step on your own.

I will.

Luke walked out the door and couldn't believe what he saw. In the middle of this city, lost amidst the poisonous miasma, there was a small garden. Enclosed by buildings on three sides, it was covered by a large glass dome that allowed the pale golden glow that bathed all of Yulia City to trickle through. The far wall was made entirely of glass, turning it into a huge window that looked out onto the residents of the lost city.

There, at the center of the garden, stood Tear. Facing away from where Luke had entered, her tan hair gently swayed as air moved through the small sanctuary. At her feet sat a bed of silvery white flowers that almost glowed against the green grasses that grew among them. Upon hearing him approach she turned around, her piercing blue eyes meeting his own.

"Luke, you're awake." She said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you." Luke replied.

"It was nothing." Tear broke Luke's gaze by looking down at the flowers that had bloomed at her feet. An awkward silence settled over them.

"So…what is this place?" Luke finally asked.

"This was one of my favourite places when I was little." Tear replied. "These flowers, Selenias, are the only flowers that bloom here in the Qliphoth. Since the Outer Lands cover the sky, not much light gets through. I've always loved that about them, the way they become so much more beautiful in darker times."

"Tear, I-"

"Can I ask you something?" Tear cut him off.

"What is it?"

"Why did you do it?" Tear looked straight at him, her sapphire eyes betraying her sorrow and confusion.

Tear watched as Luke sighed and broke her gaze, deeply contemplating the question she had just asked. She had thought it through for the past couple days, and the more she thought about it, the more it bothered her. The Luke she knew, the Luke she thought she knew… just wasn't like that. Sure he was irresponsible, reckless and whined more than she cared to deal with, but under all that she had discovered a good person at heart. Finding out that he had been the cause of Akzeriuth's destruction had shocked her to her very core and she had lashed out in response to such a deep betrayal of her trust.

If nothing else, she wanted him to tell her it had all been a huge misunderstanding, that he'd really had nothing to do with such a terrible tragedy. Her heart sank as the regret and remorse that swept over Luke told her she wouldn't be getting the answer she was hoping for.

"I never had any other friends before, not any real ones anyways." Luke said softly as he gazed up at the dome that covered the garden. "I mean there were lots of people in Baticul and all, but there was never anyone I ever got close to you know? They always looked at me differently. I may not be in line to the throne or anything, but I'm still a noble. I'm not supposed to 'fraternize with the commoners' as Father used to say."

Tear watched Luke in amazement. She had never seen this side of him before. He was always so carefree and bright, but now she saw something in him she never dreamed she'd ever see: he was lonely.

"But I was never unhappy." Luke continued gently. "I had Asch, and Guy too. But Asch is always busy up at the castle, and it's not really fair of me to monopolize all of Guy's time. Besides, Guy's a servant in my household, so Father never approved of our friendship…" He trailed off. "But then I met you and Ion and everyone else. You guys didn't treat me different or special because of my status, and I was really happy. Even when you would yell at me for doing something stupid, it made me happy. I was just glad that someone cared enough about me to scold me, and treat me like they would treat anyone else. So I decided; if there was ever anything I could do to protect you, that I would do it, without hesitation." Luke sighed and turned to look at Tear.

"It's funny," Luke continued, "sometimes I wonder if I was just deluding myself after all. I mean, no one really trusts me, and now everyone's left. But in spite of that, I don't regret wanting to protect you all."

"How did you know…?" Tear wondered.

"I know all that isn't an excuse for what happened," Luke continued, his eyes glimmering as he bordered on tears despite the gentle smile on his face. "I screwed up. And because of me, thousands of people are dead. Nothing I can do will ever change that; I can't go back and undo everything I've done. But I can't dwell on it forever either. If I do, more people will get hurt and it will be my fault again. I won't let that happen anymore. So all I can do for Akzeriuth is live on carrying the weight of all those lives that I destroyed, and I will do everything in my power to make sure something like that never happens again. It's the only way I know how to go on…"

"Luke…"

Luke knelt down among the flowers and gently fingered the white petals of the blossoms. "I won't ask for your trust, or for your forgiveness, because I don't deserve either."

"Then why did you come?" Tear asked softly.

Luke picked one of the flowers and walked right up to Tear. "I guess, there was just something that I had to say before I left." He replied as he gently brushed her hair back and tucked the blossom behind her ear.

"What was that?" Tear asked hesitantly, a bit flustered by how close Luke was standing.

But Luke didn't answer her, he simply looked her straight in the eye and gave her one last gentle smile. Tear couldn't remember how long they stayed there, frozen in that moment, but without another word, Luke turned around and walked away.

The gentle sounds of the sea, the waves against the side of the boat, the birds as they flew through the air, were drowned out by the dull roar of conversation in the dinning hall. The sailors there didn't mind. The laughter and mirth that the group at the far end of the room shared brought smiles to their faces.

"…we called his name and he was so startled, he just about fell out of the tree. I don't think I've ever seen anyone cling to a branch quite so desperately." Guy finished, leaving everyone in stitches except for Asch who was the subject of Guy's latest childhood story.

"Man you two had one crazy childhood." Anise commented as she helped herself to seconds. While not as good as some of the meals she had enjoyed in Baticul, the food on the ferry to Kaitzur was really something else.

"I remember that one," Natalia chuckled, "it was around the time Van became his instructor. By the time we found him, he had missed his lesson." Asch mumbled something or another about not being informed about anything and everyone started laughing again.

"Do you know any other good ones?" Anise inquired excitedly.

"Hmmm…" Guy contemplated it for a moment.

"Tell another one about me and I lock you in a room with the maids when we get back." Asch threatened the blonde seated next to him.

"Well how about the one with Luke and the flowers?"

"I don't think we've heard that one." Ion offered.

"Oh great." Luke mumbled. What about their embarrassing childhood stories was so fascinating to these people?

"Well," Guy began, "it would have been back when Luke was still pretty young. One of the maids that took care of him was leaving. She had gotten a job closer to her family or something, but she wasn't going to be coming back. Now Luke was pretty upset and it took us awhile to explain it to him, but he eventually got the gist of the fact that she wasn't returning. So the day she was to leave, we brought him along to say good bye and- Hey!" Guy was interrupted as Asch bit the piece of meat off the fork that Guy had unknowingly been swinging in his face.

"Stop playing with your food." Asch stated as everyone burst into laughter. Guy discarded his fork and procured another before continuing.

"Anyways, where was I?"

"The maid was leaving." Anise eagerly provided.

"Right. Luke wanted to say goodbye, so he walked up to her. She knelt down but before she could do anything, he pulls this flower out of the planter, roots and all, and puts it behind her ear, then he gives her a hug. Now the rest of us are all just watching worried about how she was going to react having this clump of dirt stuck in her hair, but she loved it. The funniest thing is, I walked her down to the port so she could catch the ferry, and it turns out she was allergic to those flowers. She sneezed the whole way down, but she wouldn't take the flower out of her hair."

"Awww that's so cute!" Anise piped up. She just loved listening to stories like that.

"It was. After that it sort of became a tradition. Every time one of the female servants left, the boys would each put a flower in her hair. After awhile, the whole thing sort of took on a meaning of its own. It-"

"Can we stop with the childhood stories?" Luke interrupted as he stood up from the table.

"I'll second that," Asch agreed as he too picked up his empty plate.

"Aww you two aren't any fun." Anise pouted but still followed suit along with all the others.

Tear looked down at the garden and gently cupped her hands in front of her, catching the blossom as it fell from her hair. Her heart was in her throat. Why was she so upset? Luke hadn't even said anything to her, he had run away instead. Or had he? Tear gently fingered the blossom in her hand, wondering what Luke could have possibly wanted to tell her. But in the end, would it even matter? Whatever it was, he decided wasn't important enough to say, so why was she getting so worked up about it?

No, that wasn't it at all. She was so stupid and so blind! So desperate to cling to her world of right and wrong, that she refused to consider the grays in between. Luke had done something terrible, something most people would consider unforgivable, and to her that had meant Luke himself was unforgivable. But that wasn't the case at all! He was still the same Luke, though his innocence was tainted and his smile had become sad, he was the same person she had come to know and treasure. But in spite of that, Tear couldn't bring herself to shake off her lingering doubts. She couldn't just ignore everything that had happened. He had destroyed Akzeriuth, when he had been sent to protect it.

But that didn't automatically make him a bad person. If anything, after all was said and done, it had made him stronger. The darkness had come, and Luke had blossomed. He wasn't running away from his problems anymore, and his actions just now had spoken louder than any of the words she had ever spoken.

But by the time she had realized it, Luke was already gone.

"Did putting a flower in a girls' hair really mean something?" Tear inquired as she helped Guy clean up the table. The others had all already left.

"It sure did." He replied. "You would never catch Asch putting a flower in Natalia's hair like that. After all those years of it being a tradition, it sort of became tied to all the feelings that went along with it you know?"

"What did it eventually come to mean?" She asked.

Guy looked up at her and smiled. "It came to mean 'Thank you.' " He said softly.

Thank you… and goodbye.

Chapter Text

Luke softly closed the door to the garden behind him, and leaned back against it. He was doing the right thing, wasn't he? It wasn't fair of him to ask Tear to get involved anymore, especially after his stupidity had almost gotten her killed, along with everyone else. Not to mention what he had probably put her through emotionally. Dammit! Luke pounded his fist against the door. If it was the right thing to do, why did he feel so awful?

Luke took a deep breath to calm himself down and made his way across the room. Regretting it now wouldn't serve any purpose, and he intended to make good on what he had said to Tear. He wasn't going to let anything happen to St. Binah, and accomplishing that depended on him working as fast as possible and catching up with Asch and everyone else.

Luke suddenly realized that he hadn't asked Asch what they were going to do next. Not that he had any concerns about being able to locate them. Even now with Asch sleeping; he could pick out the general direction in which his sibling could be found. The sensation wasn't entirely new to him, but at the same time, it sort of was. It amazed him just how much stronger their connection had become in the month since Choral Castle, and even in just the past couple days. That knowledge made him feel a lot better. Even though they were further apart, he still had Asch's support. Knowing that, facing the world became a little bit easier.

"Master!" Mieu hopped across the room as Luke approached.

"Hey Mieu," Luke replied, allowing the cheagle to take a spot on his shoulder. "You ready to go?"

"Go? Where are we going?" Mieu inquired as Luke gathered his sword and the few supplies that Asch had left for him. Yulia Road came up somewhere near Daath, if Luke recalled what Asch had said correctly. So the meagre supplies Asch had been able to spare should be more than enough to get him there, but he'd have to pick up some more if he planned to continue beyond that.

"We're going to go visit Teodoro." Luke answered as he took one last look around the room. The absence of his coat made him feel like something was missing so he checked extra carefully, but didn't find anything amiss. "Then," Luke continued as he began to make his way down the stairs, "We're going to go meet up with Asch and the others."

"But what about Tear? Isn't she coming?" Mieu's question caused Luke to stop in the middle of the steps.

"No." He replied as he gently set his hand down on the railing.

"How come?"

"Because she doesn't have any reason to come with us anymore… besides, this is her home, and she's been away for awhile. I'm sure she has lots of friends and people to catch up with." Luke continued down the stairs.

"Okay, mieuuu." The young cheagle's ears sagged.

"Don't worry; we'll still be meeting up with the others." Luke offered.

Luke opened the door and stepped out of Tear's house, hesitating as he closed it behind him. No, he wouldn't turn back. In spite of everything he would have to face, everything he would have to go through, he wouldn't put her through it. Not for the sake of his own selfishness. This really was goodbye.

"But Master, how do you know where they are?" Mieu asked, breaking Luke away from his thoughts as he closed the door. Luke smiled.

"That's a secret."

Seeing Yulia City through his own eyes was amazing. He vaguely remembered his first impressions of the city, and realized just how skewed they had been by his unsound state of mind. Now it seemed so much more alive and alight with the Dawn Age technology from which it was built. Luke followed a path that should have been completely foreign to him as he made his way to the conference center.

It wasn't until he had arrived at the doors that Luke realized he had walked the entire way from memory, or rather from Asch's memory, while his mind contemplated other matters. But Luke shook off the rather dreary thoughts that had been occupying his attention, he had work to do.

The conference room was exactly as it had been when he had been here before, though Teodoro sat in a different seat, he was once again alone, this time reading from a book. He looked up when he heard the young noble enter.

"Hello." Luke stated as he made his way towards the mayor. Teodoro eyed him strangely for a moment.

"Ah, you must be the twin brother." He finally said.

"That's right, my name is Luke."

"It's good to see that you are well."

"Thank you." Luke hesitated a moment. "I'm sorry for what happened in Akzeriuth." He blurted out with a deep bow.

"Come, come now young man there is no need to be so upset. You did just as the Score foretold."

"Was Akzeriuth's destruction really in the Score?"

"It was. While it pained me to see the city fall, we dare not deviate from the Score, else we lose the prosperity that was promised to us." Teodoro replied.

"Does the Score speak of any other lands falling?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"I'm worried." Luke stated, "With Akzeriuth's Sephiroth gone, aren't the surrounding lands like St. Binah in danger as well?"

"There is no cause for such concerns. The Score doesn't foretell the fall of any more lands. St. Binah is still supported by the power of the other eight Sephiroth, so do not worry, the remaining Outer Lands are safe."

Luke thought on what Teodoro had said for a moment. From the sounds of things, maybe the God-Generals really did have something else in mind for St. Binah. Though that in itself was cause enough for concern, at the very least it didn't look like it was going to fall. But then just what was Master Van's purpose behind Akzeriuth's destruction?

'You hear that, Asch?' Luke prodded his sibling, but once again got no response. That was odd. Enough time had passed that he should be up by now. Luke shrugged it off, maybe Asch had taken the opportunity to get some extra rest. After all, he had been supporting Luke's own consciousness for the past few days, and though he certainly didn't say anything, it had probably worn him out. But Luke still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

"Are you sure that the other passage rings will be safe?" Luke inquired.

"The passage rings are very heavily guarded by the Order, as well as by a protection put in place by Yulia herself." Teodoro replied.

"The Yulian seals?"

"That's correct… You're quite knowledgeable, not many people are privy to such knowledge." Teodoro eyed Luke suspiciously.

"It's something that Ion told me once." Luke lied. "But how are you so sure that they won't be broken? I mean the Albertesque seal has already fallen, right?"

"Don't worry so," Teodoro placed a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder. "The knowledge of how to open the Yulian seals was lost long ago. Irregardless of that, the Score does not foretell the fall of any more of the Outer Lands."

Luke let out a worried sigh. "May I use the Yulia Road? I'm sorry, but I just won't feel comfortable until I've checked it myself."

"Certainly," Teodoro replied, "go see with your own eyes that your fears are groundless."

"Thank you very much," Luke stated.

"The Yulia Road comes up in the Aramis Springs near Daath. But the springs themselves are quite treacherous, be careful along the way." Teodoro said to Luke who was making his way out.

Luke waved back. "Thanks, I will."

Luke didn't quite know what to expect when he stepped onto the large glyph, but whatever he was expecting, the Yulia Road turned out to be completely different. He had only closed his eyes for a second as he stepped onto the glowing circle, but when he opened them again, he found himself standing in a small spring under the shade of a large tree. Luke was so surprised he fell over into the water, sending Mieu, who had been sitting on his shoulder, tumbling into a nearby bush.

"Sorry Mieu," Luke apologized as he sat up. "Hey… I'm not wet."

"Wow!" the young cheagle poked his head out of the bush. Luke stood up and stepped out of the spring; he was completely dry. Luke knelt down and ran his hand suspiciously through the water, but found it to be an otherwise normal spring. He stood up again and shook his hand dry.

"How does Yulia come up with this stuff?" He wondered aloud, as he went and helped Mieu out of the bush, and allowed the cheagle to take a spot on his head.

"It's amazing isn't it? Yulia must have been really smart!"

"She couldn't have been that bright, otherwise she could have just saved herself the trouble and had it come up on dry land." Luke commented. "But Yulia's intelligence aside, which way do you suppose we're headed?" It only took Luke a second to locate the direction Daath was in, assuming that's where Asch still was, but unfortunately that direction led him straight into a rock wall, so they would have to find another way.

"That way!" Mieu pointed towards the entrance to a cavern. It was as good a direction as any, so Luke started off that way. Once they were out of the springs they could finally head for Daath, and that couldn't come fast enough. Despite his fear of facing the others, Asch's continued state of unresponsiveness was starting to worry him. The sun was already overhead; he should have been up hours ago, and Luke doubted it was just the after effects of the strain they had put on their connection recently. The sooner they got to Daath, the better.

Aramis springs proved to be a veritable maze of connecting caverns that wound through the mountains. Just as Teodoro had warned, the path was treacherous and there were several places Luke had to pay careful attention to his footing. The sheer number of springs and streams kept the rocks wet, making them slippery, a problem only compounded by the moss that grew in abundance in the dim caverns.

Luke passed the time by talking with Mieu and he was surprised by how interesting of a conversation he could have with the young cheagle. Though Mieu shared some rather unique views on the various topics they had covered, it was interesting to see how the little creature saw the world and its problems.

"Are you cold, Master?" Mieu inquired when Luke let out an involuntary shudder.

"A little," Luke said with a soft chuckle. It wasn't so bad out in the sun, but it was pretty cool in the caves where the water quickly swept away the heat that managed to penetrate this deep.

"Asch got rid of your old coat." Mieu provided.

"That's okay, I can just imagine the shape it was in." Luke chuckled to himself, "I can pick up another one the next time we're in Baticul."

"But-" Mieu's sentence was cut off by the rumble that came from the cheagle's belly. Luke laughed.

"You hungry?"

"Just a little," Mieu admitted. Luke vaguely wondered when the last time the little creature had eaten was. The grasses it was so fond of didn't exactly grow in abundance in the Qliphoth. "Maybe Guy will make that really yummy supper for us when we find him!" Mieu added. Luke grew quiet.

"You'll have to ask him when we see him." Luke replied softly.

That's right… Guy wasn't going to be there when they met up with everyone. Luke and Mieu continued in silence. The fight between Guy and Asch had been intense, and Luke still couldn't get over how strongly they hated each other. It left him to wonder how many of these fights had gone on behind his back over the years. But then when he was around, they never showed any signs of it at all. Just how much resentment had they buried away for his sake? Still…Luke wondered where his best friend might have gone. Somewhere I'm wanted.

He wouldn't have gone to Master Van would he? But then that was always a possibility wasn't it? Even though Asch would never say it, he certainly thought it, and suspected Guy all the more because of it. He had been Master Van's ally in helping kidnap Asch, who was to say they weren't still working together now? Luke didn't like that thought; he didn't want to think that Guy would want to have anything to do with whatever Master Van was planning, but even as he searched through his own memories, he realized just how often he had come across Guy and Master Van talking before his lessons. But Guy wasn't like that… was he?

Somewhere I'm wanted.

"Master watch out!"

The rock under Luke's foot gave way and in spite of Luke's last minute attempt to maintain his balance, he found himself falling towards the pool of water below.

"Easy there." Luke opened his eyes at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Guy!" Luke exclaimed in surprise as the blonde helped him climb back up onto the path.

"Hey there Luke. You should watch where you're stepping, these paths are pretty nasty."

"What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't find anywhere else I belonged." Guy mumbled to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing important." Guy shook his head, "So, how are you feeling?"

"Much better thanks. But what are you doing all the way out here? I mean, how did you even know to come here?"

"Ouch. I come all the way out here to get you and that's the thanks I get?"

"I'm sorry. I just thought…" Guy gave him a pointed look, "No never mind. Thanks Guy."

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you in Yulia City, I….no you know what, that's not important." Guy cut off his own thought leaving Luke curious as to what he had been about to say. He had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with Asch. "So where are you headed?" Guy tried instead.

"Well I was going to start by finding a way out of here." Luke commented, unsure if he was ready to divulge the details of his plans just yet. He knew Asch had told him not to distrust Guy but…

"Would you mind if I joined you?" Guy asked with a chuckle.

"Of course we wouldn't mind!" Mieu piped up.

"Yeah," Luke added, "you came all the way out here for me after all."

"Sounds good to me. We're about halfway in or so, so there's still a bit of a trek before we get out." Guy commented, "You want to stop for a break before we keep going?"

"No, we should get out of here as soon as we can." Guy eyed Luke, surprised at his motivation, but decided not to inquire as to the cause.

"Alright then, let's head off."

"Say, Luke?" Guy spoke up after having travelled in silence for awhile.

"Yeah, what is it Guy?"

"I'm sorry for all that stuff I said back on the Tartarus."

"Oh… that. It's okay, I kind of deserved it." Luke replied.

"No, it's not okay," Guy protested. "Yeah, what you did was terrible, I won't deny that, but I still shouldn't have been so harsh with you. I mean, you're only seven years old. It's inevitable that you're going to make some mistakes along the way… but… I forgot that… I'm sorry." Guy finished with a deep bow.

"No, really Guy, it's okay." Luke smiled. He really was the same Guy. In spite of everything Luke had learnt about him recently, the darker sides of him that Luke had never seen before, he was still the kind-hearted person that had become his best friend, and Luke would have faith in him, if no one else would. "But there is something you could do for me." Luke added after a moment's thought.

"Anything." Guy replied, his seriousness causing Luke to laugh out loud.

"Could you fill me in on what everyone's been up to while I was out?"

Guy spent the next leg of their journey describing to Luke everything that had happened since Yulia City. While Luke already knew what had happened, having Guy tell him gave him something to fall back on in case he accidentally slipped and said something he otherwise shouldn't have known. Now all he needed to do was steal some time alone with Asch and he would have everything he'd learnt over the past couple days covered. Wait... Asch…Luke suddenly noticed how Guy had conveniently left out the parts where he and Asch had gotten into fights. Actually… come to think of it, he had yet to mention Asch at all.We, Jade, Natalia, Anise, Ion …but never Asch. Why was that?

"Hey Guy?" Luke interrupted once Guy had finished describing their encounter with Spinoza.

"What is it, Luke?"

"What's Asch been doing?"

"...He was with us." Guy answered after a moment of awkward silence. What was up? The way Guy said it… you'd think Guy was scarred he would be offended or something. Wait… that's what this was about! Guy didn't realize that he and Asch were on perfectly good terms with each other; after all, he thought that the last thing that had happened between them was their little…scuffle. No wonder he was walking on eggshells as far as Asch was concerned.

"Look…" Guy broke the tense silence, "I honestly don't know what the hell Asch thought he was doing but-"

Luke cut him off by shaking his head. "No it's okay Guy. I think I know why he did what he did, and it's alright."

"It's a good thing you do, because no one else can make heads or tails of him," Guy said with a sigh. "I'll never understand the two of you."

Luke just grinned, "So what did you guys do after you talked to Spinoza?" This was the part Luke really wanted to hear.

"There's actually not much else to tell. After that I left, so I don't know what they ended up doing." Guy replied.

"Why did you leave?"

"I was worried about you." Guy provided.

"You're lying." Luke shot back, looking Guy straight in the eye. Normally he wouldn't push the issue, but he wanted to hear Guy's side of the story. He knew Asch's side, and he understood why Asch's distrust was so harsh, but if he had noticed anything from that encounter, it was that Guy's hatred went almost as deep. Why?

"Why would you say that?" Guy laughed nervously.

"Because you won't look at me when you say it." Luke replied, but stopped prodding, instead continuing down the path. It seemed like there were still things Guy didn't trust him with either.

Guy followed, but the two of them continued in silence. It wasn't much longer before they finally reached the exit. It took them both a moment for their eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of sunlight, but when they did, they noticed a very familiar blue figure approaching them.

"Jade?" Guy walked up to the Colonel. Luke on the other hand froze to the spot, his heart sinking as he noticed that Jade was alone.

'Asch? Asch! Asch if you can hear me, answer me!' But still, Luke got no response. Now he knew something was wrong.

"My my," Jade pushed his glasses back up his nose, "I must say, when Asch told me to come here, you were the last people I was expecting to find."

"Jade! Where are Asch and the others?" Luke asked.

"Oh? And how do you know that I was with them?" Jade eyed Luke suspiciously.

"You were together when you left Belkend, if you aren't with them now, you should still know where they are or where they were headed." Guy provided.

"Our young heir has been taken prisoner along with his princess and the Fon Master in Daath. I came in search of reinforcements, but I must say, this isn't what I was expecting." He added with a glance in Luke's direction.

"They took Asch, Natalia and Ion prisoner? Are they still trying to start a war?" Luke fought against his growing anger. No wonder he couldn't get in touch with Asch, he was probably unconscious in a cell somewhere.

"Now he's perceptive." Jade shot. Luke walked up to the Malkuth Colonel and looked straight into his piercing red eyes.

"I know you probably don't want to have anything to do with me, and rightfully so." Luke stated. "You have no reason to trust me or to want to help me, so this may be presumptuous of me, but I'm going to ask for your help in rescuing my brother. We can't do it alone. If you want, after this, I'll leave and never bother you again." Luke finished.

Jade's own discriminating gaze never left the younger sibling but Luke didn't shy away. Interesting that. "I'll help," Jade finally said with a shrug. "A war would be terribly inconvenient."

Luke smiled at Jade's words. Now they could go save Asch and Ion; and Natalia too of course. Luke gave Jade a grateful look. Was that a glimmer in his eyes? But Jade looked away too quickly for him to be sure. Luke let out an involuntary shudder. Nothing good could possibly come from a glimmer in Jade's eyes, and Luke couldn't help but wonder what the devious Colonel had in mind for him.

"Okay then, let's head for Daath!" Luke said as he started down the road.

"Hey Luke!" Guy called after him.

"What is it?" Luke stopped and turned around.

"Do you even know where Daath is?"

Crap, Luke had jumped the gun without even thinking. The faint sensation he got from Asch aside, he recognized the area from when they had passed through before, in the distance he could even see the valley where the bandits had attacked them. "It's this way right?" Luke pointed down the road in the direction he was heading.

"Yeah that's right, but how did you know?"

"Well I just figured you guys would stop me if I was heading the wrong way." Luke shrugged.

"Your dependence on others to correct you is exactly why you make mistakes." Jade pointed out. Luke shrunk back, he knew exactly what Jade meant by mistakes.

"I'm sorry." Luke said quietly, "You're right."

"No point in dwelling on the past now," Jade began down the road, "we've a future to worry about after all."

"Jade's right," Guy added. "We just have to do everything we can for now."

Just do whatever you can do, even if it's just a little.

"Yeah," Luke replied, "let's go."

Chapter Text

Daath was just as amazing as Luke remembered it, though there were fewer people around since it was already getting close to supper time and most of the shops had closed up for the day. Not that it made a difference, now wasn't the time to be seeing the sights. Luke still couldn't contact Asch, which meant that he was either unconscious or… no he wouldn't even consider the alternative. Asch couldn't be dead. He may not have gotten a reply, but he could still sense his sibling's presence at the back of his mind. That had to mean something. Asch was alive, but beyond that, Luke couldn't tell.

"Jade?" Guy spoke up, breaking the silence that had brooded over them since they had departed from Aramis Springs.

"What is it Guy?"

"This has been bothering me for awhile now. What exactly happened here?"

"What do you mean by that?" Jade inquired.

"Well when you first met up with us, you said something about Asch being the one that sent you. Then you turn around and say that Asch was captured. And what about you? Weren't you with everyone? Why weren't you captured?"

"A valid point." Jade replied, a sly grin on his face. Really, if they weren't so amusing when they tried to play detective, it would be rather annoying.

"As amused as you seem to with all this," Luke interrupted, "If we're planning to rescue them, I'd like to know what we're heading into."

"Oh? That's quite the initiative you're taking there." Jade taunted, but Luke remained serious. No fun at all.

"Jade, why won't you tell us?" Guy's tone was equally serious.

"I'm afraid there isn't much to tell." Jade shrugged. "We were supposed to meet up with Ion and Anise first thing in the morning but we were ambushed in the Cathedral. Asch knew he was a target so he covered my escape telling me to go to Aramis Springs to get help."

"I wonder…do you think he knew you'd come after him?" Guy asked his best friend.

"Maybe." Luke lied. Asch had sent Jade to get him knowing full well Luke was already on his way. "What happened to Ion and Anise then?"

"Ion was captured but Anise also managed to escape. She's tracking down where they're being held as we speak." Jade provided. "Although, if you don't mind my asking, what happened to Tear?"

Luke was silent for a moment. "She stayed in Yulia City."

"Pity." Jade stated, "Her talents would have proven useful. Oh well, it can't be helped. That does of course mean that we'll have to be extra careful without a healer handy. No rash actions." He finished, his last comment directed at the red head.

Luke clenched his fists. He almost wished they'd come out and yell at him. It would be so much easier than the subtle signs of distrust and constant reminders of how badly he'd screwed up. He knew he'd earned it, and while he had known no one would trust him, he hadn't expected it to hurt so much.

"There you are!" The three heard a familiar voice in the distance.

"Asch? How'd you get out so-" The Fon Master Guardian exclaimed, cut short when Luke turned around to face her. "Oh, it's you." She stated disappointedly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm afraid these are all the reinforcements Asch sent us to fetch." Jade provided.

"Seriously? How'd he manage that?" She eyed the two boys, they were obviously the last two people in Auldrant she had expected to come to Asch's rescue. "I've got to wonder what the hell he's thinking telling us to get Luke though. So what's this? Round two?"

Luke ignored Anise's comment, looking off to the side. He distracted himself by trying to contact Asch as Anise continued her brutal taunting that she so cleverly interlaced within her report to Jade. Luke thought he had sensed Asch stir, but he still hadn't been able to get a reply. Damn it, just what had they done to him?

"Things aren't looking so good." Anise stated solemnly, deciding she'd had enough harassing Luke for the time being. He wasn't even paying attention anyways. "With Akzeriuth gone and Asch and Natalia missing, Kimlasca is blaming Malkuth for their deaths, saying they did it on purpose. Likewise sounds like Malkuth thinks Kimlasca was behind the destruction of Akzeriuth, and tensions are getting pretty high. If things go on much longer, we're going to have a major war on our hands."

"First things first, we need to rescue Asch, Natalia and Ion." Luke stated. "Even if we tried, we'd get nowhere in negotiations without them."

"Luke's right. Let's decide what to do after we get them out of Daath." Guy agreed.

"I'm afraid that there's no way we'll succeed in averting a war without their assistance," Jade confirmed.

Anise sighed, "I guess I don't have much of a choice." She eyed Luke venomously, "just don't try anything."

"I won't," Luke replied as he brushed past her heading for the Cathedral.

No one was going to die because of his mistakes ever again.

They had made their way deep into the underground levels of Daath, and Luke was grateful they had Anise leading the way. The vast expanse below the Cathedral was as confusing as its upper levels had been, and Luke would have spent years searching the place had he been alone.

Anise's initial disgust had died down a bit, and she had actually spoken to him a few times in a somewhat civil manner, but it was clear she still didn't trust him. It was to be expected though, and Luke put up with it. Whether they trusted him or not, whether they'd acknowledge him or not, he still needed their help. Though he knew that neither Anise nor Jade was doing this for his benefit, he was still grateful.

They had managed to avoid the majority of the Oracle Knights they had come across, which would have been a much more impressive feat had there been more of them; but there weren't. In fact, the hallways were suspiciously empty. Anise explained that they were passing through the sleeping quarters for the majority of the soldiers, most of which were probably at supper. They would have to take an alternate path to get out though, since by the time they found and released the captives, the hallways would be swarming with them.

Anise hushed them as they approached an especially broad hallway buried deep below the main levels of the Chapel. The hallway itself looked just like any of the others, and if it hadn't been for the four Oracle Knights guarding two of the doors, there wouldn't have been any indicator that anything was suspicious at all. Really, they needed to learn to be more inconspicuous. Jade pushed his glasses up his nose; they may as well have labelled the room in which they had placed the captives. But obvious or not, they would still have to fight.

"Alright, Anise, Guy, you take the two on the right, Luke and I will handle the two on the left." Jade instructed.

"What about the other two?" Luke asked.

Jade looked at him curiously and stole another glance down the hall. He was right. At the very far end there were two more guards that Jade had dismissed. They were far enough away not to be a threat, but on second thought, they would inevitably get involved once they heard the commotion.

"Looks like a free for all." Guy commented as he drew his sword.

"Sounds good to me," Luke drew his as well. It felt odd to hold his own sword; then again, this would be an interesting chance to see just what he had managed to pick up from fighting with Asch.

Just as Jade had predicted, as soon as the battle started, the remaining two guards joined in the chaos and made it six against four. Luckily for them, their group had a clear advantage in skill and the battle wasn't especially difficult. In fact, Jade found himself observing the proceedings far more than he should be.

One guard fell, then another, there were now four left. It was intriguing. Something was different about Luke all of a sudden, but Jade just couldn't put his finger on it. They had travelled a long ways together, and over that time, Jade had picked up on each person's unique fighting style. It was crucial on the battlefield to be able to predict how your allies would react, and then act accordingly. It could mean the difference between life and death after all, so Jade had made it a point to remember. Their usual patterns, their favourite skill sets, how they moved, they way they reacted, Jade had memorized it all. But Luke was suddenly different. It was almost as if he was moving more like Asch.

Jade sidestepped a knight's sword, he had been lost in thought too long it seemed. He retaliated with his spear, piercing through a weak spot in the armour. Now there were only three left. Jade glanced at the battlefield. He had lost sight of Luke, no matter, now wasn't the time. Jade unleashed his fonic arte, the wind forcing the guards back, but not doing nearly as much damage as he would have liked. Their thick metal armour protected them from the wind's sharp blades. Metal armour? That gave Jade an idea.

Perhaps third fonons weren't very effective, but he'd wager that metal would conduct fifth fonons rather nicely. Jade prepared to cast the arte, but there was something peculiar. For whatever reason, there was an absence of fifth fonons in the air. Where had they gone? Jade reached out, and then noticed them gathering. They were behind him.

"Bring all to ash and ruin."

Jade spun around fast enough to catch sight of the red head as he finished the arte. The fifth fonons crashed down, crippling the remaining guards.

Luke's long red hair settled down around him as he slowly let out a breath allowing the remaining fonons to dissipate. Impossible; Jade watched the young noble suspiciously as he re-sheathed his blade. Had Jade not known better, he would have thought the two of them had pulled that switching trick of theirs. He simply couldn't grasp how it was possible. That was no beginner's arte. Even if training had been the reason those two had been continuously sneaking off at night, there was no way Luke could have progressed that much in the short time since he'd known the boy, even under Asch's tutelage. Jade took a brief moment to settle his thoughts; those two were becoming more interesting by the moment.

The question then remained, how long had Luke possessed such knowledge of fonic artes, or rather, how long had he possessed such control over fonons? Perhaps Luke wasn't as untrained as he had been led to believe. However, if that was the case, what did it mean for Akzeriuth? The chances that Luke had accidentally caused a hyperresonance with another seventh fonist went down exponentially if Luke had the capacity to control fonons to the extent he had just witnessed. Had it been on purpose then? Had Luke known that the destruction would take place, even if it had been in the hope of some perceived benefit? It was certainly something Luke would be inclined to do, to jump into matters, not giving any thought as to the consequences. But something still didn't sit right, and it bothered him; it bothered him a lot. Nothing hadever evaded his perception this well for this long, especially not something so crucial to the matters at hand. Asch knew something, of that much he was certain, but whatever it was, he was keeping it to himself.

Luke couldn't resist a small grin of satisfaction at his success. It hadn't been as hard as he expected it to be, though it had easily taken him double or triple the time Asch could have pulled it off in. After the fight with the bandits, Luke had taken advantage of the remaining trip to Daath by getting Asch to give him a crash course in fonic artes and Asch had happily gone into it in great detail for him. In the end, it had been from feeling how Asch tied the fonons together that helped it all click; after all, it felt the same as if he'd been the one to do it himself. He had really only managed to pick up on a couple of the ones Asch knew from their subsequent battles with monsters along the way, and of those, he could only remember the one with the shortest incantation; but Luke was still proud of himself.

"Nice Luke," Guy commented as he put his sword away, "since when do you know fonic artes?"

"A little while now I guess." Luke replied.

"You got Asch to teach you, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Luke replied.

"Well good for you. Now let's go meet up with the others, shall we?" Guy said indicating Anise and Jade who were already making their way towards the doors the Oracle Knights had been guarding.

Finally, now he could see Asch again. It was so strange, even though it didn't feel like they'd been apart that long, the last time Luke had actually seen Asch, was when they had fought in Yulia City, and that seemed like a lifetime ago. But as Guy and the others continued, Luke spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

Luke bent down to check it out and noticed a set of keys attached to the guard's belt loop. Luke removed them; they must be to open the doors.

"Hey, the doors are open." Luke heard Anise comment as she entered one of the rooms. Weird; Luke held the key ring suspiciously. Oh well, he pocketed them anyways, who knew when they might come in handy. If nothing else, it would frustrate someone to no end when they couldn't find their keys.

Luke joined Guy in the room across from the one Anise and Jade had entered. It seemed like your typical room, bookshelves lined one of the walls and several tables were set out. On the other side was a chair and a few couches, on one of which was sleeping the young princess. Hardly the cells they had been expecting.

"You gonna wake her up?" Luke asked the blonde.

"Are you kidding?" Guy ducked behind him, trembling at the thought. Luke just laughed.

Luke walked over to the couch and gave her a gentle shake. After a moment she blinked sleepily and looked up at him. Her face lit up and she smiled warmly, but it quickly faded as she realized it wasn't who she thought it had been.

"Luke."

"Sorry. I'm afraid so." He replied gently, offering her a hand to help her stand up.

"I'm fine." She replied coldly and proceeded to sit up on her own. "What are you doing here?"

"We came to rescue you." Luke replied.

"I find that hard to believe." Natalia shot back coldly. "Come to see what else you can screw up?"

"Ouch that's harsh." Guy mumbled in the background.

"Why don't you just-"

"Luke!" Ion's voice came from behind them and cut Natalia off. Anise and Jade followed him in and they gathered around the couch where Natalia was sitting. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

"Thank you," Luke genuinely smiled. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. They've been holding us here in attempts to antagonize the situation between Kimlasca and Malkuth." Ion provided.

"Yeah," Guy interjected, "we've heard."

"Have any of the God-Generals or Commandant Grants been around?" Jade asked sternly. This may not be the best place to be talking.

"No, not to my knowledge." Natalia provided.

"Really?" Ion inquired, "I could have sworn I'd heard Van earlier today."

"Oh? I must not have been paying attention then." Natalia shrugged. "Either way we shouldn't dawdle. Whether they've been by or not, they're bound to come around sooner or later."

"Natalia raises a good point. Let's continue discussions once we've made it back to the Tartarus." Jade agreed.

"Wait a second, where's Asch?" Luke demanded.

"He's not here." Mieu commented.

"I'm afraid he's been locked up elsewhere." Ion provided.

"Why?"

"Why?" Anise spoke up. "I'd say because he annihilated about half a squad of Oracle Knights before they managed to get him under control."

"Yeah that sounds like him," Guy commented, "never goes quietly."

"No he doesn't," Luke agreed, though his statement was followed by an awkward silence. Why was everyone looking at him?

"So do you know where they're keeping him?" Guy asked Anise.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Anise protested.

"Well then," Guy chuckled, "You lead the way."

The room where Asch was imprisoned seemed inconspicuous enough from the outside, but once they'd entered, it was clearly different. Unlike the first two rooms, this one was obviously designed to hold prisoners. They found Asch at the far end of the room, completely restrained. His feet chained to the wall near the floor, and his arms were chained above his head. His crimson hair fell in his face as his binds held him upright despite his state of unconsciousness.

Everyone fell completely silent, their eyes all on the captive's sibling. What would he do? After everything that had happened in Yulia City… how would Luke react? Asch had been openly cruel, without giving any sort of explanation for it, and it couldn't have been easy on his twin, no matter how much Luke deserved it.

The air around Luke as he approached Asch was serious, and everyone was tense. Guy recalled what Luke had said in Aramis Springs, but did he really mean it? Like, did Luke really understand what Asch had done, and was okay with it? Or had those words been said solely for his benefit? He guessed there was only one way they were going to find out. Guy found himself secretly hoping Luke would let Asch have it, and if he did, Guy certainly wasn't going to be the one to intervene.

Luke walked up to Asch and positioned himself directly in from of his older sibling. Asch simply...hung there, for lack of a better word. When attempting to wake him up didn't produce any results, Luke gave him a mental shove. Slowly but steadily Asch began to stir. He cracked his eyes open and blinked lazily a few times before noticing who was in front of him.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

Luke's seriousness melted into a devilish grin. "Finally!" he exclaimed. Asch just stared at him, still not completely alert from his prior lack of consciousness. "It's about time you didn't make a grand entrance!"

Asch blinked confusedly a couple times before he burst out laughing and was quickly followed by Luke. Asch was just so relieved to see him. Not just because he needed help getting out of his current dilemma, but because he could see Luke. Luke stood before him laughing, and he was okay. He wasn't unconscious or depressed or bordering downright insanity, but laughing, filled with the light Asch had known for the past seven years. And for the first time since they had left Baticul, he saw Luke smile, genuinely smile. Seeing Luke as his usual self made Asch happier than anything else. So while he was just as confused by Luke's statement as the awestruck group before him, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously," Asch finally managed between chuckles, "what the hell are you talking about?"

"Well every time we get separated, you always make a grand entrance when you show up again. In the Cheagle Woods, in the port in Baticul, and then in Yulia City," Luke ticked off the instances on his fingers. "You always get to be the one to come in and save everyone!"

"Alright genius," Asch taunted unable to wipe the smile off his face, "if it's your turn to play hero, how do you plan to get out of this?" Asch tugged on the chain that was attaching him to the wall, showing that it was firmly implanted and wouldn't break.

"Oh dear," Natalia spoke up realizing the problem. "We'll need to find the keys."

"Man!" Anise moaned, "They could be with anyone!"

"Well? What's the plan?" Asch inquired noticing the sudden smug grin on Luke's face.

Luke didn't reply but simply reached into his pocket, pulling out a set of keys that he twirled tauntingly around his finger.

"Okay show off," Asch grinned. Even he could tell that Luke was thoroughly enjoying every moment of this. "Now can you get me down from here?" Luke caught the keys he was twirling and helped Asch down. He stumbled and Luke caught him, offering his shoulder as support while the blood returned to Asch's extremities.

"Are you going to be okay to move?" Luke inquired after a moment.

"Yeah." Asch stood up straight, rubbing his wrists, sore as they were from the hours of pressure imposed by his restraints.

"Okay good, because it probably won't be long before reinforcements show up."

"You're right, let's get out of here."

"Clever little rats." Dist commented as he examined the empty restraints.

"They got away," Sync commented. "Looks like someone didn't take much care in locking them up."

"Oh shut up, putting him down here was Cantabile's idea, not mine!" Dist fumed.

"And who was the one who wanted him for experiments and insisted on using the restraints instead of a cell like any normal prisoner?" Sync taunted.

"It wouldn't have mattered anyways," Dist stated. "These were unlocked. Someone helped him escape."

"Maybe it was the other one." Sync slyly suggested.

"Oooo" Dist cackled at the thought, "this may work out better than I had planned after all. Sync, I'm going after them."

"Be my guest, they can't have gotten far. Just remember that if you volunteer to go after them, the failure is on your shoulders." Sync replied.

"I won't fail! They'll never defeat my glorious creations!"

"They won't have to if you don't get moving." Sync taunted.

"Oh shut up!"

"Hey Guy," the Fon Master guardian spoke up as they walked through the outskirts of Daath.

"What's up Anise?"

"Maybe you could explain something to me," She replied.

"What's that?" Guy inquired. Anise just gave a pointed look in the direction of the twins who were walking ahead of them. The two red heads were lost in their own little world, chatting happily about Score knows what.

"I'm confused, what does Anise want to know?" Mieu spoke up from his perch on Tokunaga's head.

"I just don't get it," Anise provided. "I mean, between Luke in Akzeriuth and Asch in Yulia city, you'd think that one of them would be angry or upset."

"You'll learn pretty quickly that it's completely pointless to try and understand those two," Guy commented. "Most of the time, it's easiest to just go with it."

"Well I'm just happy to see that they're getting along," Ion commented.

"Perhaps," Natalia spoke up, "but this isn't like back at the manor where they tended to make up with out anyone being the wiser. Neither of them could have possibly spoken to each other before now. If nothing else, Asch needs to give Luke a good stern talking to."

"I wouldn't be overly concerned," Jade shrugged. "If they're both fine with everything that's happened, I don't see any reason we should be getting worked up over it."

"Jade's right," Guy agreed, "Besides, there'll be much more to worry about travelling through these mountains at night."

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that," A voice towards the side caught their attention. "You won't need to go through the mountains once you're dead."

"Dist," Jade stated, as the God-General and his floating chair descended upon the group. "I should have figured as much. No one else could possibly make such a tacky entrance."

"Shut up! What could someone as disgraceful as yourself possibly know?"

"More than someone like you, I'm sure."

"Well you can laugh all you like, but I'm not interested in you today." Dist brushed off the insult as he scanned the group.

"Guys!" Asch and Luke ran back to join the rest of the group, quickly noticing the God-General that had their attention.

"Ah, there you are my little lab rats," Dist said as he noticed the boys.

"Lab rats? What does he mean by that?" Anise inquired.

"Tsk. Tsk," Jade taunted playfully. "You two were messing around in the lab at Choral Castle weren't you?"

"Maybe," the boys both grinned.

"Honestly you two…" Guy shook his head.

"What's this about Choral Castle?" Natalia inquired.

"Hey! Stop ignoring me!" Dist protested.

"Did you hear anything?" Jade asked tauntingly.

"Nope," Asch replied, deciding to join in on the fun.

"Must have just been a fly in my ear," Jade shrugged.

"I've had just about enough of you!" Dist fumed in his chair. He snapped his fingers, and almost out of nowhere came a huge fon machine.

How they hadn't noticed its presence before now, the group would never know. The fon machine easily stood twice their height and made the most atrocious noise as it moved. Its limbs needed grease, and lots of it. It was almost as gaudy as its creator, bulky, slow and painted a myriad of mismatching colours. But in spite of this, the several weapon systems built into it, kept the thing from becoming a complete joke.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Guy almost rolled his eyes.

"Ha ha!" Dist laughed as he hovered about foot above ground, his eyes gleaming with pride at his latest creation that was now standing next to him. "Afraid aren't you? Terrified. Struck speechless in awe of the beauty and grace that I have created. Behold, my beloved Barrelow XI! Consider yourselves privileged, not many get to perish at the hands of my super, ultra, amazing, one of a kind- Hey!"

Dist was cut off by his own creation and forced to retreat several feet as the machine swung around, one of its limbs nearly colliding with the God-General. The group had already engaged the thing.

"Over here you oversized scrap heap!" Asch called, he and Luke drawing its attention.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Dist cried, as Guy climbed up the back of the machine. It only took him a moment to reach the power source and yank it out, leaving a mess of broken wires and electronics. Dist's beloved Barrelow XI buckled under itself and went crashing down to the ground.

"That was easy enough," Guy said as he rejoined Jade and the others who were guarding Ion.

"You give that back!" Dist demanded, his face red with anger. Guy simply grinned and waved the broken piece of fon machine tauntingly before throwing it with all his might into the nearby woods.

"I'll make you regret-"

"Hmm, what's this?" Luke, who had wandered around behind the infuriated Dist, plucked a strange glowing stone from the back of Dist's chair. As soon as the artefact was removed, Dist's chair crashed, the legs smashing upon impact sending the eccentric God-General flying a few feet, face first into a pile of dirt.

"What do you have there Luke?" Asch inquired.

"I don't know, Dist had it in some kind of device on the back of his chair." Luke replied, still staring at the stone. It had stopped glowing, and Luke's interest had somewhat diminished. Now it just looked like your average rock, but it was too perfectly shaped to be something natural.

"Why you lousy-" Dist barely managed to speak he was so mad.

"Pass it here," Asch spoke up.

"Return that at once!" Dist launched himself towards Luke. Luke grinned and tossed it to Asch. Dist jumped for it, but it passed clear over his outstretched hand and was caught by the second sibling. Dist redirected his attention.

"You give that back or I'll…" Dist threatened as he stormed towards Asch.

"Here Jade, you take a look," Asch tossed the stone to the Colonel as Dist flailed in attempt to intercept it.

Dist was so furious he couldn't even form words anymore. That still didn't stop him from storming towards Jade though. Jade wore the most evil and amused grin any of them had ever seen. He was so proud of those two right now.

"Here, Luke," Jade threw the stone back to the young noble who was fighting to keep his laughter under control. Asch too wore an amused grin and everyone else could only shake their heads as the three continued their game of keep-away with the enraged God-General.

"Just you wait!" Dist threatened after a good ten minutes of running in circles in attempts to reclaim whatever Luke had taken. "I'm putting this down in my revenge journal!"

The God-General stormed over to the remnants of his chair. The legs were a splintered mess and the seat was bent out of shape. It took him several minutes to pry open the hidden compartment but he was finally able to extract his beloved journal.

"See! Now you'll all-" Dist stopped. A breeze blew across the empty road as a group of people were barely visible beyond the horizon.

"I'll get you all! You'll see! You'll regret the day you crossed Dist the Rose!" Dist screamed into the sunset.

"Are you sure this is okay? He won't come after us?" Natalia inquired of Jade as the echoes of Dist's threat faded with the last of the day's light.

"It'll be just fine," Jade replied.

Chapter Text

The sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon when a thoroughly exhausted group steered the Tartarus out of the port near Daath. They had travelled straight through the night, only stopping for short intervals to allow Ion a chance to rest. Though Dist had been easily thwarted, the reinforcements he was bound to call wouldn't be so easy to deal with, and they wanted to put as much distance between them and the Order's headquarters as was humanly possible.

After sailing for a few hours, they had taken shelter in a cove along the northern edge of the continent just south of Daath, and gotten some much deserved rest. Now, the sun was clear overhead and Asch quietly leaned back against the railing on the Tartarus' deck, enjoying the sounds of the sea and the cool breeze that swept up off the water.

Beside him Luke also stood in silence, watching the birds as they flew to and from their nests in the nearby cliffs. Words weren't needed; they simply enjoyed each other's presence as they waited for everyone else to wake up.

"So what's next?" Asch finally asked as he watched the cotton clouds float by overhead.

"I don't know," Luke replied. "From the looks of things, St. Binah isn't in any danger."

"So says Teodoro," Asch shot back. "I don't know… something about this seems off. I wouldn't put it past him to have lied to you to keep the Score on track."

"You're right, I wouldn't mind checking it out for myself, but for now, stopping the war should come first," Luke answered.

"Are things really that bad?" Asch inquired.

"You didn't hear any rumours in Daath?"

'No, I was kind of unconscious,' Asch grumbled, making use of their connection as Anise walked out onto the deck.

"Morning Anise," Luke spoke up without even turning around. It was lunch time and the birds were diving into the water. How did they always manage to catch a fish like that?

"Good Morning Anise," Asch tried, glad Luke's sudden fascination in the birds distracted him from the fact the Fon Master Guardian was ignoring him.

"Good Morning Asch," She replied. "So is everyone else meeting up here or what?"

"I guess so," Asch shrugged. "We need to figure out what we're going to do next. What do you and Ion want to do? I mean you can't go back to Daath, but we can drop you off somewhere safer, if you'd like."

"I'd love that, but if I know Ion, he's going to want to help you guys stop the war," Anise replied.

'Luke?'

'From what Anise told me, the situation between Kimlasca and Malkuth is really bad.' Luke replied without even needing to hear the question. 'Uncle is blaming Malkuth for Natalia and your deaths and Malkuth thinks Kimlasca was behind Akzeriuth's destruction.'

'Damn it!'

"Colonel!" Anise piped up as Jade, Guy and Natalia walked out onto the deck. "Where have you been?"

"I was waiting for the three of you on the bridge," Jade answered as he surveyed the deck. It seemed safe, and they were in an area remote enough that they wouldn't likely be overheard.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming out on the deck?" Natalia inquired, her eyes on Asch. "I would have come and joined you."

"You were still sleeping," Asch provided, "I didn't want to wake you."

"Goodness, just how early were you up?" She asked, she thought she had been up early considering the circumstances.

Asch glanced over at Luke who finally turned around to face the rest of the group. "Pretty early I guess," Asch replied. "The rough seas woke me up."

"Yes, the waters were rather rough for a bit this morning weren't they?" Jade commented. "Strange though, the sky was clear, I wonder what would have caused it."

"Who knows," Asch shrugged. Truth be told, neither he nor Luke had been able to sleep very well. So instead they had spent the morning on the deck and Luke explained to him what had happened since he had woken up in Yulia City. Luke had spoken about Tear for quite awhile, and Asch could tell he missed the melodist. It was obvious that Luke was still unsure of his decision to leave her behind, even if it had been the right thing to do.

Once all this war fiasco was over and done with, there wouldn't be any reason for any of the others to get involved anymore. Truth be told, Asch wanted to leave Natalia out of it as well. He doubted Van was going to sit back as he and Luke unravelled his plans, and he wasn't going to let her get hurt.

"Good morning everyone," Ion said as he came up onto the deck, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Despite the fact that Luke had carried the young Fon Master for the last leg of their journey to allow him the chance to sleep, it was obvious the trip had worn on him. "I hope I didn't miss much."

"Not at all Fon Master, we were just about to discuss our next course of action," Jade replied.

"We have to stop the war!" Mieu hopped off the Fon Master's shoulder and over to Luke who allowed the cheagle to sit on top of his head.

"Mieu's absolutely right," Natalia stated. "We should set sail for Baticul immediately. Once we've arrived-"

"Slow down a bit there Natalia," Luke cut her off, "aren't you forgetting something?"

"And just what might that be?" Natalia shot back coldly, "Are you suggesting there's something more important than stopping this war? Or would you rather see it happen?"

"No, averting the war is our first priority," Jade interjected, "but Luke has the right idea. Have you forgotten that we're riding on a Malkuth vessel? An armed one at that? At this point, regardless of who's on board, we'll be shot out of the water before we're even within sight of Baticul."

"Any chance we could get into Grand Chokmah?" Asch asked.

"Not likely," Jade answered. "I'm presumed dead, and the Tartarus was supposedly captured by the enemy. We'd be fired upon regardless of which capital we approach."

"Is there any way we could approach them by land?" Ion inquired.

"I don't know about Grand Chokmah, but going by land to Baticul would be next to impossible," Asch stated. "The nearest docks are in Belkend and Chesedonia. Going from Belkend takes us through Inista Marsh which is hard enough in the best of times, but this time of year the water rises making it completely impassable. Going from Chesedonia takes us through the desert. Not only would the walk take well over a week, but in the desert there's almost no water or shelter. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone making it across on foot."

"Wow, you sure know a lot for someone who hasn't left Baticul in years," Anise commented.

"It's part of the reason Baticul was built where it was, to help resist land based attacks." Asch replied. "Most of the coastline near there is too treacherous or shallow for ships to dock."

"Unfortunately in this case it works to our disadvantage," Natalia stated.

"Approaching Grand Chokmah would prove to be equally to our disadvantage," Jade commented. "Possible, but it would take at least a week, and that's if we're allowed past Theor forest, which is heavily guarded in times of peace. I don't fancy trying to get through there with war brooding."

"So where does all that leave us?" Anise asked.

"Nowhere," Asch stated. "We're right back at square one."

'What do you think?' Asch asked Luke.

'I say Jade's right, there's not much we can do with the Tartarus.'

'You want to see if there's a way we could at least check out St. Binah?'

'That might not be a bad idea. At least it's better than doing nothing.' Luke shrugged.

"Figure anything out over there, Guy?" Luke asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them all. Guy was standing off to the side, the strange stone they had gotten from Dist in his hands.

"Ah yes, what did we manage to procure from that wonderful encounter with our God-General friend?" Jade inquired peaking over Guy's shoulder.

"I think I know what this is, but I just don't see how it's possible," Guy replied.

"Why? What do you think it is?" Anise took a closer look at the artefact Guy was hanging onto, causing the blonde to jump back.

"D-Don't do that!" Guy trembled.

"Oops, sorry Guy," Anise apologized.

"Well what is it?" Asch asked as he rolled his eyes. Honestly, what was so scary about a girl?

"I think it's a hover drive," Guy said hesitantly.

"A hover drive? Isn't that Dawn Age technology?" Ion inquired.

"Yeah. That's why I can't believe it," Guy held the stone up to the light, the sun revealing the sparkling glyphs all over the stone. "They're doing work with them in Sheridan. If you equip it to a machine, it allows the machine to fly through the sky. All the fon machine buffs are talking about it."

"Ah yes, I recall those," Ion confirmed. "They were excavated by the Order. I approved the project to share the technology with Kimlasca."

"Then what was someone like Dist doing with his grubby hands on it?" Anise asked.

"Well I know two were excavated, but to my knowledge both were entrusted to the researchers in Sheridan," Ion replied.

"He probably stole it," Jade pointed out. "He never was above stooping to such levels for his own ends."

"Then do you suppose we could use these flying machines to take us to Baticul?" Natalia inquired.

"Probably not," Guy said, "I doubt they've managed to build a machine yet, the whole project only started a little over a year ago, and even so, we can't just waltz in there and demand to use it."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

"That's alright, don't worry about it Natalia," Guy replied, "You were just thinking about your people. Either way, I think we should return the hover drive to Sheridan at the very least."

"But what about the war?" Natalia protested. "If things continue, innocent Kimlascans may end up getting caught in the cross fire."

"It's not just the Kimlascans that will get hurt," Luke pointed out. "Lots of innocent lives would be lost if a war started, but I don't see what else we can do right now."

"Luke's right," Asch agreed, "As things stand we can't make it to either capital. At least from Sheridan we could send a message to Mother and Father, they might be able to speak with Uncle about it."

"Why not send a letter to his Majesty?" Guy inquired.

"Because it would be more likely to be intercepted, and not even make it to the King at all," Jade provided. "It would be assumed as a ploy by Malkuth to make Kimlasca lower their defences. Am I right?"

"Yeah, they probably wouldn't believe it was from us. At least with Mother and Father, it would be easier to say something that could prove our identities. But even that's not guaranteed to work."

"It's better than nothing," Luke agreed.

'Besides,' Asch added, 'with all the fontech and work on Dawn Age technology in Sheridan, we might be able to find something on the passage rings there.'

'Yeah.'

'I don't want to dismiss St. Binah just yet.'

'Not until we're sure it's safe,' Luke agreed.

"Sheridan isn't too far from here right?" Asch inquired.

"It's on the eastern edge of this continent." Jade replied, "If we set off now, we should be able to make it by sundown."

Jade's time projection had proven to be a bit off. They had sailed further east over the night then he had thought, so the sun was just barely beginning to set as they walked into Sheridan. The town had been built on a cliff overlooking the sea, just east of the mountains and winding valleys known as the Meggiora Highlands that made up the majority of the continent.

The surrounding lands were too dry and barren to grow crops and the mineral content of the earth was dismal in the face of Auldrant's mining communities like Akzeriuth, so Sheridan had become an industrial town. There wasn't a ship they couldn't build, and despite the town's Kimlascan location, their products could be found all over Auldrant.

"Excuse me?" Asch caught the attention of the first person they came by.

"Hm?" The man turned around, he looked to be no more than Guy's age. He was wearing a blue jacket and white ascot, his confused brown eyes contrasting against his silver hair that shone in the evening light. "Oh hello there," He spoke up after a moment, "I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new in town?"

"You could say something like that," Asch replied. "We're looking for the people in charge of the hover drive project."

"Oh, you mean the Albiore?"

"Is that what they're calling the flying machine?"

"That's right," the man replied, "Are you guys fon machine buffs?"

Asch stole a glance at Guy who was almost bouncing he was so happy. "Some of us more so than others," He finally provided with a grin.

"I'm Ginji," the man smiled and extended his hand.

"I'm Asch," Asch shook Ginji's hand. "The kid in a candy store over there is Guy," Asch replied pointing to the blonde who was still positively beaming. "This is Jade, Anise, Natalia, Ion-"

"Wait, Fon Master Ion?" Ginji interrupted.

"That's correct. It's a pleasure to meet you," Ion replied.

"Not at all the pleasure's all mine!" Ginji eagerly shook Ion's hand. "Oh I'm sorry!" He said, realizing he had cut Asch off.

"That's okay-"

"I'm Mieu!" The little cheagle bounced in front of their newest acquaintance.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mieu," He smiled. Asch rolled his eyes and sighed in frustration at having been interrupted yet again. "You were saying?" Ginji returned his attention to the red head.

Asch nodded to his left, "and this is my twin brother, Luke."

Ginji smiled at Luke, but then froze when he actually noticed the other red head, a look of confusion and shock sweeping over his face. He looked at Asch, then back at Luke, then back at Asch again. "Wow" he chuckled, "You two really are identical."

Asch and Luke snickered, it never got old. "So do you think you could help us?" Asch inquired.

"Sure thing. Grandpa and the others are working over in the Meeting Hall. I was headed over there anyways, so I can show you if you'd like."

"Thanks, we'd really appreciate it."

"No problem."

"Grandpa, there are some people here who'd like to see you," Ginji spoke up as they entered the building. At the center of the open room stood a large table and several chairs in which were seated two older men, and an older woman.

"What do you want? Can't you see we're busy?" The woman replied.

"Oh, hello Aunt Tamara. I'm sorry for bothering you, but these people wanted to speak with you," Ginji replied.

"With the Albiore almost completed, we're as busy as ever, can't it wait?" One of the older men spoke up.

"Is it really almost done?" Guy eagerly jumped in.

"Yes, we've just finished the final adjustments," the third man at the head of the table replied. "We'll be able to conduct the first test flights soon."

"Well if you're done the final adjustments, then surely you can spare a minute or two to talk to my friends, right?" Ginji retorted with a grin.

"He's got a point there Iemon," Tamara taunted the first man.

"Fine, but make it quick."

"Thanks Grandpa."

"Don't push your luck," Iemon mumbled.

"So what is it you needed to speak with us about?" Tamara asked.

"If you want the plans to the Albiore you can just-"

"Aston!" Iemon cut the other man off. "Sorry, ever since the thefts..."

"I'm telling you it was Class I!" Aston protested. "They're never up to any good in Belkend!"

"You've had something stolen?" Ginji inquired. "Why didn't anyone tell me about it?"

"Sorry, it happened quite some time ago. We've been trying to keep it quiet because of what was taken," Iemon replied.

"Why? What did they steal?"

"One of the hover drives, and the plans to the Albiore," Tamara provided. "We managed to get the plans back, but they got away with the hover drive."

"If I ever get my hands on-"

"Actually," Asch started, cutting Aston off. "That's what we're here about."

"We came upon this in our journeys," Guy said placing the hover drive on the table. "We thought it might belong to you."

"It's the hover drive!" All three of them stood up out of their chairs, practically falling over each other to get a closer look.

"This is definitely a hover drive," Ginji, who had been standing closest to Guy, picked up the artefact, beating all three of his seniors to it.

"Where did you get that?" Iemon demanded.

"It doesn't really matter now does it? They returned it and we'll be able to finish off the Albiore II!" Tamara exclaimed. "How could we ever thank you?"

"Hey, do you guys want to see the Albiore?" Ginji offered.

"Would we ever!" Guy jumped at the opportunity.

"It's locked up for the night, but I'll take you by first thing in the morning," Ginji replied with a smile.

"Tomorrow?" Asch mulled it over. He had hoped to get a message sent out, check for information and be gone before then.

'It is getting late.' Luke pointed out. 'Admit it; you want to see it too.'

'Shut up. Besides, even if I do, if we're looking at over a week to get to either capital, we really don't have the time to waste.'

"Please come," Ginji said, sensing Asch's uncertainty. "I'm sure you have lots of important things to do, but it's getting late. Please stay the night here; I'd really like the chance to show you the Albiore."

"Alright," Asch agreed after a moment. "As long as that's alright with everyone else?"

"I have no objections," Ion spoke up, "I admit, I'm rather curious as well."

"I think we could all use a good night's rest," Jade shrugged.

"Alright, then it's decided," Ginji stated with a grin. "I'll meet you all in front of the meeting hall here in the morning, and we can head over to the docking bay together."

"Until then, you're free to do as you will," Jade added, "It wouldn't be a bad opportunity to stock up on some supplies."

'You should see if you can find yourself a jacket or something to tide you over until we get back to Baticul,' Asch mentioned as everyone parted ways once they got outside.

'What are you going to be doing?'

'I've a couple things I want to take care of. I'll get the letter sent to Mother and Father as well.'

'Want me to see if I can find any information on the passage rings?' Luke offered.

'Sure, just make sure you aren't out too late.'

'I won't,' Luke laughed. It had been awhile since Asch's big brother nagging had kicked in. 'I'll see you back at the inn tonight?'

'Yeah, see you then.'

Luke mulled over the few jackets the last merchant had for sale, but there wasn't anything that caught his interest. He let out a huge sigh, not only had he been unable to find any information on the passage rings, but he hadn't even managed to find a half-decent coat.

"Luke." The redhead jumped at the voice that came from behind him.

"Natalia," Luke answered, still catching his breath. "Don't sneak up me like that!" The Kimlascan princess remained silent, and quite serious. "What's the matter?" Luke finally inquired.

"I don't know why Asch hasn't spoken to you about this yet," she began, "but it's obvious he has no intention of doing so, so I will in his stead."

"Speak to me? About what?" Luke asked worriedly. Was something wrong that he didn't know about?

"Your actions in Akzeriuth were completely unacceptable!" Oh…Luke inadvertently tensed up. That's what she meant. But Luke knew there would be no escaping Natalia's lecture, and all things considered, he did deserve it. So he was simply silent and listened to her tirade.

She went on for what seemed like hours, each line hurting that much more than the last. Luke bit his lip, fighting back all the emotions she was digging up, but he was failing. His stomach lurched when she started on about priorities. About how his priorities should have been to help Asch, and to help save lives, not play hero. About how all those lives had been lost because he had been selfish, thoughtless, reckless, the list went on and on. Did she think he didn't know that already?!

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she stopped. Luke didn't dare look her in the eye; he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she had broken him. They stood in silence for awhile, as the last light of day faded over the horizon.

Natalia waited. Waited for some sort of acknowledgement, or, knowing Luke, some kind of denial. Anything that might have shown he had been paying the least bit of attention to anything she had said; but it never came. Well, if he would be that way, then fine! But there was one message that he would hear, and that she would make sure he understood.

"Don't get in Asch's way," She stated coldly, turning and leaving without another word. Luke stood in the empty street, long after he was sure the princess was gone.

'Luke, what's the matter?'

'Not…not now Asch,' Luke replied, hiding his emotions from his worried sibling. He wasn't going to drag Asch into this. Because… because Asch loved Natalia, and Luke wanted Asch to be happy. He finally understood why Asch had kept his problems with Guy to himself all these years.

'Okay,' Asch replied simply, sensing his presence was unwanted. Luke wanted to be left alone, and he would respect that.

So Asch left Luke alone.

Alone with his thoughts… and with his tears.

"Sorry," Asch returned his attention to the figure in the shadows.

"That's alright," The female voice replied.

"Please continue," Asch requested solemnly, Luke's sudden upset still at the back of his mind.

"From what I heard it was quite the scuffle. They've got her in Daath now, but I wasn't able to find out anything more than that. I've got a few friends still hanging around, but there's only so much they can find out."

"You're sure about this?" Asch inquired.

"I am," The voice replied, "Sweetheart, you know this is probably a trap right?"

"I do, but we can't just leave her."

"That's what he's counting on."

"I know," Asch stated.

"Well, do be careful."

"I will, thanks Noir."

"It's my pleasure, Honey." Noir gave him one last seductive smile before fading into the night.

"Good Morning," Jade nodded towards the blonde and the princess who had just joined them in front of the meeting hall.

"Morning, Jade," Guy was grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of the so-called "tour" they had been promised.

Just as he had said he would, Ginji had been there when Jade had made his way to the meeting hall, much to his disappointment. Jade had hoped to get in a private word with the redheads who had also been in front of the meeting hall, but it seemed that it would have to wait. He would be as patient as he had to be, but he would eventually find out just what had happened in Akzeriuth.

"Good Morning Colonel," Natalia also replied. "Are we almost ready to go?"

"We're just waiting for Ion and Anise!" Mieu piped up.

"Ion's probably still pretty tired and I don't think Anise would go anywhere without him, so we're just waiting on the two of them," Asch offered, his gaze never leaving Luke who was happily chatting with Ginji.

Whatever the problem had been with Luke the night before, it couldn't still be bothering him. Asch wasn't able to detect any trace of the distress that he had sensed the previous night, so either Luke had dealt with whatever the problem was, or he was hiding it from him. Asch didn't like the implications of the second option. But he didn't have the time to dwell on it; they had a new and much more serious problem.

Two figures in the distance distracted Asch from his thoughts.

"I'm sorry, are we late?" Ion asked as he caught his breath, they had obviously run most of the way.

"Not at all, we were waiting for you," Natalia offered.

"We would have been here sooner," Ion said with an apologetic bow, "but I had trouble getting Anise out of bed."

Everyone turned to look at the young Fon Master Guardian, who grumbled something inaudible as she secured one of her pigtails, and everyone laughed.

"So is everyone ready to go?" Ginji asked.

"Sorry Ginji," Asch cut in, "But we're going to have to skip out."

"What?! Why?!" Guy demanded.

"Because we're going back to Daath," Asch stated

"Daath?" Jade inquired. Even he couldn't imagine what would possess the young noble to want to return there.

"Are you crazy?" Anise yelled, "Did you forget what happened the last time we were there, or are you just stupid?"

"Tear's been captured by the Oracle Knights," Asch continued, ignoring the Fon Master guardian.

"What?!" Luke cried. "When? How?"

"She must have come back to the Outer Lands looking for you," Asch turned his attention to Luke. He knew this was going to be harder on him than the rest of them. "According to the information I got, she had been asking around, and when the Oracle Knights found out who she was looking for, they arrested her."

"We have to save her!" Luke pleaded. This was his fault; she had gotten caught because she had been looking for him. He didn't want to get her involved in all this, now she was in trouble because of him. Damn it!

"What's the problem?" Ginji inquired worriedly.

"Some people in Daath are holding a friend of ours, prisoner." Asch provided.

"But why? Why would they capture your friend?"

"I'm afraid it's us they're likely after," Jade pointed out.

"It's due to some unsettled affairs within the Order," Ion stated apologetically. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Asch, we should be off as soon as possible. We're sorry for having you come meet us like this."

"But there has to be more to it then that," Ginji protested.

"There's a lot, and it's complicated," Asch provided apologetically. "We don't want you to get all caught up in this mess."

"But there has to be something I can do to help!" Ginji stated, exasperated.

"Why don't you take them in the Albiore?" Every spun around to see Iemon and Aston approaching them.

"It's ready to go?" Ginji inquired.

"She is, though she's never flown before. I wish we could have done more test flights…" Aston trailed off.

"You take them, I think it's a magnificent mission for her maiden voyage. Besides we'll never be able to test her properly if we don't take her on a real flight," Iemon argued.

"You're heartless you know that…" Aston mumbled.

"Take us?" Asch inquired, "What's he talking about?"

"What didn't Ginji here tell you?" Aston spoke up, "he's the Albiore's pilot."

"Really?!" Guy exclaimed his eyes lighting up.

"That's right," Ginji admitted sheepishly.

"That's pretty impressive, why didn't you tell us?" Asch asked curiously.

"I could say the same for you," Ginji replied with a grin. Asch looked at him curiously. "I finally remembered where I'd heard your name before; you're engaged to Princess Natalia and the heir to the Kimlascan throne, aren't you?"

"That's right," Asch replied.

"And you're the lucky lady aren't you?" Ginji added with a look towards Natalia, making her blush and confirming his suspicions.

"But in the end does it matter?" Asch inquired a grin on his face.

"Exactly," Ginji pointed out. "But in all due seriousness," he continued, growing more solemn, "I'd like to help you rescue your friend. It's the least we can do after you returned the hover drive."

"It would certainly be faster than taking the Tartarus," Jade pointed out.

"We can have the Albiore ready to go in an hour," Iemon said, taking Jade's statement as an affirmative.

"Then I'd better go get supplies together. I'll meet you back here in an hour," Ginji offered before taking off. "I want to hear the full story on the way though!" He called back before vanishing from sight.

"He's almost as stubborn as you are," Anise commented once the pilot was out of sight.

"I guess we're all going on the Albiore," Luke said, far less enthusiastically then he normally would have. He was really worried about Tear.

"No," Natalia interrupted. "You can wait here, the rest of us will go rescue to Tear and we'll come get you when-"

"Natalia!" Asch cut his fiancée off. He couldn't believe what he had just heard her say. "What's gotten into you lately? Luke has just as much right to come rescue Tear as the rest of us."

"You're right, I'm sorry," Natalia backed down. Asch felt bad for snapping at her, but seriously, what was her problem all of a sudden? Sure she and Luke had never gotten along, but she had never been so openly or avidly against him.

"Okay," Asch dismissed the topic for now. He would have to talk to Luke later though. There was something going on behind his back, and he didn't like it. "If we're going to Daath, I'm going to go get some extra supplies."

"I'll help," Luke offered.

"Okay, I guess we'll see you guys later then?" Asch inquired.

"Before you go," Jade cut in as the boys turned to leave, "are you sure this 'information source' of yours is reliable?"

Asch thought on it a moment. "Yeah," he said after a brief contemplation, "she's pretty reliable. Anything else you'd like to ask, old man?"

"Not for the time being." Jade replied, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"See you in an hour, then." Luke waved as he followed Asch down the street.

"I think it would be best if we do the same and regroup in an hour. This is not going to be an easy endeavour." Jade suggested.

"Sh- sh-she?!" Natalia finally managed to form words. It couldn't be- no. Asch would never stoop to that level. He would never…

"I wouldn't be all that surprised if other women were attracted to him," Jade said slyly. He was the only one left still standing in the vicinity when Natalia had managed to choke out her indignation. "He isn't terribly bad looking."

"Colonel!"

"Luke either for that matter, but that's rather redundant now isn't it? What I don't understand is how you can love one so dearly, and yet despise the other so much."

"There's more to one's character than appearance," Natalia shot.

"True, but likewise there is more to one's character than position."

"What are you implying by that?!"

"Nothing at all Princess, nothing at all."

An hour later, everyone once again met Ginji in front of the meeting hall, only this time it was the redheads that were late. Nevertheless, they quickly made their way through Sheridan towards the hangar where the Albiore was being developed. On the outside, the docking bay looked just like any other warehouse, but when they walked in the door, it obviously wasn't. Guy's eyes lit up at the sight of the Albiore, a huge fon machine sitting in the center of the building. Several panels were open and had a handful of people doing one last check, but other than that, it looked ready to go.

"Wow," Anise looked up at the machine. "Will that thing really fly?"

"Of course it will fly!" Tamara snapped. "The Albiore carries all our hopes and dreams, it will never fall."

"Is everything ready, Aunt Tamara?" Ginji asked.

"Yes," Tamara replied. "It's just waiting for you."

"Then let's go save that friend of yours!" Ginji stated enthusiastically as he led everyone up the gangplank.

"I must say, of all the places I expected to go, the sky isn't one of them," Jade stated.

"Why, scared old man?" Asch shot.

"Hardly," Jade shot back, "I was merely stating that this is a first."

"It's a first for us all," Ginji pointed out as he settled in the cockpit. "No one has flown the skies since the Dawn Age."

"Then let's make this a trip worthy of that first step," Luke stated.

"Yes, let's go."

"Can you pass me that-" Ginji stopped short when the redhead handed him the apple that had been sitting on the seat next to him.

"Haven't had breakfast yet?"

"Yeah," Ginji admitted sheepishly. "Thanks, Asch."

"I'm Luke," The young noble said with a chuckle.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Ginji blurted out, making Luke laugh outright.

"Don't worry about it, it happens all the time."

"But I'm really sorry," The pilot repeated.

"I said it's okay," Luke smiled, "you're not the first and won't be the last."

Luke glanced behind him. Ion and Anise were both looking out one window in awe. Asch was glaring at Guy who was practically hanging over him as he tried to get a better look at how the inside of the Albiore was put together, and Natalia sat next to his bitter sibling, holding Asch's hand as she looked out her window. Jade sat across from them and was simply enjoying the entire thing.

Grinning ear to ear, Guy poked his head in the cockpit. "Hey Ginji." The pilot was suddenly intently focused on the air in front of them, and didn't reply. "What's the matter?" Guy asked after a few minutes, noticing just how much their newest companion was struggling.

Ginji still didn't reply, the apple Luke had passed him hitting the floor as he put both hands on the wheel.

"What's the matter?" Luke inquired worriedly, drawing the attention of the others.

"The headwinds are a lot stronger than I thought they'd be," the pilot managed as he fought with the controls. "I don't know how much longer… I can keep us in the air…"

"Wait! If he can't keep us in the air…" Anise began, "doesn't that mean that we're going to-"

"Crash," Jade finished for her, still somehow perfectly calm.

"It's no good! Strap yourselves in!" Ginji yelled and everyone wasted no time in doing so.

No longer able to fight against the fierce air currents, the Albiore and all its passengers were sent plummeting towards the earth.

Chapter Text

"So much for never falling…" Anise grumbled as she crawled out of the Albiore. "Are you alright Ion?" She asked as she helped the Fon Master down.

"I'm fine," Ion replied as he accepted her hand. "What about everyone else?"

Asch, Guy, Jade and Natalia had already gotten out and were waiting a few feet from the Albiore. Ion spotted Luke who had climbed up on the front and was helping Ginji out of a small door on the side of the cockpit. He let out a sigh of relief, everyone was fine.

"What happened?!" Anise exclaimed once they had all regrouped.

"I'm so sorry," Ginji mumbled ashamedly. "The headwinds were much stronger than I'd anticipated."

"Why didn't you say anything about that before we left?" Anise demanded.

"We weren't supposed to be heading this way," the pilot replied. "I took a bit of a detour to avoid a storm system. But I didn't expect the winds here to be quite so strong…I'm sorry, this is all my fault."

"You really shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Jade commented, eyeing the Albiore. "Considering our surroundings, you did a magnificent job of reducing the damage. We could have easily ended up dangling from one of those cliffs, or colliding into the valley walls."

"He's right," Ion agreed, "and no one's hurt. You did a wonderful job for someone who's never flown before."

"But you were in a hurry to save your friend, and now I messed it up and she might end up getting hurt," Ginji hung his head.

"It's alright," Asch said softly, "There's nothing you could have done otherwise. You couldn't have known. Besides, don't you worry about a thing; we're still going to save her."

"Thanks," Ginji gratefully smiled at the redhead.

"That's all well and said," Guy spoke up, "but how are we going to do that? I mean, we're stranded in the middle of the Meggiora Highlands from the looks of things, it could take us days to find our way out."

"Do you think there's any chance you could fix the Albiore?" Luke inquired.

"That's a good question," Ginji surveyed the machine, doing some quick calculations in his head. The frame sustained only minor damage, nothing that would prevent it from flying. The trouble would be with the engine, and the hover drive might have fallen out of place, but that wasn't something a little elbow grease couldn't temporarily repair. "I probably could, but given what I have to work with, it'll only be enough to get us back to Sheridan. They have the tools there to do further repairs. I could probably have it running by night fall."

"That's good news," Jade replied. "Please have it ready as soon as you can."

"I will!" Ginji stated determinately.

"Do you need any help?" Luke asked as Ginji immediately fetched some tools from the cockpit and put himself to work.

"No not reall-" Ginji was cut off by the rumbling of his stomach.

"But you could use something to eat?" Luke suggested with a chuckle.

"It would be nice." Ginji sheepishly admitted.

"Well there's bound to be something worth hunting around here," Asch provided.

"You want to go exploring?" Guy inquired sceptically.

"You want to starve?" Asch shot back.

"Well we don't have anything better to do," Anise shrugged. "I wouldn't mind a good meal rather than rationed supplies."

"A walk certainly wouldn't hurt," Natalia agreed.

"You're all hopeless," Guy sighed. "Well don't blame me if we get lost."

"Luke, you're staying here, right?" Natalia rather forcefully suggested with a cold look. "You can keep Ginji company."

"That's alright," Ginji shouted from under the Albiore. "I won't be very good company. You should all go."

"Yeah, I want to come exploring too," Luke protested.

"Fine," Natalia said with a defeated sigh as she took Asch's arm and forcefully dragged him away from the crash site.

"Man, how much longer is she going to keep up this whole 'leave Luke behind' bit? It's really getting old," Anise commented. "Asch is obviously not going to let it happen, so why doesn't she just drop it?"

"Frankly, I'll just be glad to see her drop her attitude towards Luke altogether," Guy added. "It isn't like her to be like that. Even given the circumstances, she's hardly been fair. Wouldn't you agree, Luke?"

"Yeah…" Luke trailed off.

"Well, we'd better go after them before she drags Asch into a pit of vipers," Anise stated, earning a chuckle from the rest of the group.

Jade smirked, "Oh it's far too late for that."

"Damn!" Asch cursed as the boar fled, squealing down the valley and out of sight. Even with the injury Asch had managed to incur, it was still much faster than any of them. It would be completely pointless to try and chase it down, especially in the heat that was quickly escalating as the sun rose in the sky.

"It got away," Luke taunted.

"Well at least we know that there's something worth hunting in these parts," Jade commented as Asch shot his sibling a glare and re-sheathed his sword.

"Are you alright Natalia?" Asch asked as he offered a hand to the princess who had been knocked over by the animal's charge. The boar had caught them all off guard, attacking them when they had accidentally wandered too close to its den. Natalia had been the one to take the hit from the creature, but Asch's retaliating swing had injured the beast and caused it to retreat.

"I am, thank you," she replied with a smile as she accepted his help up. But rather than let go once she was on her feet, she pulled him into her embrace. Asch squirmed uncomfortably as she pulled him close and finally ducked out of her arms when she made her advance.

"A-Asch...what's the matter?" Natalia's face turned beet red at Asch's clear aversion to her attempt to give him a kiss. Asch bit his lip but didn't respond, refusing to look her in the eyes.

"Not feeling quite that impulsive yet, Luke?" Jade asked slyly, wearing nothing short of an evil grin. The redhead before them, dressed in Asch's attire, erupted into a fit of laughter.

"What?!" The entire group spun around to find Luke, or as the case turned out to be, Asch, almost on the ground he was laughing so hard, joining Luke who was now in an equal amount of hysterics. Asch felt a little bad for Natalia; it wasn't the first time their switch had been uncovered by something like this. Luke was always good about not letting Natalia misplace signs of affection; he respected the boundaries of the relationship Asch shared with her, a fact that made Asch feel better about it all. But she was still embarrassed, and he really did feel bad, but the looks on their faces were just so funny! Besides, unlike most of the time, he actually had a reason for making use of their trick.

Everyone could only watch the twins in varying degrees of surprise. For some reason, because Luke had lost his coat, they hadn't expected them to switch. A stupid thought really, it was just a simple trade of clothes and swords after all. If anything with everyone's guards down, it was easier to pull off.

"You two…" Guy marched over to where Luke had taken his place beside his sibling, both still stifling their laughter. The blonde took a swing at his best friend, who easily ducked out of the way. The blow went astray and was caught by the second redhead who twisted Guy's arm and sent him crashing into the dust. Both boys leant over him with matching mischievous grins.

"You of all people should know better," Asch taunted.

"The same trick won't work twice," Luke finished.

"I give up," Guy sat up with a defeated sigh.

"S-Since when?!" A rather panicked Natalia demanded. Her heart had stopped. Last night… it couldn't have been…

"What was that Natalia?" Both boys looked up.

"Since when?" She repeated with more authority this time. Of all the things to pull… Natalia absolutely loathed that trick of theirs. They were good at it, so good it was almost scary. Far too often had she been tricked by them as kids. Never anything serious of course, Asch would never allow it, but it still bothered her. Didn't Asch understand how frightening it was to so easily be able to mistake someone else for their future king? Especially when it had been years since either of them had gotten caught.

"Since this morning," the real Asch replied as he accepted his coat from Luke and tossed it over his shoulders. Natalia let out a sigh of relief, but quickly regained her composure.

"Why?" She demanded.

Both boys looked at each other.

----

"Hey Luke?" Asch spoke up as he and his sibling walked down the streets of Sheridan. They still had about ten minutes before the Albiore was supposed to be ready. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Have the others been giving you a hard time lately?"

"No," Luke replied.

Asch suddenly stopped in the middle of the street and Luke almost tripped over himself to do the same. Luke could only confusedly look back as Asch stared him down.

"You're lying," Asch finally said.

"No I'm not!" Luke protested.

"Really?" Asch gave Luke a pointed look before taking off his coat and holding it out. "Then prove it."

Luke couldn't resist a grin as he snatched the coat out of Asch's grasp.

"Fine, I will."

----

Asch and Luke simultaneously shrugged. "We felt like it," Luke provided.

Natalia gave them both a disapproving look; for all that she knew it was pointless. It would take a lot more than that to get them to stop that ridiculous trick of theirs.

"What's so funny?" Ion finally asked Anise who was in fits of giggles.

"Yes, please do share." Natalia added sceptically, more than sure she was the source of the young girl's amusement.

"I just think it's hilarious. I mean, you can't even recognize your own fiancée?" Anise managed between giggles. "Well I guess if he ducks out at the wedding you know you've got the wrong one."

"Why I never-" Natalia sputtered before spinning around and storming off.

"Someone needs a sense of humour," Anise stated dryly.

"We should probably go after her," Asch commented.

"Well there certainly isn't any point in staying here indefinitely," Jade pointed out, still wearing a rather amused grin.

"That's true," Guy agreed. "We should try and catch something and head back before long, I have a feeling it's going to get really hot by the time that sun gets overhead."

"Then let's hurry along," Ion said with a smile.

"Yeah," Luke agreed, "let's go."

The sun was high in the sky and the heat was quickly escalating as everyone continued down the endless twisting valleys. They hadn't come across anything worth hunting since the boar had escaped them and everyone's patience was quickly eroding as the temperature continued to creep up.

Asch watched Natalia who was walking next to and just slightly ahead of him. He had learnt a lot in the brief time he had spent pretending to be Luke, and what he had found concerning Natalia bothered him more than anything. Guy and Ion were supportive, always offering a reassuring smile or willing to engage in idle conversation. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept catching Jade who was constantly stealing glances in his direction, as if contemplating something. To Anise he simply didn't exist, but Natalia… Natalia was constantly making it known that his presence was unwanted.

That concerned him most of all because Natalia wasn't that kind of person. It was true that she and Luke had never gotten along, and Akzeriuth couldn't have helped matters much, but Natalia was a kind person at heart. She was strong, loyal and always open to others, it was what made her an amazing princess. She was loved dearly by her people for it, and it was why he loved her. So her sudden change in behaviour concerning Luke was really starting to worry him. Something to talk to her about later perhaps. He gently ran his fingers through her golden hair, softly laughing when she tensed up. She had done it again.

Natalia almost had to bite her lip to cut off what she was about to say. She was ready to snap at Luke again, but it was Asch running his fingers through her hair. At least he wasn't offended by it, or at least he didn't seem to be by the way he was softly chuckling. What did he expect still wearing Luke's top like that? She almost laughed at herself; did she really depend on their clothes to tell them apart that much? Maybe Anise was right in her taunting, what kind of wife would she make if she couldn't even recognize her own husband?

Anise snickered as she watched Natalia bite back yet another snide remark as she once again almost mistook her fiancée for his twin brother. Asch had only taken his jacket back after the two of them had been discovered earlier this morning and since it had gotten so hot, he had taken it off and was carrying it. It wasn't surprising Natalia kept mistaking him for Luke out of the corner of her eye like that.

Anise couldn't believe she couldn't tell them apart! But in the end it really wasn't all that funny. After all, Guy had grown up with both of them, and he couldn't tell them apart either. Neither could she for that matter, it really was a testament as to how good the two of them were at pulling off being each other.

There had to be something, Anise watched both twins as she walked behind them. After all, the Colonel could tell, so there had to be something different about them, even when they switched places, and she was determined to figure it out. Wait a second… Anise once again looked over the boys. They hadn't traded back clothes, but they hadn't traded back swords either. Luke still had Asch's sword at his side, Asch still wore Luke's sword behind him, but the way they were sheathed…

"No good," Guy cut in noticing the direction of Anise's gaze and guessing at her train of thought.

"What do you mean 'no good'?" Anise protested.

"We tried that already," Guy replied. "When they were younger we could tell them apart because Asch was right-handed and Luke was left-handed. But they figured that out real quick and they're pretty much ambidextrous now."

"They're what?"

"Ambidextrous," Asch answered. "It means I can use one hand as well as the other."

"Nice of you to join us," Guy shot at the eavesdropper.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to have a conversation behind someone's back?" Asch shot back somewhat playfully.

"Nope, must have been too busy doting on a certain pair of demanding redheads," Guy shrugged eliciting a chuckle from Asch. Wow, Anise watched the two of them joke around; Luke being around really did make a difference. Either that or something had happened between them that she didn't know about.

"Isn't that an awful lot of effort to put into a prank?" Anise questioned sceptically.

"You're telling me," Guy answered. "They've gone out of their way to thwart every attempt we've made to distinguish them. Their hair, their swords, their habits, everything! It was like a mission for them or something."

"Or a game," Natalia casually added.

"Or a test," Jade mumbled to himself.

"What was that Colonel?" Anise inquired.

"Oh nothing important," Jade replied, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"By the way Colonel, I've been meaning to ask, how do you always tell them apart?"

"Yeah, she's got a point there, Jade," Guy cut in. "How do you tell them apart?"

"Why that's simple," Jade paused as everyone's attention, including the twins in question, became focused on the Colonel. They were as curious as the rest of the group as to how he always managed to distinguish them. "In a time frame of 53 seconds, Asch blinks two more times than Luke does."

"Really?" Anise asked incredulously as she and Natalia proceeded to fix their gaze on the redheads who could only blink in confusion before laughing outright.

"Sometimes I wonder if you're really kidding," Guy noted sceptically.

"I know how to tell them apart! I do! I do!" Mieu bounced as they continued along the trail through the valley.

"Really?" Natalia inquired with a smile, "and how do you tell them apart?"

"Master calls me 'thing' and Asch calls me 'it'!" The young cheagle proudly exclaimed.

"Thing," Asch taunted.

"It," Luke added.

"Mieuuuuuu," the cheagle's ears sank.

"That's alright Mieu," Natalia reassured the young creature as she offered him a place on her shoulder. "These two's horrid names for you aside," she punctuated her point with a disapproving look in the boy's direction, "we'll figure something out."

"Okay!" Mieu perked back up.

"Hey Ion, are you feeling tired?" Luke inquired noticing the Fon Master's quickly slowing pace and growing strain.

"I'll be fine," Ion replied with a smile, "besides we'll need to find something soon or we'll have to head back empty handed."

"Finding supper won't do us any good if you collapse on us," Luke argued.

"True," Asch added, "but at the same time it's getting really hot out here. Stopping and sitting in this sun won't do him any better than continuing to walk will."

Luke looked around, Asch was right about the sun, and with the sun directly overhead, even the valley walls didn't provide any sort or reprieve from the heat.

"What about over there?" Luke pointed in the direction of a cave not far off in the distance. "If we head in there a ways, it's bound to cool off."

"That might not be a bad idea," Guy agreed, "I think we could all use a bit of a rest. The last thing we need is someone passing out from the heat all the way out here. What do you think Ion?"

Ion looked ahead at the cave to which Luke had pointed. It looked very familiar, but it couldn't be… No it was probably his imagination playing tricks with him, after all many of the caves and rock formations in this area were very similar. It was part of what made this place so treacherous; it was very easy to get lost.

"If you don't mind, I would enjoy the opportunity to rest for a bit," he finally provided.

"Of course we don't mind! Ion if you're tired, say something! You know you have to take care of your health!" Anise stated disapprovingly.

"I know, thank you Anise. I just don't want to be a burden."

"It's no burden at all, Fon Master," Asch spoke up. "If you're feeling tired, chances are you aren't the only one who could use a bit of rest. Don't be afraid to say something, we won't mind."

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "That's what friends are for."

"Thank you," Ion smiled. He just hoped his suspicions weren't as correct as he was starting to think they might be.

Luke's theory about the cave providing a suitable reprieve from the heat turned out to be a good one. The rush of cold air as they walked in was refreshing and restored a great deal of energy in itself. There was one thing however, that Luke hadn't been counting on, and it now had him, and the rest of the awestruck group frozen to their spots.

Luke's heart stopped, the fon machines, the dawn age technology, Luke knew all this… but it couldn't be…

"Fon Master?" Asch turned around to face Ion after several moments of tense silence, "Is this a passage ring?"

"I guess there's no point in hiding it now. Yes, this is the passage ring that supports Sheridan and the rest of the Meggiora Highlands."

"But the Daathic Seal was removed…" Asch began.

"I assume this was another one of the locations Arietta had you open?" Jade inquired.

"That's right," Ion replied.

"All the way out here?" Anise inquired incredulously.

"Well they were travelling on Arietta's birds," Guy pointed out.

"I guess you're right," Anise admitted. "Still, I find it hard to believe that they knew where to find a place like thing out in the middle of nowhere."

"I can't imagine the information is all that difficult to come by if one knows where to look," Jade stated.

'Wait a second…' a realization suddenly dawned on Luke, 'Ion is the only one that can open these Daathic Seals right?'

'That's right, what are you getting at?'

'If Van's plans really do have to do with the passage rings, then the only ones he can go to are the ones that Ion already opened, right?'

'That's right,' Asch replied catching on to Luke's train of thought. 'So we need to figure out if one of those is the passage ring that supports St. Binah.'

'Do you think there's anything we could do to protect it from here?' Luke inquired.

'I doubt it, but at the very least we can probably learn a lot more about how they work. Maybe even look for clues to see if Van's been here or not.'

'It's better than nothing.'

"Fon Master, what other passage rings did the God-Generals have you open?" Asch inquired.

"Why the sudden interest?" Jade asked suspiciously.

"I want to see about something," was the only response the Colonel got. Ion sighed as he thought on it a moment, debating whether or not he should continue to divulge such information. But they already knew a great deal, and even though Asch wouldn't say it, there was obviously something that was greatly concerning him.

"You already know of the passage ring in Akzeriuth, and the one here at the Meggiora Highlands," Ion began. "They also had me open the passage ring in the Zao Ruins that supports Chesedonia and a great deal of the surrounding area, and the passage ring at Shurrey Hill that supports St. Binah, Engeve and the Rugnica plains."

"Thank you Fon Master," Asch replied.

'Looks like St. Binah really might be in danger,' Asch commented.

'What are we going to do?!' a panicked Luke asked.

'First you're going to calm down,' Asch stated firmly. 'No matter what we do, we're not going anywhere until Ginji gets the Albiore fixed, so relax. Van can't use a hyperresonance to destroy the passage ring, so he has to operate the Sephiroth. I think we should try to figure out how the passage rings work. Once we know that, we may have a better idea of what kind of time frame we're working in.' Luke didn't reply, but Asch could feel him calming down.

"So what are you planning on doing now?" Jade inquired. "You obviously have something or another in mind."

"If it's alright with you Fon Master, I'd like to take a closer look at the passage ring." Asch replied.

"I don't see why not, there shouldn't be any sort of danger," Ion replied.

"As long as some people don't go stupid on us," Anise mumbled.

"What was that?" Ion inquired.

"I'm inclined to agree with Anise," Natalia stated, "I don't know if Luke coming along is such a good idea. Who's to say what happened last time won't repeat itself?"

Jade eyed the noble in question. Normally he would ere on the side of caution, and since he still didn't know what had transpired in Akzeriuth, keeping Luke away from a passage ring certainly seemed to be on the side of caution. But leaving him alone wasn't a much better option, and Jade had a sneaking suspicion that allowing Luke to come along may very well reap some of the answers he'd been looking for.

"Oh, I don't see a problem with it, so long as he promises to behave," Jade finally said and Luke only solemnly nodded.

'Are you going to be okay?' Asch asked.

'I'll have to be, we need to do this.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah.'

Everything was almost identical. The dancing lights, the swirling glyphs, the soft rush of fonons as they flew around the cavern…everything, and the rush of emotions that crashed down on Luke was almost enough to drive him back to insanity. It was only Asch's ever comforting presence in his mind that was keeping him from being completely overwhelmed. It reminded Luke of the days when they were young and Asch would hold his hand so he wouldn't get lost. Now he just had to find his way.

But with every step they took towards the passage ring, Luke managed to calm himself down. He refused to give in to the feelings that were tempting him back to that wonderful state of irrational denial. No matter how much of a reprieve such a state may be from the gazes and mistrust that were constantly fixed upon him.

By the time they had made it to the passage ring itself, Luke had managed to completely settle his feelings, temporary though that state may be; they were settled none-the-less. He was here, this wasn't Akzeriuth, and it would never be Akzeriuth. He wouldn't let it. There would never be any more Akzeriuths ever again.

"I don't know what you think you're going to find," Anise commented as everyone was taking a look around the passage ring. "I mean, you can't operate these things without breaking the Yulian Seal right?"

"That's right," Ion replied. "The way to open the Yulian Seals was lost long ago."

"Someone still knows," Asch stated quietly as he fingered a faded and broken glyph on the floor.

"What makes you say that?" Ion inquired.

"Because it looks like it's already been broken," he replied.

"What?" Anise squeaked.

"You just might be right," Jade agreed taking note of the remnants of the destroyed magic. "Someone knew what they were doing at the very least."

'Master Van?' Luke asked.

'More than likely.'

"There is of course of way to find out," Jade suggested.

"What's that?" Guy inquired.

"You're thinking of trying to operate the passage ring yourself?" Asch guessed.

"Oh, not me, you," Jade shot back at the redhead.

"Why me?"

"Because if I recall correctly," Jade answered almost tauntingly, "it requires a Seventh Fonist, am I right Fon Master?"

"Yes you are, but I'm not so sure about this," Ion protested. "It's one thing to come down here, but to tamper with the passage rings…"

"However, with the Yulian Seal broken, there's a very good chance they may already have been tampered with," Jade pointed out.

"But if that was the case, then how come we haven't felt any effects above ground?" Natalia inquired.

"That's because at the time we were above water," Jade stated. "Remember those rough waters a couple days ago? I'd wager they were caused by some sort of earthquake."

"You're right!" Asch suddenly realized what Jade was pointing out.

'But wait a second,' Luke protested. 'I thought they were going after St. Binah next…'

'They may have already been here by the time we overheard them,' Asch pointed out.

'But if they're moving that fast then-'

'Easy… Remember they only have access to a maximum of four of the Sephiroth because that's all Ion opened, and Ion is here with us so they can't open any more. Besides, if they tampered with this passage ring that long ago, and there still haven't been any obvious signs on the land then at least we know that it takes quite awhile for the land to fall, assuming that's Van's intention.'

'So St. Binah and all the other places will be safe?'

'For a little while at least.'

"I'm still not certain…" Ion cut in.

"Can we at least take a closer look, and see if the passage ring still works?" Asch suggested. "There may not be any problems at all and we could leave it at that. But if this land is going to fall, then we need to make sure that there's no one on it when it does."

"Alright," Ion reluctantly conceded. "But please-"

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Asch replied as he made his to the passage ring. "The real question is how does this thing work?" He asked as he stared up at the huge device before him.

"I'm afraid even I don't know," Ion replied.

"Asch, over here," Luke called, drawing everyone's attention to a small pedestal that stood in front of the huge fon machine.

"What is it?" Anise asked.

"I don't know," Asch curiously placed his hand on the pedestal. He immediately saw why it had drawn Luke's attention. There wasn't a Seventh Fonon to be found anywhere around it, despite the abundance of them in the room. It was almost as if the material it was made of repelled the Seventh Fonons. But if that were the case, he wondered what would happen if…

'Be careful,' Luke prodded.

'Thank you Ion,' Asch teased and Luke smiled.

"Wow, amazing!" Natalia praised.

Asch had been right, as soon as he had forced Seventh Fonons into contact with the pedestal it opened up like a book before him. He passed a hand over the writing that was inscribed there.

"What is it?" Luke asked curiously peaking at the pedestal that stood between him and his older brother.

"It looks like instructions on how to operate the passage ring," Asch used his free hand to point upwards.

Everyone looked up at the ceiling upon which a huge glyph was now drawn. Upon the glyph there were ten circles, surrounded by many Ancient Ispanian inscriptions. Two of the circles had faded, and around three others there was a bright red line.

"Wow, so what does all that mean?" Natalia asked.

"I'd wager the two faded Sephiroth are Hod and Akzeriuth," Jade replied. "But I'm not certain about the rest."

"Warning…" Luke read the letters that appeared on the glyph. "Warning? Warning about what?" He wondered aloud.

"Do you think it means this land is in danger of falling into the Qliphoth?" Guy asked.

"We certainly can't deny the possibility," Jade replied.

"But who would do such a thing?" Natalia asked.

'Damn it!' Asch shouted so loud Luke flinched.

'What? What is it?'

'Van's definitely been here. He closed off the valve so that no one else can actually use the passage ring!'

'What? How?' Luke asked.

'You see that red ring up there? It's a code Van put there so it's impossible for me to do anything.'

'But there are three red rings. Does that means he's been to at least two other Sephiroth already?'

'Unfortunately, yes,' Asch replied. 'It looks like Shurrey Hill and Zao Ruins from what I can tell.'

"Is there anything more you can tell us over there Asch?" Jade inquired.

"Not much," the redhead replied. "The person who did this added a code to block me out. It also looks like the passage rings are starting to push their limits. That's where that warning message is coming from, but that's all I can really tell."

"What do you mean by 'pushing their limits'?" Ion inquired.

"With Hod, and now Akzeriuth's Sephiroth gone, the remaining Sephiroth have to put out more energy to keep the remaining lands afloat," Jade theorized. "The added stress would be hard on the passage rings. It's likely they can only handle so much before they break."

"But the Sephiroth themselves are also unstable," Asch commented, his gaze still fixed on the huge glyph above them.

"Then perhaps the unstable Sephiroth are putting excess stress on passage rings," Jade contemplated aloud. "It's possible that the need to support more land than usual is de-stabilizing the Sephiroth and causing the problem, not the other way around."

"So what will happen if things keep up this way?" Natalia asked.

"If things stay this way the Sephiroth could go out of control. If that were to happen, the passage rings would break and the land would fall." Jade provided.

"And once one breaks," Guy added. "Not only will the land fall, but there'll be even more stress on all the others. It'll be a chain effect."

"Guy's right, once one goes, the fall of the others will be greatly accelerated."

'So Master Van is trying to destabilize the Sephiroth?' Luke asked.

'Looks like it, but I'm not entirely sure about how accurate Jade's theory is.'

'Why's that?' Luke inquired.

'Both Hod and Akzeriuth's fall were predicted in the Score,' Asch pointed out. 'If that alone was enough to cause the fall of the Outer Lands, shouldn't the fall of the Outer Lands also be predicted in the Score? No, Van did something else to the Sephiroth to make it unstable. I just can't figure out what…'

'But why would Master Van want to drop all the Outer Lands?'

'I have no idea, but that's what we need to find out. That and a way to stop it,' Asch stated. 'We're not talking about a single town anymore, if the entire Outer Lands fall into the Qliphoth the death toll would be unreal.'

'Is there any way we could strengthen the Sephiroth, to reduce the stress on the passage ring and keep it from falling?'

"Ion," Luke asked without waiting for an answer from Asch, "Are any of the Sephiroth stronger than the others?"

"Where are you going with that, Luke?" Jade inquired.

"Well the Radiation Gate and the Absorption Gate are the two biggest Sephiroth, they support the Planet Storm," Ion replied after a moment. "Whether that makes them stronger or not, I'm not sure."

"Could we try and somehow use them to strengthen the others?" Luke inquired.

"An interesting theory," Jade pondered. "It might be possible. If you connect this Sephiroth to another, it may help stabilize them as well. Though it's only a short term solution, at the very least it will buy us some time.

'That would do us some good, but you're forgetting something,' Asch pointed out.

'What's that?'

'I can't actually do anything with the passage ring. Van blocked it, remember?'

'Is there anyway to operate it by force?' Luke inquired.

Asch stopped halfway through his retort, and actually thought on it for a bit. 'You know that just might work. If we can erase that code using a hyperresonance and physically carve in the commands, then we might be able to do this.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. Make sure you only erase the red code though.' Asch confirmed.

'Wait me?' Luke suddenly retorted. 'I thought you were going to do it.'

'I can't, it's taking everything I've got just to keep this open. You have to do it.' Asch replied. As he said it, Luke noticed the wave of exhaustion that had fallen over his sibling. It really was taking all his energy. But still…

'I...I can't! What if I screw up?' Luke protested.

'You won't screw up; I know you can do this.' Asch replied reassuringly.

'No, I can't! I'm just going to end up hurting people again! Let me switch places with you, I'll hold the passage ring open, you can carve the commands.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because at some point you're going to have to grow a backbone and stop being afraid of your own abilities,' Asch stated harshly. 'What's past is past; believe what you want about it. But now there are thousands of people that are depending on you to save them. Are you going to let them all down?'

Luke was completely silent. 'But I…'

'Your choices are pretty clear to me. Either you stop doubting yourself over something that wasn't even your fault, or we can stand here arguing until I pass out, and you can have a couple more thousand lives on your shoulders. It's your choice.'

'You're mean, you know that?' Luke eyed Asch who replied with a mild grin.

'Only when you're being stupid,' he shot back.

'So what am I doing?' Luke asked.

'Well first you're going to erase the code,' Asch started.

'Will you be able to operate it from there if I do?'

'No, once we start doing it by force you'll have to finish it that way,' Asch replied. 'Don't forget that the commands will have to be written in Ancient Ispanian.'

'Oh great,' Luke rolled his eyes. 'Do you know the translations?'

What was up with those two? Natalia and the others could only watch on in amazement. Luke looked at Asch questioningly, and Asch took on a thoughtful look. Luke snickered. Asch scowled. Were they talking to each other somehow? She had heard stories of twins sharing some sort of special bond… but Luke and Asch weren't twins, not really.

Whatever was going on between Luke and Asch, it eventually stopped. Jade couldn't help but wonder if… no, now was not the time to be contemplating such things, there were far more pressing matters at hand. It would certainly make some food for thought later though. In the meantime, Luke now stood facing Asch, staring straight up at the glyph overhead, taking deep breaths. It was almost as if he was working up the courage to try something, but just what would the young noble do? There was nothing to be done so long as that code continued to block the functions of the passage ring, and Asch at the very least was aware of this fact.

With one last deep breath, and a nod from Asch, Luke raised his arms towards the ceiling and a soft golden glow emerged from the tips of his fingers. That golden glow quickly spread to encompass his entire being, and slowly but surely, the red circle was eliminated, and the code was gone.

A hyperresonance? Jade found himself stunned, able to do nothing but continue to watch as his mind raced, the gears turning unexpectedly quickly as this new piece of information filled in the last piece of the puzzle. Luke was creating a hyperresonance; without the presence of another Seventh Fonist. While Jade didn't understand how it was possible, he certainly couldn't deny what he was seeing. Luke also possessed an amazing degree of control over it. That became more and more obvious as Jade watched the youth carve out Ancient Ispanian commands directly onto the passage ring.

Akzeriuth suddenly made sense, as did Luke's sudden knowledge of fonic artes. In fact, a great deal of things about the so called 'twins' suddenly became very clear. Jade had no doubt that Asch shared this mysterious ability as well, and all the burdens that came along with it. It was no surprise they had kept their abilities secret. Jade wondered if even their parents or the King were aware of their ratherunique talent. After all, that kind of power would prove invaluable in war, especially when they had that kind of control over it.

However, if that were the case, then it was entirely possible that Luke had single-handedly caused Akzeriuth's destruction. Not something Jade wanted to consider, but a possibility he would now have to. At the very least he would let Luke speak in his own defence before passing any sort of judgement, but what could Luke have been thinking? He knew how dangerous a hyperresonance was, so why did he do it?

With one last breath, Luke slowly lowered his arms, and the soft golden glow faded away. "That should do it," he stated and earned himself a reassuring nod from Asch. He had done a good job.

"Just what did you do?!" Anise demanded.

"Relax Anise," Ion put a hand on her shoulder and she calmed down. "Nothing bad happened, it's alright."

"Ah, clever," Jade stated taking a look at the finished job. "You connected this Sephiroth to the Absorption Gate to try and help stabilize it. I must say you did a good job of it all things considered."

"Good," Asch let go of the passage ring and let out a huge sigh as the glyph faded and the pedestal slammed shut. "I don't know about everyone else, but I'm more than ready to get out of here."

"I agree, let's start heading back, it's going to be getting late soon," Ion pointed out.

'We're far from being done,' Luke stated.

'I know, it's only a fix for now. We need to find out why Van's doing this and find a way to stop it,' Asch agreed. 'But at least it's a start, and we know where we have to go next.'

'Yeah.'

"Before we get going," Jade cut in as they walked out of the cave. "There's something I want to discuss with you two," he said, a very serious look fixed on Luke and Asch.

"What is it now old man?" Asch rolled his eyes.

"That ability of yours, since when have you had it?" Jade demanded.

"Colonel what are you talking about?" Anise asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, what are you talking about, old man?" Asch inquired.

"You know what I mean," Jade stated curtly, making it clear he wasn't going to tolerate any dancing around his questions. "Since when have you two been able to create a hyperresonance like that?"

"What makes you think I have that kind of ability?" Asch asked, but he only earned himself a harsh glare from the Colonel. There was no getting out of that one. Then again, considering what Jade knew, it was more or less obvious anyways.

"Wait, that was a hyperresonance?" Anise asked curiously. "But I thought that only happened between two Seventh Fonists?"

"That's normally the case," Ion confirmed. "I admit, I've never seen a hyperresonance before either."

"It's something we were born with," Asch shrugged. The last thing he wanted was to play it up, if anything he'd have liked to dismiss it altogether. It wasn't the kind of information he wanted floating around.

"So wait a second, what happened in Akzeriuth was…" Anise began. Everyone's attention including Jade's turned to the other redhead.

"Luke?" Jade asked.

"That's right, it was my hyperresonance that destroyed Akzeriuth's passage ring," Luke stated meeting everyone's gazes with a determined one of his own.

"What were you thinking?!" Natalia demanded.

"I'm going to have to agree with the Princess in this case," Jade stated in an unusually cold tone, his voice slowly rising. "For someone like you, who is more than aware of the dangers such a power hold, to take that kind of ability-"

"Enough!" Asch yelled, cutting everyone off, and bringing a silence over the group. He then turned to face his brother.

"Luke, enough is enough. This has got to stop."

Listening to the force and conviction with which Luke had made his statement had intrigued Asch. It was so strange; it was almost as if Luke had been provoking… of course. Asch silently berated himself for letting things go on this long and for not catching on sooner. He knew Luke better than that.

"No," Luke replied, "They're right, everything they're saying, it's all true."

"No it's not!" Asch landed a blow across Luke's face, forcing Luke back several steps. "Stop saying crap like that when it wasn't even your fault!"

"Asch…what are you talking about?" Natalia tried asking, but she got no response. Both of them were caught up in their own little world.

"It is my fault." Luke replied, holding his face where Asch's hit had landed. "It's my fault because I realized what was going on… and I couldn't stop it."

"So then what? This is your punishment? You're just going to let everyone hate you forever? You think that's what you deserve? For something you didn't even do?!" Luke shot Asch an angry glare, but didn't retort. "Well guess what," Asch continued. "It's not your fault, so stop using it as an excuse to run away from your problems! You're just using this as a way to avoid having to deal with your own stupid feelings about everything. You feel guilty, and upset and sad, so you let people hate you for it, that way you don't actually have to deal with them."

"I'm not running away!" Luke protested.

"Yes you are! Why else won't you tell anyone the truth? You enjoy getting yelled at, because you feel like you're getting what you deserve, and it makes you feel better. Well guess what, making yourself miserable for the rest of your life won't bring a single one of those people back and it's an insult to their sacrifice! If you weren't running away then you'd face the truth, deal with it, and then do something about it! Don't punish yourself forever; make it up to them by rebuilding everything better than before."

"You're wrong! I still bear the responsibility for what happened. It was my power that killed them all!"

"Luke, for the last time it wasn't your fault! Van tricked you into it! There wasn't anything else you could have done! You tried to stop it!"

"It wouldn't have happened if it had been you down there," Luke quietly retorted.

To that Asch had no reply. He knew the truth in what Luke had said. He probably wouldn't have gotten as far as Luke had before noticing the trap, he would have had a better chance of stopping it. But that didn't make it Luke's fault!

Everyone stood in silence, the tension among them reaching an all-time high. That was quite the information that had just been revealed, unintentional as it may have been. It made sense to Jade then, the last player finally falling into place. Luke, always trying his best to help out, would have been an easy target for the Commandant, rather than his more suspicious and cautious counterpart. He could see why Luke had accepted the blame, since in the boy's mind, regardless of any external influences, the final act had still been his. It also made sense as to why Asch and Luke had suddenly gained a fascination with the passage rings, and were suspicious of Dorian General Grant's activities. Rightfully so, he was concerned himself, now that he knew the man had orchestrated Akzeriuth's demise. What else did he have in mind now that the Albertesque Seal had fallen?

"If you can't let go of that," Asch finally said quietly, "then don't spend the rest of your life looking to be punished for what you've done. Live for the lives you claim to have taken. Bear that burden and make their sacrifice worth it."

Luke looked away, refusing to acknowledge what Asch had said. He was mad. He knew Asch was right, but he was still furious. It wasn't Asch's place to just blurt everything out to everyone like that! But at the same time, what Asch said had hit the nail on the head. Maybe he really had been using the need to feel punished to avoid dealing with his own issues. Damn it, why was Asch always right?!

Asch knew Luke was angry with him, but he also knew that Luke would eventually get over it. Enough was enough, and unlike Guy, he knew better than to just let Luke have his way all the time. Hopefully things would turn out for the better, but in the meantime they all needed a good meal and some decent sleep. Working that passage ring had him far more exhausted than he wanted to admit.

"Shall we head back?" Jade finally suggested, breaking the tension that had settled over them all. "It's getting late and I think we could all use some rest."

"You're right," Guy said, "let's get going."

Everyone silently made their way back down the valley in the direction from which they had come. Guy and Natalia were taking the lead, with Ion and Anise not far behind them. Mieu was sound asleep on Tokunaga's head, and behind them Asch, Luke and Jade were taking up the rear. Jade gently placed a hand on Asch's shoulder and nodded. Getting the message, and satisfied enough that Jade was unlikely to do anything stupid, Asch picked up his pace and joined Natalia at the front, leaving Luke and Jade to fall behind.

"I was quite surprised to see you knew Ancient Ispanian," Jade commented to the silent redhead.

"Yeah, but I'm not very good at it," Luke admitted. Most of the spelling and the commands he had carved earlier, Asch had helped him figure out. "I thought that Ancient Ispanian was something that everyone was taught…"

"Not entirely," Jade replied. "Usually only nobles, scholars and others of greater rank are taught Ancient Ispanian as children."

"Then why were you surprised to see I knew it?" Luke inquired.

"You're right, I apologize."

"You're weird."

"I was never good at idle chatter," Jade commented.

"So then what was it you wanted to ask me?" Luke asked.

"Quite clever, you must get that from Asch."

"Coming from you, I never know if that's a compliment or not…" Luke eyed Jade suspiciously.

"What Asch said earlier," Jade continued, brushing off Luke's scepticism. "About Dorian General Grants 'tricking' you into causing the disaster in Akzeriuth, what did he mean?"

Luke and Jade walked in silence for awhile, as Luke quietly contemplated the question. He didn't know if that was something he felt like divulging. Then again, it was bound to come out eventually, now that the bare facts of it all were out in the open. Then there was the fact that Jade had been patient with him, and hadn't really passed any sort of judgement before trying to figure out what had happened. Maybe he did deserve to hear the truth.

"When I ran into Master Van in Akzeriuth… he said he had found a way to get rid of the miasma," Luke began hesitantly. "I thought if I could get rid of it, then I could save Akzeriuth too, not just all the people, but the town itself. So Master Van brought me down to the passage ring. He must not have known I could control a hyperresonance, because he was giving me instructions one step at a time."

"Whendid you learn to control your hyperresonance?" Jade interrupted.

"A little bit after Tear and I got swept away from the manor, I guess."

"Ah, so that was why you and Asch kept sneaking off at night."

"Yeah…wait, you knew about that?"

"Please continue," Jade instructed.

"Well... Master Van was coaching me, and then I realized what he was trying to get me to do. I told him I wouldn't do it because it was too dangerous." Good, Jade noted when Luke paused; at least he had realized the danger before it would have otherwise been too late. "But then… then he said something and everything went out of control. Even though I tried to stop it, I couldn't. There were too many fonons for me to handle and then…" Luke trailed off.

"Your hyperresonance went off."

"Yeah."

"What did he say?" Jade inquired.

"I…I don't remember," Luke lied. That was the last thing he wanted to add to today's spectacular list of revelations. "But it was when he said it that all the fonons started gathering and going out of control."

"Luke…how did Dorian General Grants know of your ability to create a hyperresonance?" Jade asked after contemplating what he had been told. Luke thought about it for a moment, how had he known?

"It must have been on the ship to Chesedonia," Luke finally concluded. "I was practicing my hyperresonance and I almost lost control of it. Master Van helped me get it under control again."

"Did you lose consciousness at any point?"

"Yeah I guess I did for a little bit. Why?"

Ahh, so that was the case. Quite a devious ploy on Dorian General Grants' behalf; he was quickly proving to be an adversary that was not to be underestimated. He had obviously very carefully planned everything to have set up all the players as he had. Really, had it not been for such a terrible purpose, Jade would have applauded the man. "Luke, have you ever heard of the concept of hypnotism?"

"No," Luke replied confused. What was Jade getting at now? "What is it?"

"When falling asleep or, as in your case, losing consciousness, the mind is especially susceptible to ideas and suggestions," Jade explained. "Think of it like a trigger; a set of words that was implemented into your mind, and became tied to your memory of being overwhelmed by fonons when you lost control of them on the ship. In Akzeriuth, when those specific words were repeated, your mind recalled that state and brought it into existence. You were subconsciously calling to those fonons, whether you realized it or not. Of course, being in the Sephiroth where Seventh Fonons are especially concentrated, the effect would have been amplified. It's likely that this is what Dorian General Grants employed against you."

Luke silently contemplated what Jade had just said.

"What I said earlier still holds," Jade added after a moment's silence. "That's a dangerous power you two have. Because of that, you can't go rushing into situations without very carefully thinking them through, something for which you are thoroughly guilty."

"I'm sorry," Luke mumbled while staring at the ground.

"However," Jade continued, "in this case, Asch is probably right. There really wasn't much you could have done to stop it, so don't be so hard on yourself."

"Jade?"

"What is it, Luke?"

"Thank you," the young noble solemnly stated. Jade simply shrugged.

"Now hurry along, we won't have you falling behind and getting lost now."

"I'm coming," Luke replied with a soft smile, following his friends into the sunset.

He had found his way.

Chapter Text

The footsteps echoed in the otherwise empty corridor down which Legretta found herself. Despite the fact she was navigating Daath's immeasurable heights, it was a path she could have followed in her sleep. After all, how many times over the past decade had she walked the path to the Commandant's office? More than she could count, but those visits had become much fewer as of late and it was beginning to bother her.

Under her arm, she carried a stack of reports; reports she knew full well would never be read, but it was important to maintain some semblance of order. The Commandant had much more important things to worry about now, and he did worry. So did she.

Legretta knew just how concerned he had become, especially since Akzeriuth's fall. The way he spent hours alone, mulling over everything, ever so carefully ensuring that every piece would fall into place. But with the location of the Fon Master still unknown and the status of the Sacred Flame still not certain, there was much to be concerned about.

However, things were different now. There had been a time when he would confide in her when things became too much to handle on his own. A time when he simply talked to her. When she could offer her advice she would, when she couldn't, she would just listen. Listen and admire his cunning, his flawless way of thinking, and the way he could solve any problem with seemingly no effort at all. His dedication, his passion, the list of traits she admired about him grew every time they met.

But that had changed in the past few years, and most drastically in the past few months. The Commandant never so much a spoke to her anymore unless she addressed him first, and when he wasn't off at one of the Passage Rings, he spent all his time locked away in his office. But she had convinced herself it was all due to stress. His plans were in motion now, and there was no stopping them. It was do or die, and the Commandant was feeling every bit of it. After all, he had taken it upon himself to save the world.

Legretta wasn't surprised to find the Commandant's door closed, a sure sign he didn't want to be disturbed. She hated to be the one to barge in, and she hated even more to be the one to bring him more to worry about, but she had more business with him than the reports she brought.

"Commandant," Legretta stated as she opened the door, "I brought-"

Legretta was cut short by the sight she came upon when she steeped into the Commandant's office. Seated in front of his desk, his hands folded in front of him sat Van. He was intently staring at the intruder, but it wasn't his piercing stare that bothered her. It was the violet-haired God-General that was casually sitting on his desk, leaning back as her hands scattered yesterday's stack of reports across the desk and floor.

"What are you doing here Cantabile?" Legretta demanded, instantly forgetting her original purpose. Cantabile glanced over her shoulder, not that she needed to in order to identify who the intruder had been.

"She's here because I asked her to be," Van stated venomously. "What do you want, Legretta?"

"I brought you these, sir," Legretta managed, indicating the reports she had brought. She was taken aback by the severity of the tone in the Commandant's response.

"Leave them by the door. Is that all you needed?"

"No, sir," Legretta replied, fighting back the meekness that was creeping into her voice as she sat under the Commandant's harsh gaze. "I have other matters to report."

"Then get on with it," Van stated, rubbing his temples and letting out a frustrated sigh.

"First off Tear is still-"

"I'm aware of that she is still being held; I will speak with her later. Is that the only reason you have for intruding in my office?" Van cut his subordinate off, his patience very quickly running thin.

"I-I apologize, sir. There is one other matter that has been brought to my attention," Legretta began, attempting to regain her composure. "A spy was captured the other day. We believe he was attempting to investigate Tear's location. We captured him and he was being held for questioning but he has escaped. His allegiances are unknown."

"I'll leave that matter to you then," Van dismissed the issue. "I trust you to deal with it as you see fit."

"Yeah," Cantabile spoke up, "Van's got more important things to worry about. You're more than able to handle a couple spies on your own, aren't you?"

"I don't need to be hearing that from you!" Legretta snapped back.

"Is that all?" The Commandant raised his voice, cutting off their argument before it began.

"Y-yes sir. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way," Legretta finished as she quietly exited the room and closed the door behind her.

"Someone's awfully wound up," Legretta heard Cantabile's voice through the door.

"I don't have time to be worrying about her. If she can't pull her own weight, she's worse then useless."

"Oh don't be like that," Cantabile replied. "She's trying-"

"Trying is pointless unless the desired result is achieved," Van cut his companion off. "There's no halfway any more. We can't afford to fail."

"Try not to think about it that way," Cantabile replied softly. "You're worked up and stressed out as it is, and I'm worried about you. You keep this up you're going to run yourself ragged. You need to try and relax a bit. Here…"

Whatever Cantabile was going to say, Legretta would never know, she'd heard more than enough. Why? Why of all people did it have to be her?Why was Cantabile the one he chose to spend all those hours alone with? She was the one that had been by the Commandant's side all these years. But now Van dismissed her as coldly and with about as much consideration as he would treat some lowly foot soldier. She wasn't incompetent; and she most certainly was not useless.

So why did Van suddenly seem to think so? It was her, wasn't it? Legretta refused to allow it. She wouldn't let that witch, thatsnake, ruin the relationship she had spent all these years building. All those late nights, all those extra hours, all the hardships; everything she had done over the past decade to help the Commandant and his goals, she was not going to let one person steal everything she had worked for out from under her nose.

But everything could easily be fixed. She would just have to remind the Commandant just how able she was, and she knew just how she could accomplish that. There was only one thing the Commandant would want, one person he desperately needed, and she would be the one to bring him in. Legretta would make sure of that.

It wouldn't all be for nothing.

Everything was black; the same empty void that always haunted his dreams. Luke stood alone, in the same spot, lost in the same emptiness. He had to move. He had to go. If he didn't go, he would never get anywhere. He wouldn't be able to save Tear if he didn't step forward. But he couldn't. What if he fell? If he fell he would never save anyone!

It was the miasma! He was sinking! Cold flesh clutched his limbs as he flailed, dragging him down into the endless sea of poison. He was trapped, doomed to flow among the sea of corpses. No! He couldn't stay here! He needed to go! But the more he struggled, the tighter their grip became. He couldn't move! He couldn't breathe! He-

Luke suddenly awoke, sitting up with a start. Remembering where he was, Luke took a moment to calm himself down, quietly looking around until his breathing matched the steady sounds of everyone sleeping around him. Why did it still surprise him? The same nightmare had haunted his dreams every night since Akzeriuth, and yet each time it felt as terrible as the first. Luke' racing heart finally settled back into its normal rhythm, but he couldn't get back to sleep. So he continued to sit awake and stare into the darkness of the night.

After a moment Luke glanced over his shoulder and spotted Asch behind him. His sibling was still sound asleep, and Luke let out a soft chuckle. The Albiore could probably fall from the sky again and it wouldn't wake Asch up. He was out like a light, and would probably stay that way well past sunrise.

----

"Are you alright Asch, you don't look so hot," Ginji commented as they sat around the fire the young pilot had prepared for their return.

"I'm fine," Asch stubbornly replied.

"Yeah right," Luke mumbled sarcastically from beside his sibling. He was still bitter about what had happened earlier; Asch was such a blab. But when Asch didn't retort, Luke couldn't help but steal a glance in Asch's direction. As soon as he looked over, Asch fell unconscious, his head landing right in Luke's lap.

"Asch?" Despite his determination to stay angry with his brother, a wave of worry crashed over Luke. "Asch? Asch?!" Jade placed a hand on Luke's shoulder just as the young noble was about to give Asch a good shake.

"Let him sleep, Luke," Jade explained softly. "That passage ring took a lot of his strength, it's best to just let him rest." Luke looked down at his reflection that was lying in his lap. His chest was rising and falling rhythmically, and he seemed almost…peaceful. Luke sighed, why was it so damn hard to stay mad at him? Fine. So Luke let Asch sleep and they all returned to their previous conversation.

"I'm going to bring him up into the Albiore," Luke stated after an hour of dealing with Asch tossing and turning on his lap.

"But it would be such a pity to wake him," Natalia spoke up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think of asking," Luke chuckled. "You probably want to let him borrow your lap." Natalia's face turned red but whatever she mumbled was lost amidst the laughter of the others.

"Don't worry," Luke continued once the laughter had died down. "He's not going to wake up anytime soon." A poke across their connection had told him that much. Jade was right and with the level of pure exhaustion Luke sensed, Asch was going to be out for the night if he didn't sleep well into the next day. Gently, Luke shifted Asch onto his back and with some help from Guy brought him up into Albiore where they laid him down on one of the seats.

"Got it?" Guy asked, tossing Luke a blanket.

"Yeah," Luke answered as he carefully placed the blanket over his older brother. "I'll be right there."

----

Truth be told, Luke was glad his nightmares weren't rousing his sibling. Much to his relief, Asch didn't seem to have detected any trace of the distress that his recent string of nightmares had been causing him. Luke only wondered how much longer he could keep it that way.

"Can't sleep?" The blonde's voice broke the dead silence that had blanketed the Albiore. Even though Guy had whispered, the sudden sound made Luke's heart skip a beat. The redhead spun around to see Guy sitting across from him, staring him down from the chair in which the blonde had fallen asleep.

"Not really," Luke whispered back, doing his best to hide the tremor in his voice.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Luke's eyes met his best friend's for a brief moment before he returned his gaze to the floor. "Yeah," Luke finally said.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a terrible liar?"

"Yeah," Luke replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Guy continued his inquiry, knowing full well he'd have to drag it out of his best friend. Across from him, Luke solemnly nodded. "What did you dream about?" Guy tried. Luke was silent, and that could only mean one thing.

"You're dreaming about Akzeriuth, aren't you?" Luke still didn't reply, but the tears that threatened to escape his now shining emerald eyes revealed far more of the truth than he would. Guy berated himself, he should have known better than to think Luke was really over everything that had happened. Luke had just seemed so… okay with it all. When had he learned to put up such a good front like that?

"Okay, well, we can't have that now can we?" Guy quietly stated as he stood up and walked over to Luke.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Luke protested as Guy forced him to lay back down on the bench. Guy picked up the blanket that had been thrown to the floor amidst Luke's tossing and turning, and tucked it tightly around the young noble. "I'm not two anymore Guy."

"Oh? You remember that?" The blonde guardian inquired and he stood over his charge.

"Yeah," Luke replied, a soft smile gracing his face. "I remember wandering around the manor because I'd be too scared to go back to sleep. Then you would find me, and you bring me back to my room. You'd read me a story and then tuck me in really tight so nothing would get me."

"That was when Asch stopped letting you invade his room at night," Guy chuckled. "Can't say I blame him though, you used to have a lot of nightmares back then didn't you?" Guy sat down on the floor next to Luke's head.

"I guess so," Luke replied as he pulled the blanket up to his chin.

"Well, if you remember that, then you know I'll be right here to wake you up if that nightmare comes back."

"Guy?"

"Hm? What is it Luke?"

"Thank you."

"Good night Luke," Guy said softly as he closed his eyes.

"Good night," the redhead replied as he rolled over and did the same.

Behind them both, Asch smiled, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

With a few final touch ups, Ginji very quickly had them back in the air the next morning. Though the flight was shaky and had Anise clinging to Ion's robes for dear life, things seemed to be running rather well. They had an hour before they were due to arrive in Sheridan, and Jade wasn't one to let that kind of time go to waste.

"So what's the plan for when we land?" Asch inquired, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Despite how tired he was, he was determined to get up with the rest of them.

"That depends on a great deal of things," Jade replied. "Not the least of which being what our dear friend Dorian General Grants is up to."

"Your friend, not mine," Asch mumbled.

"Hold up for a second," Anise butted in, one of her hands still tightly clinging to Ion's sleeve. "Everything happened kind of fast yesterday, and listening to these two argue isn't exactly the best way to get information. Could we recap what exactly is going on? How exactly does any of this trace back to the Commandant?"

"It starts with Akzeriuth," Jade began.

"Wait," Asch interrupted.

"Now what?" Anise demanded exasperated. "You two aren't planning on trying to keep all this secret, are you?"

"No," Asch stated. "But Luke's going to be the one to explain it," he finished with a pointed look in Luke's direction.

"What? Why me?!" Luke demanded.

"Because you're the one who lied to them. You owe them the truth."

Luke shot a dirty look back at his sibling, but couldn't come up with any argument to what Asch had said. As peaceful as he had looked while sleeping, he was equally annoying and skilled at being a jerk when he was awake. But with no defence and everyone's attention on him, it looked like Asch had won this one, so Luke took a deep breath and began to tell the story.

It was less detailed than the account he had given to his sibling, or even to Jade for that matter; and Asch was noticing the decreasing level of detail that occurred each time Luke was forced to recount Akzeriuth's demise. He subconsciously wondered how much had already been lost before he had heard the tale the first time. But despite that, Luke was doing well, far better than the mess he had been the first time he'd told it. He simply sat there talking, absent-mindedly petting Mieu who had come and taken a seat in his lap; and everyone listened.

Everyone but Asch. He already knew the words that would come from Luke's mouth, and of everyone on the Albiore, he was the only one whose attention wasn't on Luke, including Ginji who was intently listening as well as he could while ensuring they didn't repeat yesterday's misadventure. No, Asch's focus was directed elsewhere, at a particular blonde member of their group.

But whatever Asch was looking for, he didn't find and he silently cursed Guy for being so difficult to read. The solemn look with which he was regarding Asch's younger brother was impossible to decipher and didn't help Asch out one bit. Asch had hoped to use Guy's reaction to Luke's tale to gauge his loyalties. After all, if he really was working with Van, then none of this should be new to him, in fact, if that were the case, this should please him.

Guy, however, remained as unreadable and impossible as ever, which made Asch very uneasy. It was fine before when everyone didn't really know what they were trying to do, but now, now they would have to divulge the details of their intentions concerning Van. Asch was running out of time, either he found a way to get rid of Guy, which he knew would be impossible to do without devastating Luke, or Asch would have to find it in him to trust the blonde, which was infinitely more difficult. Irregardless of just how hard either option may be, he didn't have long to decide. But for now, he just allowed himself to relax a bit, and listened to Luke talking. It was amazing how much worse the tale became when one already knew the ending.

Anise listened quietly to Luke's story. It seemed so surreal. She had clung to the lies for so long, that the truth just didn't seem right somehow, and yet, she knew it was the truth. Luke's tone, the way his voice was so solemn and quiet, it couldn't be anything else. But that made things a lot more difficult, as her conscience grew more and more restless with every word from the noble's mouth. Beside her, Ion was smiling. How could he be smiling, especially at such a terrible story? But he had always known hadn't he? Ion had known there was something beneath the surface, something the rest of them didn't know or understand; so had Guy for that matter. Must be nice to be able to have that kind of faith in someone.

Next to the young Fon Master Guardian, Natalia sat intently listening to Luke's account, thousands of things racing through her mind. Why had Luke so openly accepted fault for it all? Admittedly, he still partially was at fault, but why hadn't he said anything before now? Or better yet, why hadn't Asch said anything to her? Surely he trusted her…didn't he? That really was the question. His somewhat distant and uncomfortable demeanour with her lately made it obvious that her attitude towards his sibling was upsetting him. But didn't he understand? Couldn't he see it? He couldn't, not the way she could. He was too closely involved to be able to see the problem, and even if he did, she knew he wouldn't want to do what needed to be done. So that left things up to her. If only she could get through it all without hurting him. Without hurting either of them.

True there may have been times when Luke needed a good scolding, and true, there were times Natalia felt it was best that he be left behind. But that didn't mean that she wanted to see him hurt. He was still a child after all. While Luke may possess the body of a seventeen-year old boy, when all was said and done, he was still only seven. Why should he have to go through these hardships, things that wouldn't even be expected of an adult?

"So let me get this straight," Anise piped in once Luke had concluded his story. "Setting the Commandant aside for a second, you two can make a hyperressonance by yourself?"

"That's right," Asch confirmed, relieving Luke of the attention that had been so intently focused on him. "It was something we were born with. We never told anyone because… well I'm sure you can figure it out. It's dangerous, and it isn't the kind of thing we want kicking around."

"That sort of power would be invaluable in war," Jade provided. "I'm sure if word of that got out, you'd have more than just Dorian General Grants after you for your abilities."

"But not only did Van know, he used that ability to bring down Akzeriuth," Guy concluded mumbling something under his breath that no one managed to catch.

"My concern is what does Dorian General Grants plan to do now?" Jade pointed out. "Though something tells me you two have something or another in mind in that regard, am I right?"

"Yeah," Asch answered. "If Van went through all the trouble of orchestrating Akzeriuth's fall to destroy the Albertesque seal, I think it's reasonably safe to say he's probably the one messing with the Sephiroth and the passage rings."

"Well he is a Seventh Fonist, and being a descendant of Yulia, it's not unreasonable to think that he would have known how to open the Yulian Seal." Jade contemplated.

"But why?" Natalia inquired. "What result is he trying to achieve by putting the Outer Lands in danger like that?"

"I don't know, I really wish I did." Asch stated. "For all we know, he's just trying to fulfill the Score."

"Fulfill the Score?" Ion inquired. "What do you mean by that?"

"Akzeriuth's fall was foretold in Yulia's Score," Asch provided.

"What?!" Anise shrieked. "That's impossible! If that were true than that would mean the king and you guys' father sent Luke to-" Anise cut herself off as the harsh reality of that fact settled over them all.

"I've never heard of such a thing," Ion spoke up, breaking the tense silence. "Unfortunately, I must admit that I'm not very familiar with the contents of the Closed Score. Our current destination is Daath, correct?"

"Well after a short stop in Sheridan, yes," Jade answered.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to verify the Score myself and see if this is true or not. If Van's intentions are indeed related to the Score, it may give us some idea as to what he plans to do next."

"Actually Fon Master," Asch spoke up. "If you're checking the Score, then maybe there's something else you could verify for us as well."

"What is that?"

"We believe that St. Binah might also be in danger of falling, and we'd like you tp verify if that's written in the Score or not."

"Why would you think that?" Anise asked.

"I may have overheard the God-Generals talking about it the first time we were in Daath," Asch shrugged.

"I thought I said no night time exploring," Jade commented with a particularly evil look in Asch's direction. He let out a sigh and shrugged. "You just can't help yourself, can you?"

"Why would I want to?"

"Okay you two that's enough for now," Guy intervened. "Right now I'm worried about what Van has in mind. The last thing we need is a repeat of Akzeriuth."

"We still need to go to Baticul," Natalia protested. "If a war breaks out even more people will end up dying!"

"There isn't really much we can do about either case for the time being," Jade calmly stated. "For now let's head for Daath to rescue Tear and check the Score. If we don't get any new leads and there aren't any more pressing concerns, we'll find a way to get to Baticul. Does that sound fair?" Natalia didn't reply but backed down.

"We should be landing in Sheridan in a few minutes," Ginji called back to them.

"Finally," Anise mumbled under her breath, her words hidden by her sigh of relief.

"Good," Jade replied. "Until we know better, every second counts."

"You're safe!" Tamara excitedly approached the group, not even waiting for them to disembark from the Albiore where Ginji had managed to land it in the hangar. "We saw the Albiore go down and we've been worried sick! We'd have sent a search party if all the soldiers weren't so caught up in fortifying defences."

"Yes, and it's thanks to them that we don't have the parts to repair the Albiore!" Iemon shouted from where he had already installed himself under the airship.

"What do you mean by that Grandpa?" Ginji inquired.

"Well, some of the parts that were damaged in the crash are completely fried now, thanks to your trip back from the Meggiora Highlands. The replacements we need were all used in the construction of landships in preparation for the war."

"Have things really gotten that bad?" Natalia inquired worriedly.

"Well there haven't been any official declarations from either side that we're aware of," Tamara provided. "But both sides are getting ready. Things are pretty tense."

"And without the Albiore we won't be getting anywhere near Baticul," Anise pointed out.

"That's because your ship is a Malkuth landship right?" Ginji asked.

"That's correct," Jade confirmed.

"Wait, you guys have a Malkuth landship?" Aston inquired.

"It may very well have the parts you need," Jade provided, guessing what the man had in mind. It wasn't difficult; the three seniors were ready to pounce on him. "However, we will be needing the Tartarus for our travels, so I can't have you disassembling it on us."

"That's nonsense!" Aston spoke up. "If you'll give us what we need to fix the Albiore here, then you can use her for your journey instead."

"You mean it?!" Ginji inquired excitedly.

"Of course we do," Iemon replied. "Without those parts she's useless anyways, she might as well be fixed and out in the skies. It's not like she'll do us any good just sitting around here."

"Did you hear that Asch?" Ginji turned to the redhead. "You guys can use the Albiore once it's fixed. I'll take you wherever you need to go!"

"That's great and all Ginji," Asch replied hesitantly. "But…"

"But what?"

"But are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? I mean, we have a long journey ahead of us and there's no saying how long this could take. Are you really sure you want to do this?"

"Ever since I was a kid, it's been my dream to fly around the world," Ginji replied. "I wanted to set off on an adventure that would take me into that endless blue sky and to everything beyond it. This is what I've always wanted, and I get to help out my new friends. What more could I ask for? It'll be much faster than going by land or by sea. Besides, you need a neutral ship to get you to Baticul and Grand Chokmah right?"

"Ginji raises a good point," Ion spoke up. "The Albiore wouldn't be recognized as an enemy vessel by either nation."

"It would definitely be much quicker than the Tartarus," Jade pointed out.

"Excellent!" Iemon jumped in, taking Jade's statement for an affirmative. "We'll just need to retrieve the necessary parts from your ship."

"Alright, I'll take you to the ship," Jade conceded. "Luke, Guy, would you mind lending a hand in carrying some things?"

"Sure thing Jade," Guy replied. "Coming Luke?"

"Yeah, but…" Luke spoke up for the first time since his story on the Albiore.

"What's the matter Luke?" Guy inquired worriedly.

"But if we don't have the Tartarus, how are we going to rescue Tear? I mean, how much longer is repairing the Albiore going to take?"

"Don't you worry about that," Ginji provided. "I'll make the arrangements, by the time you get back with those parts, I'll have you guys ready to leave."

"Okay," Luke nodded.

"How long will you be?" Asch asked as the trio prepared to leave with Iemon and Aston.

"Probably no more than an hour or two," Jade replied. "Feel free to do whatever you want around town in the meantime."

"We'll be sure to be prepared for when you return!" Natalia called after them.

"Wait! I'm coming with you too Master!" Mieu bounced after Luke.

"Alright, alright come on," Luke stopped allowing the cheagle up on his shoulder before turning and following Guy and Jade.

No one noticed, that neither of the boys had said goodbye.

"So what is it you brought me out here for, Natalia?" Asch asked. Not that he really minded. He and Natalia were seated on a bench near the water, looking out over the horizon. The water was a pristine blue against the clear azure sky, and Asch couldn't help but be entranced by the sparkling waves as they crashed against the cliffs.

"There's something I needed to talk to you about," the young princess replied.

"What is it?" Asch's face became swept with worry when he caught the hint of distress in her voice. Really, he was so sweet that way, always worried about her feelings. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had to know.

"Why is it you never told me about your abilities?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your hyperresonance or whatever it's called, how come you never spoke of it with me?"

"Natalia… you know why. Honestly, I wish no one had ever found out about it. It's dangerous. I mean, you saw what happened in Akzeriuth, and that was with Luke doing everything he could to hold back. Could you imagine what that kind of power could do in war? People would die by the tens of thousands," Asch explained.

"But what does any of that have to do with me?" Natalia demanded, her voice rising. "That's why you haven't told anyone else, why didn't you ever tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"That's not it," Asch replied defensively, doing his best to try and calm her down.

"Then what is it? You told Luke."

"Luke has the same ability, I had to tell him. Besides he's my brother."

"No, he's your replica! And I'm your fiancée! Why does he get to share in all the secrets?"

"Natalia stop it."

"Then answer me Asch! Why don't you trust me?"

"I do trust you, it's just…"

"Just what?" Natalia demanded.

"The last thing I want to see is something like this used in war, in politics. I didn't want Uncle or anyone at the castle knowing, so I decided I wouldn't tell anyone-"

"You think I would have told them? Is that it?!"

"No, Natalia would you listen, I was just trying to- Look, I just don't want to become some weapon in a war-"

"You think I would use you in a war? Do you honestly think that little of me? That I would stoop so low as to sacrifice your secret to some political game?!"

"Is it that hard to believe? If it were to save Kimlasca from war? After all, for all we know, they're planning to execute Tear for treachery in Daath, and you'd rather go to Baticul. You're already willing to sacrifice her to try and prevent war, so is it that hard to believe you'd sacrifice a secret to do the same?"

"Either way, that's not the point!" Natalia shot back.

"Then what is? Because I'm not following you anymore!" Asch shouted, his own temper getting the better of him."

"Don't you see? It's about trust! You don't have any! In me, or in anyone, other than Luke for some reason. How can I trust you, how can I believe in you, when you won't do the same?! I mean, all that stuff about Van and the passage rings. You weren't ever going to tell us, were you? You and Luke were going to run off and play your little games and just leave the rest of us in the dirt!" Natalia continued to yell, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "You can't treat people that way! We're not tools to use and be discarded when you choose."

"I just didn't want to see you get hurt," Asch quietly stated.

"Well then you're too late."

Natalia turned around, and vanished back into the busyness of town leaving Asch alone to stare at the water. Somehow, it just wasn't as beautiful anymore.

"Where have you been?" Luke inquired as Asch walked into the hangar. Whatever energy he had earlier, had been completely drained. He was dragging his feet and Luke didn't need their connection to know Asch wasn't in a good mood.

"Shut up," Asch shot curtly.

"Fine," Luke rolled his eyes and instead turned to greet Anise and Ion. If Asch wanted to be that way, then let him. He wasn't going to bend over backwards if Asch was set on being a jerk.

"Thanks to the Tartarus, we'll have the Albiore up and running in no time at all!" Tamara proudly declared now that everyone had reassembled.

"Of course, the Tartarus is no longer functioning, as a result," Jade pointed out.

"It's a worthy sacrifice," Iemon stated.

"Yeah, but in the meantime, what are we supposed to do about getting to Daath?" Luke inquired.

"That's where I come in," a young blonde woman spoke up.

"And who are you?" Anise asked somewhat sceptically.

"Guys, this is Noelle," Ginji introduced the girl next to him. "She's my younger sister and the pilot of the Albiore II."

"You mean there are two of these machines?" Natalia inquired.

"Yeah, remember? They were using the flight stone we returned to finish it," Luke provided.

"I knew that," Natalia mumbled, embarrassed she had forgotten such an important fact.

"Noelle here is going to take you to Daath in the Albiore II while we finish the repairs on the first Albiore," Ginji explained.

"It's a pleasure to be working with all of you," Noelle said with a bow.

"You're the one doing us a favour," Guy spoke up, interrupting her mid-bow. "We should be thanking you."

"It's no trouble at all, really," Noelle replied with a smile. "We moved the Albiore II into this hangar so we could take off. If you guys are ready, let's get on board and get going as soon as possible."

"Oh man, not again!" Anise moaned as they walked up the gangplank.

"What is it Anise?" Ion inquired.

"Oh, nothing!" Anise perked right back up.

"Anise?" Natalia began hesitantly, "Are you afraid of flying?"

"N-No! W-Why would you think something like that?"

"Probably because you're shaking," Asch pointed out.

"I am not!" Anise tensed up to hide her trembling as best she could.

"You areso afraid of flying," Asch said with a laugh.

"You guys suck," Anise stated sticking her tongue out at the redhead. "Come on Ion!" Anise's indignant statement had everyone in laughter except Ion who was being forcefully hauled up the gangplank. "Let's go!"

So for the third time in the past month, everyone found themselves standing before Daath's great heights. Though nothing had physically changed about the city, it seemed to become more intimidating each time they returned. The trip in the Albiore had taken them through night and the populace was already well into their daily hustle and bustle.

"Is it just me or does this place get nastier every time we visit?" Anise wondered

"Maybe it's just because our mission keeps getting harder?" Asch suggested, the full night's sleep still not relieving all the traces of his foul mood from the previous day.

"Excuse me," a woman walked up to their group, singling Asch out from the rest of them. "Might you be Master Asch?"

"That's me, what do you need?" Asch replied. He didn't seem the least bit surprised that a complete stranger was picking him out of a crowd in Daath. If anything he seemed exasperated. Just what was Asch up to behind their backs?

"I was asked to deliver this to you from the boss," the lady replied, handing Asch a letter that he immediately opened and read over.

"Did she need anything else?" Asch inquired.

"No. She mentioned she would have liked to see you herself. If not that, then at least meet with you again in the near future."

"Tell her I'm sorry but I'm busy right now. It'll have to wait for another time."

"I will," the lady replied.

"Here," Asch tossed her a gold coin. "Something for your trouble. Thank you for this," he stated holding up the letter.

"It was my pleasure Master Asch," she replied with a bow. "I hope to be of service to you again." And before anyone could utter another word, she vanished into the morning crowds.

"What was that all about?" Luke inquired.

"Yes, do share," Natalia stated coldly. She couldn't believe it! She had given him the benefit of the doubt last time, but the words out of this woman's mouth seemed pretty clear to her. How could he? After everything he had ever said, all the things he had ever told her, he was seeing some woman in secret! How long had this affair of his been going on?!

"Tear's not in Daath anymore," Asch simply stated, ignoring the harshness in Natalia's response.

"And how is it that you know this?" Jade asked. "Your 'reputable' source again?"

"That's right," Asch replied with a sneer at the taunting tone in Jade's voice. "Tear was held here until yesterday when Van took her away."

"What would the Commandant want with Tear?" Anise inquired.

"Well, she is his sister. Is it possible that he might be trying to gain her assistance?" Ion suggested.

"No way! Tear would never join Master Van! She would never agree to something like that!" Luke protested.

"Easy there Luke," Guy calmed his best friend. "We all know she isn't like that, but for now we have to focus on finding her. Asch, do you know where they took her?"

"No, they're looking into that for me right now."

"Then let's go check the Closed Score," Jade suggested. "Hopefully that should give Asch's 'sources' enough time to find out where we need to head next."

"Where do we have to go to read the Score?" Luke asked.

"The cathedral, in the chapel there's a fonstone enshrined that should be suitable," Ion replied.

"Then lets get going," Guy stated. "The sooner we find Tear, the better."

Despite the fact that this was the third time Luke had been here, he had never actually been in the chapel before. The windows on the far wall towered above them in a myriad of colours. The morning sun filtered through them splashing the entire hall in colour.

"So where is this fonstone supposed to be?" Luke asked curiously, still in awe at the majesty of the Chapel.

"It's enshrined in the altar," Ion replied. "It's actually a special fonstone that was formed by combining fragments of the first six. Fon Masters can read the entirety of the Score from here."

"Ion!" Anise protested. "Are you sure about this? You know you aren't supposed to read the Score; it's bad for your health!"

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Luke also inquired worriedly. "You're not going to pass out again are you? Because if you don't think you're up for it, you don't have to…"

"No," Asch argued, "it has to be done."

"Asch!" Luke and Anise's voices simultaneously echoed in the empty chapel. Luke couldn't believe it, just what was Asch's problem?! Sure Asch was always determined to get things done, but since when did he stop caring about the sacrifices along the way? Something was up, and it was more then their little argument.

"It'll be alright Anise, Luke" Ion nodded to each of them as he placed himself in front of the altar. "Thank you, but I'm only going to read the passage concerning Akzeriuth and search for anything about other lands falling. I'll be fine."

Before anyone else could protest, Ion reached out and placed his hands on the altar. The soft familiar flow of Seventh Fonons entered the room and Ion almost seemed to glow.

"ND2000. In Kimlasca shall be born the scion of Lorelei's power. He will be of royal blood with hair of red. He shall be called 'the light of the sacred flame' and he will lead Kimlasca-Lanvaldear to new prosperity."

It was soft at first, just a dull throb at the back of his mind, but as soon as Ion muttered the first word, the splitting pain crashed over them both. Asch and Luke could both see each other tense up, doing their best not to show it. Ion was putting his health at risk to read them the Score, the least they could do was deal with a stupid headache.

Luke was the first one to show any signs of distress. He leaned down over the altar, his elbows supporting his weight, his hands cradling his head. His face was pale, as were the knuckles of his fist as he fought against some unknown pain. Jade watched the boy almost concernedly. What was the matter? After Luke's fall, Asch's front didn't take much longer to break. He placed his hand down on the altar before him to support himself, his free hand clutching his head. Both of them? Just what was going on here?

"ND2002. The one who would seize glory shall destroy the island of his birth, a land named Hod. War shall persist between Kimlasca and Malkuth for a full cycle of the seasons."

'Are you alright?'

Asch looked up and caught Luke's eye. He was fighting to keep a comforting smile on despite the pain that had engulfed him. Here Luke was, struggling against the pain they were in, and he was trying to make him feel better. What had he done? He was upset about his fight with Natalia and had spent the last day taking it out on Luke and everyone else around them.

But why now? Of all times for these stupid headaches to come back, why this moment? What was it about what they were doing that was setting it off?

'Yeah, thanks,' Asch finally answered. 'Just focus on trying to catch what Ion is saying.'

But neither of them had to focus on what the young Fon Master was saying. His voice almost seemed to resonate in their minds. They couldn't hear the worried murmurs of the others around them, but Ion's voice was crystal clear.

"ND2018. The young scion of Lorelei's power shall bring his people to the miner's city. There, the youth will turn power to calamity and be as a weapon of Kimlasca, destroying himself and the city. Thereafter, the land of Rugnica will be enveloped in war, and Malkuth shall lose territory. Kimlasca-Lanvaldear shall thrive, and this shall lead to unprecedented prosperity."

Jade noticed both boys relax as Ion's reading ceased, both struggling to catch their breath, then simultaneously trying to hide it. Just what was it they were reacting to? It bothered him. He knew better than anyone that those headaches of theirs were far from normal. But exactly what was triggering them? Jade suspected it had something to do with the Seventh Fonon. It would explain why they had reacted when Ion read the Score, and it certainly seemed logical, considering their abilities, that they would be sensitive to the Seventh Fonon. But if that was the case, why didn't the Passage Rings seem to pose any problem?

"Are you two alright?" Guy rushed to Luke's side.

"We're fine, how's Ion?" Luke accepted Guy's help up and made his way to the Fon Master's side.

"I'll be alright," Ion replied faintly, his voice wavering a bit as he wobbled on his feet. "I'll be fine after a little rest. That's all there is on the Sixth Fonstone, there wasn't any mention of other lands falling."

"Thank you Fon Master," Asch said with a smile.

'What do you think?' Luke inquired.

'I think something is seriously wrong here,' Asch replied.

'What? What do you mean by that? How could the Score be wrong?' Luke asked as he picked Ion up and carried him over to the side where he could sit and rest for a bit.

"Well it looks like the Score doesn't say anything about St. Binah," Anise pointed out, interrupting the twin's conversation.

"That doesn't mean nothing will happen," Asch argued.

"Oh, something will happen," Natalia put her hands on her hips. "A war will happen if you don't stop neglecting your obligations. Stop worrying so much about St. Binah and start worrying about Kimlasca."

"Natalia I'm not doing this with you now," Asch stated firmly, keeping his temper in check. "Besides, lives are lives. What country they're from doesn't matter." Asch's last comment quieted the fiery young Princess.

"Regardless, as it stands we've nothing to show that St. Binah is in any form of danger," Jade confirmed. "Though we did ascertain that the Score said Luke was supposed to die in Akzeriuth."

'That's not right though,' Asch commented.

'What do you mean?'

'The Score can't mean you, you weren't born in ND 2000, you were born in ND 2010,' he pointed out.

'Then it must mean you.'

'But I'm not called "the light of the sacred flame" anymore, so that isn't right either.'

'So you're saying the Score is wrong?'

'I think so. The Score hasn't taken your existence into account, which means we can't depend on what it says.'

'But the others didn't…' Luke trailed off

'The others won't know because they don't know that you're a replica.'

'Yeah but…'

'Luke…you're going to have to tell them.'

'No! No I don't!'

'I know you don't want to, but you have to tell them the truth eventually. We can't do anything about the Score being off until you say something.'

'Oh so you're going to lecture me about telling the truth?' Luke snapped. Asch decided to back off; the topic was obviously a minefield. The last thing he needed was a fight to reveal their connection, which was quickly becoming their last trump card. Besides, with Luke this defensive already, there would be no reasoning with him for the time being. It would have to wait until later.

"Are you sure you're okay to get up?" Mieu asked curiously as he watched the Fon Master stand up from his chair.

"Yes, I'm feeling better now," Ion smiled at the little cheagle. "We should hurry; Tear might be needing our help."

"Yeah, let's get going," Luke agreed.

Asch opted to take the lead and was directly followed by Guy, next to whom was walking Luke and Ion, with Anise in tow and Jade and Natalia taking up the rear. They quickly made their way across the glittering chapel. But as Asch opened the two large doors that led out into the Cathedral, he froze, finding himself face to face with a blonde God-General, her pistols drawn and one was pointed directly at his head.

"Asch!" Luke cried but before he had made it two steps, Legretta's second pistol was out and on the other redhead.

"Don't move," Legretta's voice was stern and Luke didn't dare even breathe, for fear of what she may do with her other gun that remained not an inch from Asch's skull.

"What is it that you want?" Jade asked calmly.

"What do I want? That's funny Necromancer. This has nothing to do with what I want. It never does. It's about what he wants, or to be more precise who he wants."

"Let Asch go!" Anise yelled.

"I can't do that. You see this is my chance. If I bring you to him, the Commandant will finally stop believing her lies and he'll see who is truly loyal to him. He'll remember my skill and value, and he'll forget all about her."

"Her?" Guy mumbled.

"I would do anything for him!" Legretta's voice was steadily climbing, starting to waver as she spoke. "I would die for him! But every time I see him, he's with her! So this is the only way, the only way he'll ever look at me again."

Asch's breathing had gotten heavier, though he didn't dare speak. Legretta's arms were trembling in anger now, all it would take is a single upset and she would fire. Asch knew he should try and grab the gun, but fear glued him to the spot. He didn't want to die! And even if he got out of the way, what if she fired at Luke?

"I could shoot you," Legretta continued her ranting, her voice beginning to border on downright insanity. She seemed to revel at the thought, playing with the idea. "Then he'd know how it feels. To have someone you need ripped away."

"Then why haven't you?" Jade spoke up. "From what I hear, it isn't like you to hesitate. If you really wanted to kill him, you would have done so the moment he opened that door."

"Colonel!" Anise hissed. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't mock me Necromancer! The only reason you're alive," Legretta turned to Asch, "is that he needs you. But you know that already, don't you? He needs you to save this world, a world plagued by an illness known as the Score, doomed to die. But Van will save it, he is the medicine we so desperately need. But to do that, he needs you. Not me, you. Why? Tell me why. Why doesn't he ever need me?!"

"Watch out!"

In the sudden flurry of movement, the only sound that was heard was that of the shot fired, and of blood splattering on the ground.

Chapter Text

How had all this happened? Asch had just opened the door. Now there was a gun on him, a gun on Luke, and the rest of them didn't dare breathe for fear of what Legretta might do. She certainly had a few screws loose, but what Guy didn't understand was why? Legretta was Van's most loyal ally. She was cold, strong, determined, and never showed any signs of emotional weakness. At least that was what he had heard, and yet here she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. And the thought of her having a breakdown while holding a gun on Luke and Asch, didn't appease Guy in the least.

The question was why? What had driven her to the point of compromising Van's plans like this? According to what she said, Van needed Asch for something, so why was she here with a gun to his head? And she sure as hell looked ready to fire. It was all about this her Legretta kept mentioning, and Guy had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly who she meant. The God-Generals were the only ones close enough to Van to have put Legretta in this state, and only three of those God-Generals were female. One was standing distraught before them, and Guy was pretty damn sure it wasn't Arietta.

But there were more important things right now, Legretta was getting shaky. So was Asch for that matter, and Guy couldn't blame him with a gun to his head and a woman ready to lose it with her finger on the trigger. Legretta's voice was getting more and more desperate, more unstable, and then…without even thinking, he reacted.

"Watch out!"

The pain flew up his arm like wildfire as the bullet implanted itself in his muscle. Blood splattered on the floor and all over Asch's jacket as Guy landed protectively over the redhead. Taking advantage of the chaos, Luke jumped out of Legretta's line of fire, protectively covering Ion who had still been standing next to him.

"G-Guy?" Asch managed, turning to see who had knocked him to the ground and out of harm's way. His eyes were open in shock as if he couldn't believe who he saw. Guy didn't blame him, he couldn't believe it either. He had just…reacted, and in spite of the agony his arm was in, he couldn't honestly say he regretted it. It seemed that when it came down to it, he just couldn't let Asch get hurt.

"What's going on in here?!" An older man burst into the Chapel. He looked around and stopped short at the sight he came upon. "Fon Master? What the- Major Legretta stand down!"

Damn! Legretta quickly put away her weapons. She hadn't intended to actually fire! But in the flurry of movement, she had just reacted. Thankfully the blonde corrected her mistake by taking the shot. She had come here simply to retrieve the Sacred Flame for the Commandant, to help him in his plans, and she would have been lying if she didn't admit she also wanted to prove herself in his eyes. To show him he didn't have to worry so much, that she would ensure everything would work out for him. But she had foolishly allowed that damn Necromancer play with her emotions. It was just that every time she thought about the Commandant with that witch… something about it made her furious. But that wasn't an excuse. Her feelings had bettered her judgement, and this was the result. Failure. There certainly wasn't any point in sticking around now.

Legretta vanished before anyone had even realized what had happened.

"Maestro Tritheim," Anise spoke up, her voice still quivering from everything that had just happened.

"Cantor Tatlin, Fon Master, where have the two of you been?" Tritheim asked worriedly as he helped Ion to his feet. "First you vanished, then we heard about Akzeriuth and feared the worst, especially when you didn't promptly return."

"I apologize," Ion replied. "I left Daath of my own volition. I've been working with everyone here to try and put a stop to the impending war between Malkuth and Kimlasca. There have been people within the Order working against us, so I hope you'll forgive us for not reporting our activities."

"Well I'll apologize on Major Legretta's behalf; I'm not sure what got into her. He isn't here at the moment, but rest assured I will be having a word with Commandant Grants about this when he returns."

'Well that'll do about as much good as a Fifth Fonist at a passage ring,' Asch commented causing Luke to snicker.

'Well at least we confirmed he isn't in Daath anymore,' Luke replied.

"You're still bleeding," Asch pointed out to the blond guardian as he helped Guy sit up.

"I'm alright," Guy managed.

"Oh shut up, you are not alright," Asch protested.

"Natalia, do you think that you could heal him?" Luke asked the princess who was already examining the wound from a distance.

"Well, let's see," Natalia knelt down closer. "I could heal the tissue, but I can't heal it around the bullet, it'll get infected. I'll have to…"

Natalia reached out but before her wandering hand had found Guy's injured arm, the patient in question practically jumped a foot in the air before taking shelter behind Asch.

"Honestly Guy," Natalia nearly fell over backwards in surprise at his sudden flurry of movement. She hadn't completely forgotten but… "Even when you're hurt and bleeding?"

"I-I'm sorry, I can't help it," Guy replied apologetically.

"Oh come here. I'll do it, you wuss." Asch didn't even wait for Guy to reply before pulling the blond in question towards himself. He tried to roll up the left sleeve, but when it wouldn't roll up enough to be able to easily access the injury, Guy had to temporarily abandon the top altogether.

"Thanks Asch," Guy said quietly, watching the redhead who was examining the bleeding wound. He was trying to figure out how best to approach the situation.

"Don't thank me quite yet," Asch replied. "This is going to hurt. A lot."

Asch carefully braced Guy's arm in one hand and placed his other near the wound. Under his fingers Asch noticed a rather peculiar scar. It was faint; an injury long healed…or was it? Asch's eyes followed the faint lines and it led him through a multitude of curves and swirls, tracing the strangest pattern over the entire top half of Guy's arm.

It was the curse slot. The realization suddenly dawned on Asch and the memory of a strange pattern of blood on Guy's pristine white shirt back in the ports of Baticul suddenly came to mind. Asch had almost completely forgotten of its existence, but then they hadn't completely settled that particular issue now had they? Guy may still be a risk, whether he wanted to be or not. Asch couldn't even imagine how terrible something like that must be, forced to do something against your will…and to live with the knowledge that you could be forced to hurt those you care about at any moment.

"You ready?" Asch inquired, breaking free from his train of thought.

"Yeah," Guy replied. Asch could feel him tense up in anticipation of the pain, and unfortunately it would come. But it was necessary and all Asch could do was make sure it didn't last very long.

Luke could only watch as Guy bit his lip in effort not to cry out. He admired the strength his best friend was showing, and even more so the calm and cool-headedness with which Asch was handling the situation. Had it not been for Guy's sudden action….Asch would have died. Asch had to be shaken up; the thought of it alone rattled Luke's nerves, and the younger sibling was doing his best not to show it. But if Asch was shaken, he wasn't showing any signs of it. He was working quickly and efficiently, and a minute later he held up the result, a single silver bullet that he held between his bloodstained fingers.

Natalia didn't waste any time closing up the wound, being careful not to touch Guy who was jumpy enough as it was. Without the bullet there, it was nothing more than a simple cut, except not quite as long, and much deeper. Guy let out a huge sigh as the pain finally dissipated with the last of the Seventh Fonons Natalia had infused.

"Thanks," Guy offered again as he pulled his shirt back down over his head. He swung his arm around a couple times, he felt as good as new.

"Don't thank me," Asch protested. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life." It was the closest thing Asch would come to any sort of reconciliation.

That's when the full impact of everything that happened dawned on Luke. Guy could have died. That bullet hit his arm, but a split second later and he may not have been so lucky. In spite of everything that had happened between them over the years, Guy had risked his life to save Asch. Maybe there was hope for them yet.

"I'm glad to see no one was injured beyond repair," Tritheim broke the tense silence that seemed to echo in the vastness of the chapel. "I am truly sorry about this Fon Master."

"That's alright," Ion shook his head. "Actually, perhaps you could be of assistance to us."

"Anything, Fon Master."

"Did Van happen to mention where he was going before he left?"

"I'm afraid not," Tritheim replied.

"Okay then, thank you for your help," Ion said with his usual soft smile. "I'm afraid we must be on our way. I'm sure you've heard the rumours, we still have a great deal of work ahead of us."

"I have, I wish you the best of luck," Tritheim nodded towards them as everyone began to file out of the chapel.

"Oh one last thing," Ion turned back before he had gotten to the door. "Could you please try and keep the fact that we were here, as well as our intentions as quiet as possible? I'm well aware of how quickly word spreads through Daath, and that you can't stop the rumours entirely, but if you could keep them to a minimum it would be appreciated."

"I'll do what I can, Fon Master," Tritheim replied with a slight bow. But before Ion could thank him, the large chapel doors slammed shut.

"So now what?" Anise asked.

"Well if this Tritheim doesn't know where we can find Commandant Grants," Jade spoke up, "then we'll just have to wait for-"

"Ah there," Asch cut the Colonel off, turning his attention to someone making their way through the crowds. It was a boy this time, but the letter in his hand was virtually identical to the one Asch had received earlier, right down to the colour of the seal on the back.

"Asch?" The young teen inquired.

"That's right," Asch replied and accepted the letter from the boy. "Thank you." The teen smiled and vanished back into the crowd.

"What does it say? Where are they keeping Tear?" Luke asked eagerly, looking over his brother's shoulder as he attempted to read the letter. Asch shooed his impatient sibling away as he glanced over the information he had been given.

"Jade," Asch finally spoke up. "Have you ever heard of a place called 'Ortion Cavern'?" Jade pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Asch could have sworn he saw a spark of laughter in the old man's eyes, but it was gone far too quick to be sure.

"There is a cave along the southern edge of the continent Sheridan is on," Jade explained. "It's abundant with a mineral called fonimin that's used in fomicry. I can't be sure, but I believe it goes by that name."

"If it's close to Sheridan, Noelle could probably tell us for sure," Asch replied.

"But why would Van bring Tear there?" Anise inquired.

"I have no idea," Asch shrugged. "But there's only one way we're going to find out."

"So you guys noticed it too." Guy contemplated aloud, being sure to keep his voice down. Not that anyone was likely around to overhear them, especially with the door to the cabin closed and everyone else sitting behind the cockpit; but the topic itself seemed to beget secrecy.

Guy had been surprised when Asch had pulled him aside and asked to talk to him in private, leaving even Luke behind. Asch was the last person he expected to want to have any sort of conversation with him. But what really blew the blond away was the topic the redhead had chosen to discuss.

"Yeah," Asch solemnly replied, also keeping his voice down.

"I thought there was something odd about that Score, it just doesn't fit. But you think the entire thing might be off-track?" Guy too had picked up on the slips, the slight flaws in the Score Ion had read, and he was glad he wasn't the only one to notice. He and Asch had just finished a rather lengthy discussion on the topic, but he couldn't quite bring himself to grasp the entirety of the consequences that Asch was suggesting.

"I think it's possible. The Score doesn't consider Luke at all, and nothing happened in Akzeriuth like it was supposed to. Of course, if that's the case, then the Score Ion read for us means absolutely nothing," Asch pointed out.

"You're still worried about St. Binah," Guy realized.

"Yeah, I am. I won't let anyone else die like that; I don't think Luke could handle it." The memory of Luke's state after Akzeriuth still haunted Asch. It had rattled him, far more than he'd ever admit. For the first time, he actually believed he might lose his little brother, and he almost had. Asch refused to run that risk ever again. "Well…" Asch spoke up after a moment, "that's not the only reason…"

"Why don't you try talking to the others about it?" Guy suggested.

"I can't unless Luke will admit he's a replica, and we both know that won't be happening any time soon."

"Point taken," Guy said with a chuckle. "Is that why he's in a bad mood again?"

"Yeah," Asch admitted, "I tried talking to him about it on the way back to the Albiore but it didn't go over so well."

"Do you want me to try talking to him about it?" Guy offered.

"You can if you want. I didn't have any luck, but you're more than welcome to give it a shot."

"Hey Asch, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" The redhead replied with a bit of a smirk.

"Why are you talking to me about all this?"

"Well Luke certainly doesn't want to talk about it," Asch shrugged.

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" Asch teased, but Guy maintained his serious air.

"Come on, you know what I mean. This is probably the most civil conversation we've ever had. You haven't trusted me with a single thing since you were ten," Guy stated, "and rightfully so. Why now? It's not like you have to trust me with all this so-"

"But I do," Asch cut the blond off. All the traces of his smirk and hints of the teasing he had been doing instantly faded leaving a rather solemn young noble behind. "What you did seven years ago, everything that happened before then…it was a long time ago. I don't know or understand why you did what you did, but you've proven yourself time and time again. I'm the one that can't let go. For Luke's sake, if for nothing else, I have to get over this."

"Is this because you're asking Luke to tell the truth?"

"How can I ask him to face his fears if I can't even face my own?" Asch looked up at Guy, his face wearing a sad smile.

Guy was at a complete loss for words. Just what was he supposed to say to something like that? Even though Asch still didn't understand Guy's motivation, even after all the horrible things he had done, and they had been horrible, Asch had just pretty much told Guy that he'd trust him. Oh sure there was the kidnapping, and that alone should be enough to keep anyone from trusting him ever again, but in reality that wasn't even the start of it.

How many years had he served under Duke Fabre after the fall of Hod before Van's plan to take the man's only heir… six? Maybe seven? In that time he had been sure to make Luke fon Fabre's life as miserable as he possibly could. After all, everything would be so much easier if the brat hated his guts, and he certainly returned the feelings. But now, Asch had gone beyond all that. He had proven himself the better person and Guy stood before him completely and utterly defeated.

"Asch," Guy hesitantly began. "Maybe I could explain a few things…"

Anise happily bounced her way towards the back of the Albiore. The Sheridan-build craft was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside, and Anise still hadn't quite explored the entire thing. While it didn't have near the room the Tartarus did, there were still a bunch of cabins down a hall that was behind the cockpit and seating area. The cabins were pretty cramped though; they really weren't good for much other than sleeping, and the odd private discussion. Pretty much everyone spent their time in the seating area behind the cockpit, and left the rooms for after the sun set. After all, even though the Albiore was way faster than the Tartarus was, it wasn't like it took them places instantly. Longer journeys could easily take a few days, that and Noelle and Ginji needed a place to crash too. Anise shuddered at the thought, that wasn't what she meant.

But for now the cabins made a great place to have a private conversation, away from the ears of the rest of the group. But those kinds of conversations just demanded to be listened in upon! Who wouldn't be tempted to just press their ear up against a door? But after what the Colonel had done to her the last time he caught her eavesdropping, she wouldn't be doing it again any time soon. She wasn't up for getting into that kind of trouble again. But still… first it was Asch and Guy, then Guy and Luke, now Luke and Asch had both vanished. A girl couldn't help but wonder! But eavesdropping wasn't her mission this time. Luke was back here somewhere, and she had something for him that was long overdue: an apology.

Anise placed her hands on her hips and eyed the four doors before her. She decided to start with the door to her left through which she could hear muffled voices. Sound didn't carry well through these walls, so whoever was talking, wasn't bothering to keep their voice down. Anise tried knocking softly, and then a little harder; but when neither got a response, she simply opened the door and walked right in.

"So now you're pitting my best friend against me too?!" Luke shouted at his sibling who was standing right in front of him. They were both oblivious to the intruder.

"That isn't what this is about! This is about you and the truth! And about both of us wanting what's best for you!" Asch shouted back.

"Hey guys?" Anise stepped in.

"When did I ask you to look out for what's best for me?! I'm not a baby! I can look after myself just fine!"

"Stop twisting every single little thing I say before I-"

"Before you what?!"

"Hey!" Anise yelled, drawing the attention of both boys. "I don't know what you're fighting about, but is it really that important? You already exceeded your fighting limit for the week," Anise said matter of factly. "So you aren't allowed to fight until at least next Rem-day."

Both twins sent each other a particularly evil look, but didn't say another word and Luke promptly stormed out of the room. Well at least they had stopped.

"Wow, I haven't seen you two that mad since the trip to Chesedonia," Anise mumbled more to herself than anything. Asch simply scoffed at her comment. "What was that you were saying to Luke about the truth? Are you two keeping secrets again?"

"Of course not," Asch dismissed her altogether.

"You come off really nasty sometimes, you know that?" Anise's cheeks puffed up showing she was fed up with Asch's better-than-everyone attitude. But the silence that ensued her comment calmed her down a bit and she resumed in a calmer tone. "You're always so cold, and closed off all the time. How do expect anyone to trust you if you never open up a bit?" Asch didn't reply.

"Anyways," Anise spoke up after a moment, "Luke was the one I was looking for so I'm going to go find him. I'll see you later." Anise held the door open for a moment hoping to get some sort of reply out of the redhead. Even a "goodbye" would have sufficed.

But Anise never got so much as a word, so she continued on her way.

"Luke?" Anise poked her head in the room furthest from the one Asch had been in and spotted the twin she was looking for laying down on the bed, staring intently at the ceiling.

"Oh, hey Anise," Luke sat up to greet his visitor. "Did you need me for something?"

Anise stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. The change in Luke's demeanour was astounding and a stark contrast to his gloomy half down the hall. Anise just couldn't get over the difference. Luke was so open and easy to talk to, even when he was still upset over what had just happened. Asch just… closed himself off. Anise wondered why there was such a difference between the two of them.

"Yeah actually…" Anise hesitated. Suddenly all the words froze in her throat, and the courage she had built up over the past day fled her. She had gone over what she would say countless times in her head, but suddenly none of it seemed like enough. Why was it so hard to just admit she had been wrong?

"What is it?" Luke asked, his face dawning a heart-warming smile. Anise took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry!" She blurted out with a bow.

"What for?" Luke was dumbfounded by the young Fon Master Guardian's actions.

"For everything. After Akzeriuth, all those nasty things I said, the way I treated you… I'm sorry. You can hate me if you want to, I wouldn't blame you one bit," Anise said, not able to bring herself to look Luke in the eye. He hated her, she knew it. How could he not after the way she had treated him?

"It's okay," Luke replied softly. "You don't have to apologize like that, if I had been in your spot, I probably would have acted the same way."

Anise understood the intentions behind Luke's statement, but she knew it was a lie. He wouldn't have acted like that. He probably would have given her the benefit of the doubt, and even if he didn't, he would have still treated her decently, maybe even forgiven her. But she had harassed him, excluded him, and done everything she could to remind him of what he had done when in reality, he was already feeling that burden and bearing the guilt of what he had been forced to do. That realization made everything that much worse.

Luke didn't know what to say when Anise landed in his arms and held him close. She pressed up against him, squinting her eyes shut, hoping it would stop the flow of tears. After a moment, Luke gently held her back. He didn't harbour any ill feelings against Anise. Some of the things she had said and done had hurt, but it had also been partially a result of his lies. He hadn't stood up for himself, and they had both gotten hurt. Holding it against her now would only result in more pain, and probably destroy what friendship they had managed to rebuild. So Luke simply let it go; allowing it to vanish into this moment, Anise smiling, lost in his friendly gesture, with tears still slipping down her face. Luke brushed a few strands of her ebony hair out of her face.

"I'm sorry too."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water was constantly moving here. It flowed through the cave, and over the rocks, hung from the ceiling, and dripped to the floor. It covered the stones of the otherwise dimly lit cavern giving them an almost rainbow-ish hue. Or perhaps that was how the stones naturally occured, there really wasn't any way of telling, anymore than there was time to worry about such trivial things.

Then again, if it wasn't for the company that she kept, Tear probably would have enjoyed the journey into Ortion Cavern. She walked a well lit path, the torches on the walls making the rocks sparkle all around her. It was truly an amazing sight. But for Tear, this particular journey was far from magical.

Her brother was leading the way, taking them into the cavern's seemingly infinite depths. Tear couldn't help but wonder exactly what her brother had set up in such a remote place. He hadn't told her much, just that he needed to speak with her and that he had something important to show her, not a word more. But what could that be? She hadn't even seen him since they were last in Baticul, setting out for Akzeriuth, and that felt like a lifetime ago.

Akzeriuth… That was another topic on her mind. In spite of her rapid and rather pitiful capture, Tear had done her best to try and gather what information she could while she was in Daath. What had really happened? Had her brother really been there? He had to have been, he saved Asch. But if he was around to save Asch, why didn't he save anyone else? Just how involved was he?

"Didn't have anything to do with it?! Van-"

Asch knew something, but something had stopped him from divulging what he knew. She should have asked him about it when she had the chance, but she was so mad at him for abandoning Luke, that she couldn't be bothered. Were those two okay? Had they even found each other? What would have happened between them even if they had? Tear sighed; she just didn't have any answers. All she could do was hope that would change very soon.

If she got any answers, they would be coming from Van. Though her brother had dismissed the majority of their accompanying guard, telling them to go hide their ship and await further orders; there were still two Oracle Knights accompanying them, and there was no chance of her escaping. Even if it was possible for her to overcome Largo, Sync would catch her with ease. But those two had some other purpose here, of that she was sure. Tear highly doubted she alone merited such a dignified guard; after all, it hadn't taken half a dozen Oracle Knights to bring her in. So she simply walked in silence.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

They had hit a dead end, the tunnel through which they had proceeded thus far opened into a huge rock chamber before ending completely. Up against the far wall, several huge fon machines rested from the vigorous work their beat up state suggested they were usually forced through. Several cells were laid into the walls themselves, and Tear thought she caught a glimpse of movement from one of them, but dismissed it as an overactive imagination. Just what was all of this, and what was her brother using it for?

"What is this place?" Tear finally dared ask.

"This is where everything begins," Van said turning to face his little sister. "Mystearica, it's time you learned the truth."

Thankfully, Noelle knew exactly how to get to Ortion Cavern. She landed the Albiore gently in the water and bringing them right to the cave's entrance. It wasn't nearly as easy to handle in the ocean as it was in the air, but the perky young blonde quickly adapted. She was as talented as her brother had proven to be.

But now they were all hurrying through the caverns. Between the water and all the crystals in the walls, the reflected light gave the place an almost eerie feel. No, he had to focus. Luke brought himself back to the task at hand: rescuing Tear, which wasn't going to be easy, especially if Master Van was there with her. Would they have to fight him? Luke didn't know if he was ready for that. If it came down to it, did any of them really stand a chance?

Stupid! Luke berated himself, he could worry about that when they found her. He hurried along, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs that Van may have taken Tear off the lit path, but there weren't any, so everyone continued forward. It was his fault that she had been captured in the first place. If he hadn't been such an idiot back in Yulia City she might even be with them right now. If she got hurt… no he wouldn't let that happen. He swore he wouldn't let anyone get hurt again, but Tear was special somehow, his concern for her extended even beyond that. Luke picked up his pace. He was coming, and she had better be alright.

"What do you mean Akzeriuth's fall was in the Score?" Tear exclaimed, her voice betraying her growing distress. Her and Van's conversation hadn't touched on easy topics, and she was at her wit's end. It just couldn't be true… none of it. It was impossible. She wouldn't believe it!

"Exactly what I said," Van replied, his voice soft but firm. "Ingobert, Duke Fabre, Mohs, they were all aware of what was going to happen, and well in advance. Yet look at them, how many people did they bother to save? Not one. Then, not only did they condemn the whole city to death, but they sent Luke to go die there with them."

"No…"

"But they did, and Luke knew this. Ask him if you'd like. Ask how he felt, being sent to die by those he loved. And for what? To fulfill some worthless prophesy."

Luke knew? Tear couldn't even form words. No wonder he had been so upset the entire way there. He was carrying a death sentence, shackled by everyone he cared out and their expectations of him. That was just... too cruel.

"Let's not forget Hod," Van continued. Tear looked away. How could she forget Hod? Especially after everything he had just told her about it. She wished he would just stop talking about it… it was just… too much. She couldn't take it anymore. "All those people suffered, for no other reason than the fact they would die anyways. Experimented upon, ripped of their dignity, and their pride, only to be silenced as the people responsible watched and laughed. Come with me, Mystearica. Come help me overturn the Score that does nothing but condemn people to death."

"Even so!" Tear finally protested, her eyes bordering on tears. "Why are you doing all this?! Maybe people have done terrible things to fulfill the Score, but that still doesn't justify what you're planning!"

"Mystearica, even after everything I've just told you. Even after Akzeriuth, and everything that happened on Hod, you still truly believe that?"

"You keep saying, 'after all that happened on Hod'!" Tear yelled, her mind racing. So many emotions coursed through her all at once and confusion clouded her judgement. Tear didn't know how she should feel… what she should believe anymore… but this, at the very least, was crystal clear to her. "Yet you're the one who's turning around and using fomicry! All it does is bring pain and suffering! Why?! Please stop all this, there has to be some other way!"

Please don't let it take away the last family I have left….

"There isn't," Van's cold reply made Tear's heart sink. She had lost them all. All to… to this…

"Mystearica…" he continued, "if you still can't see the-"

"Tear!" Luke's voice echoed in the open chamber, cutting Van off. The Commandant looked up at the intruders but didn't even register them as a concern. Even if the entire motley crew was here, they were far from being a threat. No sooner had the thought grazed his mind did Sync and Largo block the group's access into the room. Pity, it appeared his time had run out. He hadn't managed to make his sister see the truth of the Score, but what had resulted from their lengthy discussion…should prove interesting enough. She would come to see things his way eventually.

"Let her go!" The original's voice met Van's ears.

"Shouldn't you be asking her if she even wants to come with trash like you?" Sync taunted, his gaze fixed on Luke who was ready to take the green-haired boy head on if he had to. "Maybe she prefers her current company."

"Tear!" Luke called out but the young melodist didn't look up. Her back was still turned and she had done nothing to acknowledge their presence.

"Quite presumptuous," Largo commented. "You seem to think everyone in the world revolves around you."

"Oh shove it," Anise spoke up. "Even if Tear doesn't want to hang out with us anymore, she'd still enjoy the company of a rock more than she'd like hanging out with you all day."

"Let us through," Asch stated venomously, the threatening tone in his voice unmistakeable.

"Getting violent, are we?" Jade shrugged as he armed himself. There really wasn't any avoiding it. The others didn't waste much time following suit.

"Heh," Sync smirked. "Rather than worry about us, perhaps you should be more concerned about attacks from behind."

"What?" Luke didn't even have time to consider what Sync meant before Asch crashed into him, knocking him to the ground and just out of reach of Guy's swing.

The blonde's eyes were vivid and full of hatred. Leaving Luke on the ground, Asch challenged the attacker, carefully luring him around the edge of the chamber, and away from everyone else. Asch swiftly dodged Guy's attacks, and countered only as necessary. It wasn't an especially difficult task, Guy really didn't seem to be thinking anything through. Luke recognized it immediately. Dammit! It was the curse slot again.

"Don't let Van get away!" Asch called back to the group, ducking to avoid another swing.

"We're kinda busy!" Anise yelled back as she swung around the towering God-General that had chosen to take advantage of the sudden chaos. Jade was backing her up, but Largo's wide swings were keeping him from having time to cast and kind of arte. Luke managed a couple artes, but nothing that succeeding in doing much damage through the man's think armour. He switched to a physical offence but had little more success.

Natalia did her best to cover for Ion, while attempting to distract Sync. With everyone busy, no one noticed exactly when Van slipped away; leaving his sister fixated to the same spot she had been in when they had found her.

"Time to retreat," Sync stated a few minutes later. "Be grateful, you can keep your pitiful lives awhile longer."

Sync was gone in the flash of an eye leaving Largo who backed up defensively before vanishing down the same tunnel. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and surveyed the damage. Across the room Guy had collapsed, much like the first time and an uninjured Asch was sitting him up against the wall, before joining the rest of them. No one had sustained any major damage, but they were all exhausted, even from such a brief encounter. They were far from the skill they would need to face the God-Generals on equal ground.

"Tear, are you alright?" Luke asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Tear replied somewhat coldly.

"You certainly don't sound fine," Natalia pointed out. It was the truth; Tear's maelstrom of emotions clearly echoed in her voice.

"What did Van tell you?" Asch asked.

"Asch!" Natalia protested, hitting him in the chest with the back of her hand. "That is none of your business!"

"You know…the Score said Hod would fall, just like Akzeriuth," Tear began. "I had always known that, so did my brother. But... to think… they would go as far as that." Tear tensed up to hide the fact she was on the verge of trembling in anger. No one could judge her expression seeing as her back was still turned, but they didn't have to see to know she was on the verge of tears.

Why was she telling them this? Tear stared intently at the ground, but she could feel the presence of her friends behind her. Maybe she wanted to talk to sort out her feelings amidst the storm of emotions that still hung over her. Then again, maybe she just wanted someone who would listen, someone to talk to, someone who would understand…

"I…" Tear's voice wavered.

"Tear…" Luke walked up behind her and gently extended a comforting hand.

"I hate fomicry!"

Luke's hand froze an inch from where he had planned to place it comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Anyone who would do that to all those innocent people… They didn't matter to anyone, why not make them suffer? Why not use them for fomicry experiments? Why not try and make a bunch of stupid replicas?! Those people were going to die anyway so they don't matter; their feelings are completely meaningless, right? But that's not true, they were my parents, they mattered to me!"

Luke's hand was trembling as he retracted it and took a few steps back. None of them had ever heard Tear so upset or angry before. But then again, none of them had ever heard her speak of anything personal either.

"My father…" Tear continued, slowly calming down. She finally turned around to face the others. "He died…he died because someone extracted his replica data." Though she had calmed down, her voice still wavered, threatening to break at any moment, just like the melodist to whom it belonged.

"Is that even possible?" Anise inquired incredulously.

"I'm afraid so," Jade confirmed. "The process of extracting replica data can have a negative effect on the original, and it's not uncommon for the subject to die somewhere along the way."

"I never knew…" Tear replied, pausing for a moment before she was able to continue. "It happened just before I was born. Not long after my mother had me, she died too. You know how she died? She died of a broken heart. She wasted away for months waiting for him, hoping he'd return! But he never did! Because some researcher decided his life was meaningless!"

"So you lost your parents to the fomicry research that took place on Hod," Natalia said gently. "It's no wonder you hate it. I can't say I'd feel any differently."

"The people of Hod were treated like cattle! Simply because the Score said they would die. I'll never forgive those who took advantage of that! Fomicry creates nothing but pain and suffering, nothing good can possibly come of it!"

Asch stood next to Luke, his hand resting on his replica's shoulder. He couldn't understand the melodist; it seemed so unlike her to take such a radical view point. Perhaps it was because fomicry had never been a sore subject for him that he couldn't see where she was coming from. Then again, he had Luke. She didn't have anyone, and had her entire family ripped away from her. Her hatred was well founded, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.

"Tear, I know you lost your family," Asch began. "But don't you think…"

"It's not just that," Tear replied, her attention so focused on Asch, she didn't notice the state his twin was in. "Why? If there had been a reason, it might be easier. All those experiments, all that pain, that sadness… for what? Some stupid replicas? What good is a replica? They don't have any of the memories we shared. They can't bring my parents back to me, they can't talk any sense into Van. They can't bring back all those that died… nothing. Fomicry shouldn't even exist!"

"If you don't mind my asking," Jade interrupted, doing his best to keep attention away from the redheads who had retreated a few steps. Even he felt for the poor boy… from Tear of all people. "If you so strongly believe in everything Commandant Grants said, then why didn't you go with him?"

"My brother is trying to use fomicry for his own ends. I just can't accept that," Tear replied with a surprising amount of conviction. When it came down to it, fomicry had destroyed her entire family. First it killed her parents, now it had taken her brother. Who else would it rip away from her?

"What ends might those be?" Jade casually enquired.

"I don't know much about them, my brother didn't say much," Tear admitted, after taking a moment to calm down. "This is one of the places he's been using to research."

"Research what?" Natalia inquired.

"What else?" Tear replied bitterly.

"And he's made some astounding progress," Jade commented from the terminal he had already appropriated and begun scanning through. "What's this? My my, Commandant, you've quite outdone yourself."

"What is it?" Asch inquired, still not leaving Luke's side. His sibling hadn't said a word since Tear had begun to speak and it didn't take a genius to tell he was hurt by it. Hurt, and suddenly very afraid. Though saying Luke was terrified was a friendly way of putting it. But it wasn't like Tear was doing this on purpose, though every word from her mouth made it that much harder on Luke. She didn't know; a fact that was starting to look like the only chance her and Luke had of ever maintaining their relationship.

"Van's research data shows an exceptionally large potential area. Quite frankly, it's the largest I've ever seen."

"You mean like the size of a house?" Anise inquired.

"Hardly," Jade replied. "Something like that was possible even back when fomicry was first developed…" Jade paused a moment. "Sorry, Tear."

"My brother's up to something and it involves fomicry. It's okay, it's not like we can really avoid it. I want to help you out; this is my responsibility as well." Tear walked over to the Colonel and glanced at the screen he was reading. It all looked like meaningless nonsense to her. Numbers here, other symbols and equations there… and yet this is what had taken everything from her… Tear took a deep breath and settled her renewed anger. It wouldn't serve any further purpose right now. They had to stop her brother, before he used fomicry to ruin even more lives.

"Well the research data shows a potential size of over 30 million square kilometers. That's almost a tenth the size of Auldrant," Jade pointed out.

"That's huge!" Anise exclaimed. "Even if you could do that, where would you put it?"

"Do you suppose he's trying to drop the Outer Lands to make room for this replica he intends to create?" Ion pondered.

"Drop the Outer Lands?" Tear exclaimed.

"It's a long story, we'll explain later," Anise provided.

"I see…" Jade continued to scroll down the list of information. "Well this also confirms what Dorian General Grants told you. There's the replica data here for all the citizens of Hod."

"How much suffering went into that information?" Tear asked bitterly.

"A great deal I'm sure," Jade replied, turning the monitor off. "In any case, there isn't much more we can discover here. We should make our way out."

"Yeah," Asch agreed, giving the unresponsive Luke a nudge. Luke shook his head, as if trying to shake off the daze that settled over him.

"Asch is right," Like pitched in.

'Are you okay?' Asch inquired.

'You're not going to make me…' Luke trailed off, the fear associated with the thought of telling Tear he was a replica spilled over their connection and easily finished his sentence for him.

'No,' Asch replied.

'Hey Asch, about earlier…'

'Don't worry about it,' Asch smiled, a gesture Luke returned with a huge sigh of relief. But behind that smile, a grave problem rested on Asch's mind. There was no way it was going to come out that Luke was a replica now. Not after everything Tear had just said. But without that, they wouldn't be able to address the issue of the faulty Score, which meant they would have to do something about it on their own…

So they started their game of secrets once again.

Chapter Text

Cotton white clouds gently drifted across the azure sky when Noelle set the Albiore down in the empty field. The young blonde pilot suppressed a yawn as she stretched her arms. It felt good after such a long journey to be able to relax a bit. She had to admit, the training she and her brother had undergone had taught them many things, but the endurance to deal with longer journeys wasn't really one of them. It only took a few hours for her arms to start getting cramped up and blood circulation to her extremities to taper off. Since the autopilot feature was nowhere near ready to use, it left the otherwise perky pilot to deal with it for the next eight hours.

But Noelle wouldn't complain about it. All things considered, it was a lot less than her passengers had to deal with. They had probably gotten even less rest than she had, especially considering how cramped those cabins were. The six small rooms were hardly suited to sleep nine people. The group had insisted Noelle have her own cabin even though she had clearly expressed that she was fine sharing a room with one of the other girls. Another room was given to Guy, who seemed to be sick or something. Come to think of it, Noelle hadn't seen him around at all since they had departed from Ortion Cavern, and even then he was unconscious.

She couldn't help but wonder if Guy would be alright. He seemed to be quite a nice fellow, and had kept her company in the cockpit, asking all sorts of questions about the Albiore. She had missed his presence for the duration of the trip. Every now and then Luke… or was it Asch? She couldn't get over their resemblance; even the twins she knew didn't look that much alike. But one of them would come sit and keep her company for a time, which was awfully kind of him, especially since she knew they had more important things to discuss.

Noelle let out a sigh and stifled another yawn. She was looking forward to the opportunity for a nap while the others were in the city. While they set down the Albiore each night so she could sleep, Noelle knew the importance of their journey, so she had done her best to be back in the sky as early as possible.

The coastline here really was beautiful, and the water was so blue with the clear sky overhead. It made the open fields seems that much more green and full of life. Noelle chuckled, not unlike the group with whom she had found herself travelling.

"There you go," Noelle spoke up as she heard everyone behind her stir restlessly, "we're about an hour's walk from Grand Chokmah, just like you asked."

"Thank you," Jade replied. "The last thing we want is for the military to mistake us for an enemy ship. We should be back by tonight, or tomorrow at the latest."

"Okay, I'll be right here. If anything happens, I'll make sure to return here as soon as I can."

"Good."

"Say Noelle?" Luke spoke up, as he supported Guy over one of his shoulders.

"What is it?"

"Not that I mind your company or anything… but weren't you only taking us to Daath?"

"Oh that's right," Natalia realized. "Here we're dragging you halfway across the world with us."

"Don't worry about it, I don't mind," Noelle replied. "Besides, the other Albiore isn't fixed yet, so I'll take you guys wherever you need to go in the meantime."

"Really?" Anise inquired. "How do you know that?"

"The two Albiores have a set of transmitters so that we can contact each other. I can't get through on the transmitter, so the repairs must not be done yet," Noelle explained.

"Sorry about dragging you into all this," Luke stated apologetically.

"Seriously, don't worry so much," Noelle chuckled. "I owed Ginji a favour anyway. Besides, I wouldn't be a pilot if I didn't love to fly. Though if you don't mind my asking, why Grand Chokmah? Are you taking him to see a doctor?" the young pilot inquired indicating Guy who was still unconscious.

Natalia grumbled, clearly displeased at being in the world's other capital, but didn't say anything. Luke let out an exasperated sigh.

----

"Is he going to be okay?" Luke quietly inquired, his soft voice almost lost to the sound of water as it dripped from the rock ceiling. He almost jumped when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"I don't know very much about curse slots, so I don't know." Tear's voice came from beside him. Luke looked at her worriedly, but his nerves calmed a bit when Tear gave him a gentle smile. As long as she doesn't know…

"He should be fine as long as Sync isn't around," Ion spoke up also coming to take a look at the unconscious blonde. "He's probably just worn out from fighting it."

"So he's a threat to us so long as Sync is around?" Asch inquired.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ion confirmed. "That is, unless the curse slot is removed."

"Is that possible?" Luke's eyes lit up for the first time since they had come across Tear.

"Yes it is," Ion smiled, "however, it requires the use of a rather strong Daathic Fonic arte-"

"Nuh uh. No way Ion!" Anise protested. "You're still recovering from reading the Score! You keep this up and you're going to get seriously sick!"

"But what will happen if Sync shows up again?" Tear pointed out.

"The chance of running into our God-General friend depends entirely on where we're going next," Jade pointed out.

"The Colonel's right, where are we heading next?" Anise inquired.

"We have to put a stop to this war before things get out of hand!" Natalia spoke up.

"So Baticul or Grand Chokmah," Jade courteously provided.

'Do you suppose Emperor Peony would know if there have been any signs of St. Binah falling?' Luke prodded his sibling.

'You know what, he just might,' Asch replied, the gears in his head turning fast at this new idea. Of course! Any problems in the city would have been reported to the capital. It was perfect, they could kill two birds with one stone. But that would involve finding an excuse to hit Grand Chokmah over Baticul. Natalia wasn't going to like this; then again, she wasn't very happy with him to begin with. Oh well. 'Gotta say, I'm impressed.'

'Why?' Luke curiously inquired.

'You remembered Peony was the Emperor of Malkuth,' Asch replied with a smirk.

'Shut up!' Luke protested before opening his mouth and speaking to the group. "I think we should go to Grand Chokmah."

"What?!" Natalia almost shrieked, her high pitched voice sending several of the cavern's small inhabitants scurrying for cover. "Why should we go to Grand Chokmah? We have far more influence and capacity to stop the war from Baticul!"

"But Asch already sent a message to Baticul," Luke protested. Asch was impressed with how serious and calm Luke was while handling the fiery princess. "No word whatsoever has gone to Grand Chokmah." Luke looked over at Jade who nodded in confirmation. "So I think it's a much more logical place to start."

Natalia fumed. Any traces of the tenuous reconciliation that may have occurred between her and Luke clearly vanished with his latest protest.

"I agree with Luke," Asch pitched in, backing his sibling up. With any luck Jade would figure out what they were planning and would help out too.

"What about Guy?" Ion asked, as Tear was checking the blonde for injuries. It was a good thing he was unconscious, and Luke was almost expecting the woman's touch to pierce right through his slumber and send him screaming halfway across Ortion Cavern. But the blonde remained motionless.

"Colonel, how far is Grand Chokmah?" Anise asked.

"On the Albiore, probably about 3 days, maybe more, maybe less."

"Good," Anise nodded as if confirming something for herself. "That should give Ion plenty of time to rest up. What do you think Ion? Could you wait to remove the curse slot until we get to Grand Chokmah?"

"I can, I don't foresee any risks between now and then."

"All right!" Anise replied perkily "Then let's get going!"

"Why I never…" Natalia mumbled in her fury, but followed everyone just the same.

----

"Something like that," Luke smiled nervously.

"Well you guys get going," Noelle said ushering the group out the door. "Take care! Make sure you're all in one piece when you come back this time okay?" She called after them with a wave, watching them walk towards the city until they were out of sight.

Noelle stretched and let out the yawn she had been suppressing all morning. A nap would feel nice, and then she'd be ready to go whenever they got back. She may not have known them long, but this particular group had already demonstrated an alarming tendency to need to leave places in a hurry. Not that she was surprised, they were caught up in something bigger then all of them. All she could do to help out was be ready for when they needed her.

Natalia proceeded down the road, trailing behind the redheads, making absolutely no attempts to hide her displeasure at their destination. She was so mad! They knew she was desperate to get back to Baticul, and that she'd been overly worried for quite some time now. Why were they so bent on avoiding it? If she didn't know better, she'd swear they were doing it to spite her! What would happen if war broke out? Why was Asch so desperately avoiding his responsibilities? But she knew the answer to that question. After all, Grand Chokmah hadn't been his idea, now had it?

Growing bored of sending daggers through the back of Luke's head, Natalia's gaze shifted to the blonde that said redhead and his original were carrying. She certainly hoped that Guy would be alright. Maybe once he woke up she could enlist him to help her knock some sense back into those two.

"Don't worry," a voice caught the princess off guard. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"My goodness, Tear" Natalia replied bringing her hand to her chest, "I didn't see you there, you startled me."

"I'm sorry," the melodist apologized. "You just looked worried so I thought I'd see how you were doing."

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern. I should be the asking you that. How have you been holding up?"

"Oh, you mean what happened back in the cavern?" Tear asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I must say I've never seen you quite so passionate about anything before. It's a whole new side to you," the princess teased.

"I've calmed down since then," Tear answered with a bit of a chuckle, but it didn't hide the pale pinkish hue that flushed her cheeks. None the less Natalia's innocent jab lightened her mood. "But it still doesn't change my feelings on the subject."

"I think I can sort of understand; I would hate anything that took my family away from me," Natalia agreed. Though she couldn't help but quietly wonder what this new development would mean for her and Luke. After all, her cousin seemed to be rather fond of Tear, and she certainly didn't seem to dislike the attention Luke had been giving her. Not that she really cared much for her future brother-in-law at the moment, but it would be a shame to see Tear so drastically let down.

"So how have you been doing?" Tear inquired. They really hadn't had much of a chance to talk during the trip, at least not just the two of them like this.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?"

"You seems upset about something, and you and Asch haven't spoken at all, at least not while I've been around. Did something happen?"

Natalia smiled at her friend's perceptiveness. "Well I'm concerned about Guy of course," Natalia stated in an attempt to avoid the issue. "He's been out for over three days now."

"He's probably worn out from fighting off the curse slot," Tear explained, not buying Natalia's excuse for a second.

"Last time he was only out for a day."

"Maybe this time he had more of a reason to fight it."

"I suppose," Natalia trailed off.

"Natalia, what's really the matter? If you don't want to talk to me about it, that's fine. After all, we've only known each other for a short time, and have been separated for awhile now, but don't think you're fooling anyone with that excuse of yours."

"You're right," Natalia conceded. "It doesn't have anything to do with you; it's just difficult to talk about. I don't even want to believe it myself."

"Would talking about it help? If so, I'd be willing to listen," Tear offered.

"It's just that… well; you know everything that your brother's been up to, right?"

"Well, he didn't exactly tell me everything, but I do know some of what he's done and that he's planning."

"We just found out ourselves, about a day before we found you," Natalia explained. "That in itself wouldn't be all that bad… but Asch and Luke have known for quite some time now and…"

"And they never told you," Tear finished. Natalia nodded in confirmation. "Do you think maybe it was because they didn't want to get you caught up in everything?"

"That's what Asch said, but… how could he think I'd want to be anywhere but at his side?" Natalia asked. Tear didn't have an answer. "Luke I can understand, ever since he was little, we've never gotten along, but Asch, I would have thought… I would have though at least he would tell me. He was comfortable telling Luke about it, what makes me so untrustworthy? Why doesn't he want my help?"

"Natalia…" Tear trailed off. She understood the problem now. Natalia was jealous of Luke… or perhaps jealous wasn't the right word. She wascompeting. Natalia felt like she was competing with Luke for Asch's attention and that was why she was so easily upset. Tear couldn't help but wonder for how many years this had gone on. It certainly explained why Natalia and Luke never seemed to be on very good terms.

"I don't think it's that," the melodist eventually replied. "Asch just didn't want to see you getting all caught up in this mess where you might end up getting hurt. I'm sure of it. He cares about you."

"If he cared about me, would he be having an affair?" Natalia mumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Tear asked incredulously. She couldn't possibly have said what she thought… Asch wasn't that kind of person.

"Lately…he's been getting all sorts of convenient information." Natalia explained. "He found out that you'd been captured, where you were being held, all kinds of things. He disappears for hours at a time, sometimes late into the night."

"But why would that make you suspect he's having an affair?"

"Whenever we ask, he talks about a 'she'. This mysterious woman who's helping him for no apparent reason, and who keeps sending messages saying she wants to meet with him. Tell me then, what am I supposed to believe?" Natalia was getting close to hysterics by this point. Thankfully they had fallen far enough behind that no one took notice.

"Natalia," Tear placed a hand comfortingly on the girl's shoulders. "I'm sure you're making this out to be much more than it really is. Just because he has an ally that's female, doesn't mean he's cheating on you. Try having a bit more faith in him. Don't you trust him?"

"I do…but-"

"Then why don't you try talking to him? You'll see, you're getting all worked up for nothing."

Silence fell over the girls and they continued to walk, silently enjoying their re-forged friendship through the mutual sharing of their personal dilemmas. At the pace they were travelling, it wasn't long before they could see Grand Chokmah in the distance.

"Now," Tear spoke up, handing Natalia a handkerchief. "Dry those tears, you won't be making a very good impression on Peony looking like that."

Natalia smiled. "Thank you, Tear."

Tear smiled. "What are friends for?"

The floating imperial city of Grand Chokmah was aptly named. There wasn't a single place in the entire city where the sound of running water couldn't be heard. The marble buildings and cobblestone streets almost glowed as the sun shone down over the capitals' residents. The light danced off the water giving the city a magical air that was unparalleled in all of Auldrant.

These days, however, things weren't as calm and peaceful as the city itself seemed to suggest. Soldiers quickly hurried to and fro, and were thankfully far too busy to pay any sort of attention to the newest arrivals, even with one of them clearly unconscious.

"It looks like we've arrived in time," Jade commented taking a quick look around, glad no one was questioning his return from the land of the dead.

"But only just," Asch tossed in.

"I'd say you're likely right in that regard," Jade commented once another squad of soldiers hurried by them and made their way out of town. "I'd better go see about getting an audience with his Majesty."

"Where do you want us?" Asch inquired.

"Well it would probably be best if I go alone at first. I am assumed dead after all, it will be difficult enough to convince them of my identity without a triage of Kimlascan nobility accompanying me."

"Then you go," Asch replied, "we'll deal with Guy and meet you…"

"There's a park in a central area on your way to the castle," Jade provided. "Meet me there in an hour; hopefully it won't take much longer than that. Oh, and do watch out for soldiers. Please don't do anything rash."

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Asch protested.

"Oh I know," Jade shot back. "That's why I'm concerned." But before Asch could come up with a retort, Jade had slipped away.

"So what are we going to do about Guy?" Luke inquired, sitting the blonde up against a nearby railing and stretching his arms.

"Well we'll need somewhere he and Ion can rest afterward," Tear pointed out, "so the inn is probably the best place to go."

"Anise could you help me bring him to the inn?" Ion requested, motioning to place one of Guy's arms over his shoulder. He wobbled on his feet a bit before Tear quickly relieved him of his burden.

"Sure thing, Ion," the Fon Master Guardian replied taking the other arm. It was a really good thing Guy was unconscious.

"I'll help too!" Mieu bounced over and perched on Guy's head. He really wasn't doing anything useful, in fact he was only adding weight to the blonde, but no one had the heart to tell him otherwise.

"What about us?" Luke asked. "I can help."

"So can I," Asch agreed. "We have to wait for the old man anyways."

"No, it would be best if the two of you aren't there," Ion replied solemnly.

"Why not?" Luke protested.

"Because you two are the ones he attacked."

"What difference does that make?" Asch inquired.

"I suppose you would have found out eventually…" Ion let out a sigh. "A curse slot can't actually control someone."

"What do you mean?" Asch's expression grew dark.

"A curse slot stirs up old memories and paralyzes rational thought. It couldn't make Guy try to kill you if he didn't already have a reason to want to do so."

Kill him? Asch froze to the spot, feeling as if someone had dropped the whole of Auldrant into the pit of his stomach. Guy wanted to… to kill him? But how? Why? Asch had always known that Guy disliked him as a kid…but he had actually wanted to kill him? He thought they had settled their differences… that they had both put that pointless hatred behind them. But Guy's actions in Ortion Cavern spoke more of the truth than his words did. Even after everything… Guy still wanted him dead. But Luke…

Luke didn't look like he was faring much better at the news. Luke shouldn't have to be concerned, he was the one Guy hated so avidly. His little brother meant almost everything to Guy, there's no way he could possibly want to kill Luke. Sure maybe the two of them hadn't completely gotten over their issues, but Guy would never hurt Luke… Asch could still trust him that far.

'Don't worry, I'm the one he was after,' Asch said in attempts to ease Luke's concern. 'He doesn't want to kill you.'

'Then why did he come after me at the port in Baticul?' Luke replied meekly, making more of a statement than a question. He was devastated.

Asch's heart sank. Any thread of hope, of dying faith in the blonde that Asch had been trying to cling to snapped in that moment.

"I'm sure he must have some sort of reason," Tear replied noticing the anger and despair that so swiftly consumed the twins. She would have gone to their side if she wasn't holding onto the object of their sudden foul mood.

"I can take him from here," Ion offered.

"That's alright Fon Master," Tear replied shooting one last glance at the siblings who hadn't budged an inch. "I'll help you carry him in, then I'll leave you be. We'll all meet where Jade said in an hour, okay?"

"Alright," Natalia replied.

The response Tear was looking for from Luke and Asch never came.

Luke leaned against the edge of the bridge, watching the water pass by below him. His reflection was his only company, but the solitude was nice. The constant chatter and sound of soldiers running from one place to the next seemed to be drowned out by the moving water. Something he loved about this place, it was so easy to let your thoughts get swept away, just like the water that ran through the city.

Luke took a moment to look around; to his left was the park Jade had mentioned. In it, several people were walking around, enjoying the beautiful weather, chatting of blooming flowers and impending war. To his right on the other side of the bridge sat a string of shops, where eager merchants peddled their goods. Beyond them stood the inn where Guy… Luke returned his gaze to the water. His reflection comforted him, it always had. Maybe because it reminded him of his brother, and the days when he had been little and often mistaken his reflection for his sibling. It was a story his mother never got tired of telling.

"So where's Asch?" Tear appeared behind Luke and leaned on the railing beside him.

"Natalia said she needed to talk to him," Luke replied. Tear couldn't resist a smile. "What?"

"Nothing," Tear gently replied and let out a soft sigh. "I was actually hoping I'd find you alone."

"Were you," Luke replied in a matter of fact tone. He knew he should make an effort for Tear, but everything seemed so pointless. But, in spite of his apathy and generalized depression, Luke felt a sense of nervousness arise at the thought of talking with Tear alone. Was it because he was afraid she might find out the truth? That he was a replica… a subject she deemed worthy of her hatred. No, as long as she didn't know…

"Try not to feel so down about Guy," Tear painfully hit the nail on the head. "I'm sure he has his reasons."

"Everyone keeps saying that, but what possible reasons could there be?" Luke's gaze remained fixed on the water.

"Guy's only human. Maybe you made him mad once, mad enough he wanted to kill you," Tear suggested. "It doesn't mean that he would, or that he actually wants to see you hurt."

Silence fell over them both.

"I have something really important I needed to talk to you about," Tear stated, this time succeeding in drawing the young noble's attention.

"What is it?" Luke asked, seeming more concerned. Taking out his problems on Tear wasn't going to help any. Besides, he really was glad to have her back. He wanted to be happy for her; he wanted to smile for her, if only so she would smile back. He owed her that much.

"It's about Akzeriuth," Tear replied solemnly. Luke nodded for her to continue.

"I thought about it for a long time before I came back to the Outer Lands. I thought about what happened, about everything you said to me, and about why you might have done such a thing…"

Wait. The gears in Luke's head began to turn at Tear's last line. Didn't she know about Akzeriuth? Like, what had really happened in Akzeriuth? It hadn't been brought up, but he thought for sure she must know. But the way she was talking… Luke opened his mouth to make a statement, but before he could utter a sound, Tear continued.

"But I had no idea that Akzeriuth's fall was in the Score; that your own family had sent you to die… I didn't know any of it. And because of that, I yelled at you, I abandoned you for having done something that was inevitable."

"Tear," Luke began when the melodist paused.

"But I still couldn't look past the fact that you killed all those people," she continued. Either she hadn't heard Luke, or she had chosen to ignore him. "What you did to those people was horrible, it was evil, and it was wrong. It was so much easier to hate you at the time, and I did. But then after everything you told me in Yulia City, I didn't know what to think anymore. Those weren't the tears of a murderer."

"Tear," Luke tried again. He had to tell her the truth. "There's something I have to tell-"

"Please," Tear cut the redhead off. "Let me finish this." She paused and Luke nodded for her to continue. "That was when I realized that I had spent so much time judging and scolding you that I had never really gotten to know you. So I decided I had to talk to you, I wanted to see for myself the kind of person you are. Then I would decide what I believe."

"So what did you end up deciding?" Luke asked.

"I haven't yet. I still want to see the real you," Tear replied. "I've decided to put Akzeriuth, put the past behind me for now. I want to learn more about you, and I want to see where you will go and what you will do. We both want to stop my brother, so let's go together."

Luke smiled, but couldn't find the words to reply.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?" Tear inquired with a gentle smile to match the one on Luke's face.

"You know what," Luke replied. "It doesn't matter."

Let's go together.

"Watch yourself!" A soldier called out but didn't wait for either of the teens to get out of his way. The man crashed into to Tear, staggering a moment before hurrying along without offering a single word of apology.

Luke instinctively caught the melodist as she fell forward. Their eyes met and both of them felt their cheeks flush. Tear scrambled to get back her feet again. A soft clinging noise drew both their attention.

"Oh, Luke!" Tear pointed towards a small golden object that was rolling off to the right side of the bridge. Luke chased after it and caught it just as the small trinket had gotten to the other side. The young noble let out a sigh of relief as he replaced his treasured locket back in his pocket.

"You're going to lose it for good one of these days," Tear commented as she joined Luke on the other side of the bridge. "How come you don't put it around your neck? It wouldn't get lost that way."

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"It'sjewellery. I'm not wearing any jewellery!" Luke protested. The way he was talking, it sounded like he'd sooner listen to Mieu talk for five hours straight than wear anything that could in any way be considered girly.

"Well then why bother carrying it around if you aren't going to wear it?"

"Because it's important," Luke mumbled.

"Oh, give it here," Tear said snatching the locket by the chain that was still hanging out of Luke's pocket.

"Hey!" Luke protested. "What are you doing?" But before Luke could do a thing about it, Tear had strung the golden chain around his neck and fastened the clasp. The locket dangled in front of Luke's chest and caught the sunlight, making it shine in spite of its age.

"There," Tear stated with a grin at Luke who was fumbling with the clasp. "It looks good on you."

"How do you work this stupid thing?" Luke continued to fight with the small golden latch, but to no avail. He hadn't the first clue how to get the darn thing open. "Could you give me a little help here?" Luke asked Tear who was almost in stitches.

"You don't know how to open it?" Tear teased.

"How would I know? I've never worn anything like this before!"

"Then I guess you're stuck wearing it," Tear snickered. Luke grumbled in defeat as he placed the locket under his shirt.

After a moment, Tear noticed Luke's attention suddenly seemed to be drawn to the shops behind her. "Luke, what's the matter?" Instead of answering, Luke brushed past her and jogged over to a nearby store window.

"Hey Tear," Luke looked up with a grin. "Come take a look at this!" Tear slowly walked over, what could possibly have caught his attention from all the way over here?

But as soon as Tear walked over, she saw exactly what it was. Because sitting the shop's window, its sparkling blue sapphire gleaming for the world to see, was her mother's pendant. Tear couldn't believe her eyes; she never thought she'd ever see it again.

"Is that yours?" Luke asked, not that he really needed an answer with the way Tear's face was pressed against the window.

"Yes it is. That's my mother's pendant," Tear confirmed. "But I gave it to that coachman, how did it end up here?"

"He probably sold it. He was heading to the capital," Luke pointed out as he made his way towards the door of the small shop.

"Where are you going?" Tear inquired.

"I promised you, didn't I? That I would get it back for you someday." Luke responded with a smile before slipping in the shop.

"Luke, wait!" Tear called after the redhead but if he heard her, he had chosen to ignore her call. Did he know what he was doing? The pendant was very valuable, and Tear certainly didn't doubt the shop keeper planned to take full advantage of it. There was no way they could afford it!

"What are you thinking?" Tear demanded as soon as Luke came back out of the shop. "There's no way-"

"Here," Luke cut her off handing Tear her precious memento. Tear stared at it, once again finding herself at a complete loss for words.

"Luke… why did you… how did you?"

"I have some of my own money too," Luke stated simply, "other than our travel funds. Since I wasn't swept away from Baticul last time, I made sure to bring my savings along," he teased. "Mother had given me some before I left for Akzeriuth too, so don't worry about it. It's not really like I needed it for anything else."

"Th-Thank you," Tear managed as she held it closer. She would never let go if it again.

"I promised didn't I? Besides, it was my fault you had to give it up, it's the least I could do."

"Having fun you two?" Jade's voice caught both Luke and Tear off guard. Tear let out a frustrated sigh; she had forgotten the Colonel could be like that.

"Sure looks like it," a second familiar voice came from the opposite direction.

"Ah, Asch, Natalia," the Colonel greeted the newest arrivals, "your timing is rather convenient, I was just about to go look for you.

"Welcome back," Luke greeted his sibling. The sombre mood that had hung over Asch earlier seemed to have lifted quite a bit. "So what did you two need to talk about?" Natalia shot him a dirty look. It was the same look she always gave him when he was being nosy. Somehow it was comforting. Natalia was happily attached to Asch's arm, and she hated his guts again. Everything was back to normal.

"You know what," Luke spoke up before Asch had a chance to answer. "Never mind." Asch smiled gratefully.

"Were you looking for us old man?" Asch inquired.

"Not especially," Jade shrugged. "But your presence would be useful in an audience with his Majesty." Asch just rolled his eyes.

"So we're just waiting for Anise, Ion and Guy?" Tear inquired, biting her tongue at the last name. She hadn't been thinking again. Both twins lost a shade of the cheer they seemed to have found over the past hour.

"Well there are still a few minutes before our hour is up," Natalia pointed out. "Why don't we wait over there?" The princess pointed to several benches that sat in the shade of several large oaks who made their home in the park.

"May I join you?" Luke inquired hesitantly, unsure if he would be intruding.

"I don't see a problem," Natalia replied. "We're just waiting after all."

"Thanks," Luke smiled, though Natalia simply looked away. They still had a ways to go, but it was a start.

"Tear," Jade stopped the melodist as she made a move to join the other three. "If I may have a word?"

"What is it Colonel?"

"Oh nothing of importance, I was just curious about your opinions on fomicry that you expressed back in Ortion Cavern."

"What about them?" Tear's face darkened a bit.

"Don't you think such a blind hatred is a bit unfair?" Jade inquired curiously.

"Unfair? Is it really all that unfair? Fomicry destroys lives, it ruins families!" Tear began to get worked up. "If you think it's unfair, find me one person fomicry has ever made happy!"

Jade pondered it for a moment watching the three young nobles happily chatting on the park bench. He turned back to the young Oracle Knight.

"Do you love Luke?"

At the Colonel's sudden question, Tear felt her cheeks flush and she could only imagine how many shades of red she had just turned. "S-Stop trying to embarrass me and change the subject!" Tear protested. "Luke has nothing to do with fomicry, nor does the presence or lack of a relationship between us! You just don't have an answer do you?"

"No," Jade replied, the glimmer never fading from his eyes. "I'm afraid I don't."

"Hi guys!" Anise called as she ran towards them. "Sorry I'm late!"

"It's no big deal," Asch replied. He, his brother and his fiancée rejoined the group upon noticing Anise's arrival. "Where's Ion?"

"He was exhausted from helping Guy," the Fon Master Guardian replied. "The two of them are sleeping at the inn. They said we can go ahead without them. Unless you need him as a mediator, Ion said it was okay to wake him up if we needed his help. I'd like to let him sleep if we can."

"I think it should be fine," Jade replied. "His Majesty has already heard our circumstances and has agreed to speak with us. Ion's intervention shouldn't be necessary at this point."

"Nice to finally hear some good news," Asch remarked.

"Yes, well if you want it to remain good, you'd better not be late. The hearing was scheduled to begin two minutes ago."

"Damn you old man, we're already late!" Asch shot back as he and everyone else hurried off towards the castle.

"My, my, it was just a joke…"

Much like the glorious city in which it dwelled, the palace was overflowing with the sound of water. It was smaller than the castle in Baticul, but seemed much less frivolous, and just as grand. Jade led them up a short staircase and through two large doors that could only lead to one place.

Luke could tell from the moment they stepped into the throne room that Asch and Peony would probably never get along. In fact, he could tell that it was taking everything Asch had not to knock some sense into the man. He had his responsibility to Kimlasca to consider, after all. But honestly what was the emperor, stupid? The way he was checking out Natalia, he might as well have tacked a death wish on his forehead.

Luke watched the emperor's gaze shift from Natalia to Tear. Oh hell no. Luke stepped to the side and placed himself between Peony's wandering eyes and the melodist. Noticing what he had done, Peony laughed outright.

"Welcome guests!" Peony announced heartily as he welcomed them. "I certainly hope my Jade here hasn't been too much trouble to you."

"Not at all, your Majesty," Asch choked out, still suspiciously eyeing the man whose gaze still hadn't left Natalia's general direction.

'You draw in any more Seventh Fonons, and you're going to cause a hyperressonance over there,' Luke teased as Asch's temper was slowly luring in more and more of said particles.

'Shut up,' Asch shot back, but Luke could sense Asch trying to calm himself down. That or he was just shooing the fonons away.

"Nonsense," Peony replied, oblivious to the twin's private conversation. "I know what a pain he is, especially with that fon slot seal. I'll bet he's dragged you all over the place. Stubborn cod never wants to come home these days."

"Then it looks like we already agree on our opinions of the old man," Asch said with a grin. Next to Peony he caught a glimmer in Jade's eye. Let the bastard try it. He had it coming after making them rush all the way here when they weren't even late to begin with. Peony laughed.

"Well Jade? Are you going to do introductions or what?" Peony asked eliciting a defeated sigh from the Colonel.

"Yeah old man, what are you waiting for?" Asch joined in earning what the others could have sworn was an approving grin from Peony. Well what do you know, Luke chuckled. The two of them managed to find some common ground after all: the mutual harassment of Jade.

"Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants," Jade began on the left, "First Platoon, Oracle Knights Intelligence Division. Protecting her from your Majesty's wandering eyes is Luke fon Fabre, son and secondary heir to the Fabre household." Jade smirked as Peony suppressed a chuckle. "Next we have Anise Tatlin, Fon Master Guardian. Here we have Natalia Luzu Kimlasca Lanvaldear, daughter to his Majesty King Ingobert and princess of Kimlasca, and finally we have Asch fon Fabre, son of Duke Fabre and heir to the Kimlascan throne."

"Asch and Natalia," Peony began, "So you are alive and well. Did you escape from Kimlasca?"

"Escape?" Natalia inquired. "What to you mean by that, your Majesty?"

"We've been to Sheridan, but otherwise we haven't returned to our country since the disaster in Akzeriuth," Asch provided, equally confused by Peony's statement.

"Is that so?" Peony thought on it a moment. "That certainly changes things a bit."

"How so?" Natalia asked. Peony nodded to one of the men that stood around the throne. The man removed a letter from his jacket, opened it, and began to read.

"We hereby denounce Malkuth's destruction of Akzeriuth in order to bring about the deaths of Princess Natalia, and the heir to the throne, Asch fon Fabre. In the name of Lorelei and Yulia, we shall initiate immediate sanctions."

"It's a letter from Baticul. Now, for all intents and purposes, that's a declaration of war," Peony explained. "Then several days ago, a man from Daath was here… Mohs, I think his name was. He told us that you two had in fact survived Akzeriuth's fall, but were being hidden in Kimlasca as an excuse to justify war."

"Impossible!" Natalia protested. "Our country would never do such a thing!"

"Natalia," Asch placed his hand on her arm, trying to get her to calm down. "I agree with Natalia though," Asch returned his attention to Peony. "Kimlasca doesn't want war any more than you do. I'm afraid much of this has come because we have yet to return to Baticul. I don't know what Mohs told you, but if they are issuing a proclamation like the one they have, then it's because they truly believe that we were killed. It's a mistake on their part."

"Is it?" One of the other men at Peony's side demanded. "We believe that Kimlasca destroyed Akzeriuth as an excuse to start war!"

"No," Luke jumped in. "We know who's responsible for what happened to Akzeriuth, and we're trying to stop them from doing it again. It's why we haven't gone back to Baticul yet!"

"Ahh, that's right," Peony interjected. "Jade's told me you two are worried about St. Binah?"

"What?" Natalia, Tear and Anise spoke in unison their gaze shifting towards the two boys.

"That's right," Asch confirmed. "We have reason to believe St. Binah may be targeted next."

"By Kimlasca?!" the second advisor took the offensive.

"Calm down, Nordheim," Peony cut in. "If it was really going to be an act of aggression on Kimlasca's part they wouldn't be telling us about it."

"It could be a ploy to make us lower our defences," the first man suggested.

"Now, now Sesemann," Peony argued. "Your dear apprentice Jade deems them trustworthy, and you've heard the story same as me. I don't think this is all smoke and mirrors. We'll keep a closer watch on St. Binah and let you know of anything unusual. So far all the news that's made it this far is of some minor earthquakes around that region."

"Do you think that could have come from operating the passage ring in that area?" Luke asked.

"It's a possibility," Jade replied.

"But we didn't feel an earthquake after the Meggiora Highlands," Anise pointed out.

"True, but we've also spent a lot of time in the air," Asch pointed out.

"Ugh, don't remind me," Anise grumbled.

"It wouldn't be hard for something like that to escape our notice," Jade agreed.

"But I thought the Score said that nothing would happen?" Anise protested. "The Score can't be wrong….can it?"

"The Score?" Peony inquired.

"Please, your Majesty," Asch replied, "we have reason to doubt the validity of the Score that was read. Besides, St. Binah wasn't specifically addressed in the Score when we checked. We would be going strictly on the basis that it wasn't mentioned. I'm not willing to risk that many lives on such a technicality, especially when we don't know the contents of the Seventh Fonstone."

"You have a way with words for someone your age," Peony commented. "I'll have General Frings and his men keep an eye on the city for you. I don't want to see any more of my people meet the fate those of Akzeriuth did either."

That's right, Luke suddenly realized. Akzeriuth was Malkuth territory; all those people that died were his citizens. Under his seemingly carefree demeanour, Peony bore a huge burden. All those lives were partially his responsibility, and it was his job to protect his people. Luke looked over at Asch and couldn't help but wonder if he bore the same burden for Kimlasca.

"Thank you, your Majesty," Luke and Asch simultaneously answered with a bow.

"In exchange, we'll head for Baticul and see what we can do about putting a stop to this war nonsense," Natalia offered. "Mohs must be dealt with."

"Yeah," Asch agreed. "It seems that he has his own reasons for wanting to see a war, there's a pretty good chance that he has Uncle's ear."

"Jade," Peony spoke up. "Go with them and help them out."

"As you wish your Majesty," Jade replied and rejoined the group.

"Let's go get Ion," Anise suggested. "If we're dealing with Mohs, then we're going to need his help."

"I agree," Natalia nodded. "We won't let him take advantage of father."

"Thank you for your help your Majesty," Asch reiterated with a quick bow. "We'll do our best to put a stop this war."

"Thanks guys, I really owe you one," Peony replied. "I don't want to see any war either; but remember, if it comes, I won't hesitate to protect my people." Natalia smiled and nodded. Maybe he wasn't such a terrible ruler after all.

"Then we had best be going," Jade suggested. "Baticul is no short trip, even in the Albiore."

"Good luck you guys!" Peony called after them. As the giant doors to the throne room slammed shut the group heard one last whisper.

"Your Majesty," Sesemann hissed, "it's impolite to address them as 'you guys'." No one could resist a chuckle as they found their way out of the palace. Apparently even emperors needed a scolding every once in awhile.

Ion rolled over in bed and slowly opened his eyes. Guy was still sleeping silently in the bed next to his. He seemed to be doing much better. The weariness still seemed to weigh down on Ion and he felt horribly tired, but at least Guy wouldn't have to worry about the curse slot when he woke up. Ion sighed as his weakness tried to lure him back into slumber, but he simply lay there, trying his best to fight it off. The others would probably be back soon, and if he let Anise see how worn out he was, he would never hear the end of it.

She was always so worried, so overbearing about ensuring his wellbeing. It was probably a good thing; otherwise he would have likely gone past his limits a long time ago without even noticing. He did have a bad habit of not paying attention to his body's needs, namely for rest, so it really was a good thing that at least one person was looking out for his own best interest. He certainly never seemed to. But it wasn't like her constant mothering really bothered him. He kind of… liked it. It was nice to have someone who cared.

Ion had many people who cared now, so many friends, and it made him happy. He may be the Fon Master, but if anything, that had only further isolated him. He'd never really had anyone other than Anise. Now he had everyone, Asch, Luke, Tear, Jade, Natalia, Guy, and he still had Anise of course. He would do anything for them.

Ion rolled over again, though his body begged him to go back to sleep, he had to get up. There would be time to sleep on the Albiore, he would be needed soon. Ion blinked a couple times, the shadow that loomed over him finally piercing through his sleep fogged mind. Who?

But before Ion could make heads or tails of the figure standing next to his bed, darkness overcame him, and in spite of his resolve, he was forcefully returned to a world of slumber.

"A green-haired boy and a blonde, you say?" the Inn keeper asked.

"That's right," Anise replied, "I was here with them earlier. They're our friends; we have to leave earlier than we had planned so we came to pick them up. But we left the key with them, and they're probably both asleep. We just need to borrow the spare key."

"Are you guys friends with that lady too?"

"Lady? What lady?" Asch inquired, an edge of panic in his voice.

"The violet-haired one, with the eye patch," the inn keeper replied. "She went up to visit them not five minutes ago. I gave her the spare."

No sooner had the inn keeper finished; a huge thump seemed to shake the ceiling, followed by the sound of a slamming door.

"You idiot!" Anise yelled at the inn keeper as everyone rushed up the stairs. How could they have been so stupid?! They hadn't expected the idiot to let a God-General just walk right in!

Everyone rushed up the stairs as fast as they could, but by the time they got to the room, both its occupants were already gone.

Chapter Text

"Shhht, quiet Guy. The Kimlascan Army will be here any minute now," a blonde girl took his hand. They were running. Why were they running? Where were mother and father?

"But Mary…"

"Not now Guy, you have to survive and carry on our house," Mary replied. They started running faster.

"They're here!" One of the maids cried. Mary looked around frantically. What was wrong? Why was Mary so scared? Where was everyone?

"Here," Mary led him to the fireplace. "Hide in here and don't make any noise."

"What about you Mary?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Now you hide and don't make a sound!"

The door burst open.

"You have to survive."

----

Guy cracked his eyes open and stared at the wall. It was that dream again. How many years had it been since he'd dreamt about Mary? Quite a few, but with things the way they'd been recently, he couldn't honestly say he was surprised. At least that damned curse slot was gone. He made a mental note to properly thank Ion later.

Guy shifted his head on the pillow, but a dull throb protested his movement. Why did his head hurt so bad? Guy brought his hand up and fingered the source, a lump behind his left ear. What in Auldrant… Bringing his arm back around in front of him, he felt his hand brush up against something… or someone. Were the others back already?

Wait, Guy suddenly snapped awake. Without moving, he glanced around as much as he could. This wasn't where he had fallen asleep. The walls were a different colour and the sun no longer streamed in the window even though it couldn't be later than noon. But if he wasn't in Grand Chokmah anymore… where was he?

"So you're finally awake," a vaguely familiar voice came from behind him. Though Guy couldn't quite put his finger on it, he did know one thing, it most definitely was not someone he wanted to find himself alone with. The blonde hesitantly rolled over. Not an inch from his face was a grinning violet-haired God-General.

Guy's heart jumped out of his chest and he found himself desperately clinging to the far bed post, as if that would stop the woman should she choose to advance. But she didn't, she simply sat on the other side of the bed in fits of laughter.

Eventually the God-General's laughter subsided, instead her single visible eyebrow was arched and she was giving him a rather pointed look. Guy's death grip slowly relaxed, now wasn't the time to be letting his fear get the better of him.

"Where's Ion?" Guy demanded. There was no way that she could have possibly taken on the entire group, which meant she must have grabbed him and Ion before everyone got back from wherever they had gone. Ion never did mention what they had been up to.

"In his room," the woman replied. "He's being forcefully held there, but he's in his room."

"Why did you take me prisoner too?"

The violet-haired woman sighed.

"Cantabile…" Guy began. "It's you isn't it?"

"Well, well Gailardia," Cantabile replied with a smile. "It looks like I'm not the only one that remembers our past."

The room showed little sign of struggle. The blankets were half-heartedly strewn across the bed, and a few papers had been knocked onto the floor. The vase on the nightstand had fallen over, but hadn't broken, and one of the pillows was sitting in the far corner of the room. Had Luke not known that the Fon Master and his best friend, the person he hoped was still his best friend, were supposed to be sleeping soundly in those two beds he would have thought that someone had simply woken up in a hurry.

"Damn, they're already gone," Anise grumbled when she walked back in the room. The Fon Master Guardian had flown up the stairs in attempt to catch the assailant in their escape. With only one staircase and them at the bottom of it, the culprit only had one way to go, and that was up. "Looks like Gloomietta was in on it too," she continued. "The two of them took off of a couple of those birds of hers."

"They could be going anywhere," Tear pointed out. "How are we going to find them?"

"Easy," Luke proclaimed.

"How's it going to be easy?" Asch gave his little brother a pointed look.

"Because they left behind a witness," Luke replied holding up a ball of blue fur. The little cheagle had opted to stay with Guy and Ion at the inn while the rest of them had visited the palace. From the looks of things, the little guy had just been thrown aside when the God-Generals had attacked.

"Master?" The cheagle's voice came out faintly.

"Yeah," Luke replied. "Are you okay, Mieu?"

"Master!" Mieu jumped right out of Luke's grip and clung to the unexpecting young noble. "I'm so glad to see you! I was so scared!"

"Easy, easy," Luke plucked the cheagle off his face and placed it on his head. "What happened here?"

"The God-Generals came for Ion," Mieu explained. "They took Guy too; I tried to stop them but… mieuuuu." The cheagle's ears sank in disappointment. "They just threw me aside and said they had to hurry back to Daath before everyone else got back," Mieu finished.

"They said they were going to Daath?" Asch confirmed.

"Yes they did!" Mieu perked up realizing the information he had given had proven useful.

"Then I guess we're going to Daath," Luke stated disappointedly. "No offence or anything Anise, but I hate Daath. Nothing good ever happens in Daath."

"None taken," Anise replied. She agreed wholeheartedly.

"It bothers me," Asch stated.

"What does?" Tear inquired.

"Ion, I understand, but what use do the God-Generals have for Guy?"

"That's a good point. They purposefully kidnapped him as well, and taking a second person requires a significant amount of effort. It wasn't something done on a whim," Tear pointed out.

"Could they be planning some sort of trap?" Natalia suggested.

"But why bother with Guy?" Anise asked. "They know we'll come for Ion, it's not like they need bait."

"Thereis always the possibility that he's useful to them," Jade suggested.

"Guy's not a traitor," Luke protested. "He may want…." Luke trailed off before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter, he's not a traitor!"

"I was simply implying the possibility," Jade replied. "If that is the case what will you do? The God-Generals have clearly shown some sort of interest in him, and he has some kind of resentment against the two of you. What are you planning to do?"

"We'll rescue him," Asch provided shooting a glance at his sibling. "But after that… he's going to have a lot explaining to do."

"So who did your parents end up choosing anyway?" The blonde took a sip of his drink before returning to haphazardly drowning the ice cubes with his straw.

"I don't know, some whiny brat from the Western District." Cantabile replied with a shrug.

"Oh, nowthat would have been a happy marriage." Guy rolled his eyes.

"Tell me about it, I would have strangled him by the time he was twenty." Both of them laughed.

"Cantabile…" Guy asked hesitantly after a moment. "What are you doing?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? What does it look like I'm doing?" She replied with a pointed look. "I'm sitting in a café having a dr-"

"You know what I mean." Guy cut her off, waving his arm to indicate their surroundings. They were seated in a little café that was nestled on a small corner in Daath. Just off the main road going in and out of the city, the little shop did well, and the two rather unusual customers went otherwise unnoticed; their conversation lost to anyone but each other amidst idle chatter of the crowd.

"And this is just bothering you now?" Cantabile teased. The two of them had been chatting away for at least an hour if not two already, but still the God-General smiled. "I'm just catching up with an old friend," she replied simply. The last of Guy's tension relaxed, maybe for once, things really were all that they seemed to be.

"Hey, can I ask you something random?"

"Sure," Cantabile replied.

"Does Legretta have a thing for Van?"

"That would be putting it lightly," Cantabile teased. "The woman's borderline obsessed. I've never seen anyone quite as devoted to someone as she is to Van. It's a real pity."

"What is?"

"At one point Van seemed to return the feelings but-"

"Not lately."

"Not lately," Cantabile confirmed.

"See, last time we were here in Daath, we had a rather… interesting encounter with Legretta," the blonde explained.

"I'd bet."

"Oh?" Guy inquired. "You know about it?"

"Not really, but I can only imagine. Did she seem a bit off?"

"Off? She was totally off her rocker," Guy replied. "Any chance she walked in on you and Van doing something questionable?"

"Guy," Cantabile sighed. "You of all people should know that that's the last thing on Van's mind these days."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I miss those days," Cantabile confessed. "When the three of us used to mess around at your place."

"Yeah," Guy smiled fondly. "We couldn't have been more than what? Five?"

"I was five and a half," Cantabile protested and the two of them burst out laughing. "You know," she began once they had both calmed down. "If things hadn't happened the way they did, he would have happily served you until the end of his days."

"Yeah," Guy replied solemnly, "I know."

"I think it's because we were such good friends as kids," Cantabile continued. "Van's always felt comfortable talking to me about stuff, you know? Especially lately, he's always so worried and stressed out about everything; he's going to burn himself out. I know he has to do it, I know why he has to do it, but I still hate seeing him like that. So I do all I can do, I listen when he wants to talk, and I try and help him keep things in perspective. That's why Legretta keeps running into us together and gets all worked up about it. But we're just talking. That's all."

"You still have feelings for him?"

"You remember that?" Cantabile asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I remember. You hid out in my room for three days when your parents told you you weren't allowed to marry him because he was from a lesser household."

"That was a long time ago," Cantabile chuckled. "A lot has happened since then, but I think once all is said and done, it was just a childish crush. We're good friends, but nothing more than that. Besides, he really did have a thing for Legretta," the violet-haired God-General winked.

"You sure haven't changed," Guy's comment made Cantabile smile.

"You have though," she commented and with a devilish smirk motioned to take Guy's hand. Without even realizing what he was doing Guy recoiled, scrambling to grab the table's edge when he nearly knocked his chair over backwards. The entire café seemed to fall silent as everyone turned to see what the source of sudden commotion was. Slowly, as everyone lost interest in the blonde, the murmur of the crowd returned.

"I'm so pathetic," Guy sighed as his head sank down onto the table.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Cantabile said with a soft smile. "It's not like you can help it."

"But still, it's so-"

"I'm sorry," Cantabile's solemn statement cut Guy off and caught him by surprise. "I'm sorry about what happened to your family."

"It's okay," Guy confessed. "To be honest, I don't really remember much about what happened. I've been remembering bits and pieces of it lately, but it's all still pretty blank."

"Can't say I'm all that surprised considering what happened," Cantabile commented. "Maybe it's for the best that way. There are days I wish I couldn't remember watching my mom die."

"Your whole family was killed too?"

"No," Cantabile explained. "Just my parents. Well, I assume my dad was killed, he had gone out when the military invaded. I never saw him after that. My mom was slaughtered right in front of me."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault," Cantabile protested. "It's those Kimlascan bastards that are to blame! After my mom was killed the soldiers didn't have it in them to kill me or my little brother. Apparently leaving us to starve to death was more humane."

Guy watched his childhood friend, amazed at the hatred that burned so vehemently within her. It surprised him; five minutes ago she had been the happy, carefree, little girl from his childhood, now… she was a force to be feared. Then again, it hadn't been all that long ago that same flame had burned within him. A desire for revenge, a desire for justice against the ones that had wronged them, was that really so wrong? To want to hurt the ones who had stolen all those memories from them, who had destroyed their future? It was something he had once wanted, and maybe still did.

"So where's your little brother now?" Guy asked.

"He didn't survive. He drowned in the miasma after the land fell," Cantabile replied solemnly.

"How did you escape?"

"I'm not entirely sure. I remember clinging to some kind of statue or rock, but I was in and out of consciousness the entire time. I don't know how I ended up in Yulia City, but Van was there when I woke up. I think he must have been the one that found me. No one else bothered to search for survivors."

"Van did that?" Guy inquired incredulously.

"Yeah," Cantabile answered. "He'd go out for days at a time trying to find anyone who had survived. He'd come back and he'd be worn right out. After me, he never found anyone else, but he wouldn't stop trying. It wasn't until the land finally sank that we were able to convince him to stop. It destroyed him."

"Funny, Tear's never said a word about any of that," Guy commented.

"She was still a baby at the time. Once I was well enough to get out of bed, I helped take care of her while Van was gone. Teodoro didn't like what Van was doing. He believed that everyone who was still out there, who hadn't somehow managed to make it to safety on their own, was meant to die; it was probably the reason he never mounted any sort of search and rescue effort. The Score condemned them so they should be left to their fate."

"I don't think that's right."

"Neither does Van, and I agree with the both of you. I still remember how disgusted I was when I heard him say that. One single prophesy is supposed to make everyone I care about worthless? Then let that prophesy burn in hell for all I care."

"So how did you end up here?" Guy asked curiously

"Well I lived in Yulia City for awhile; Van had already joined the Oracle Knights by the time I moved to Daath. When I was old enough, I joined too. I owed Van my life, and I wanted to help him. I agreed with his ideals, and his vision of the world. Besides, I had faith that if I followed my goals long enough, I'd eventually get to meet you again."

"Cantabile, I really am sorry. All these years I thought you had died, if I had known…"

"It's okay; you were chasing your own goals, just like I was chasing mine."

"Yeah," Guy replied. "I'm glad we met again."

"Me too," Cantabile agreed. "I wish it could have been sooner though. It might have made it easier for you to get through all those years working for those murderers."

"You knew about that?"

"Yeah, Van explained to me what you had decided to do. I really admire you for that. To have that kind of willpower… to choke down orders from cold blooded killers all these years. Don't worry," Cantabile smiled comfortingly. "I'm sure the chance to kill those two little brats of his will come soon. Then you'll be free."

Guy let out a sigh and stared into his glass. To be free, huh? But the question still remained…

Free from what?

And was it even something from which he wanted to be released?

The Oracle Knight crippled under the young noble's blade, his armour crashing as the soldier fell to the ground. The noise echoed in the hallway, but Asch simply watched him fall. In all likelihood the noise would signal to his comrades. He didn't care. Stupid. He was so stupid! Stupid to believe Guy had saved his life because he cared, the only damn thing Guy cared about was that fact Van still needed him. Let the bastards come. He'd destroy every last one of them.

My, my, Jade watched as Luke swung around sending the second guard crashing lifelessly in to the far wall, sinking to the ground much like his companion. The guards outside the Fon Master's room certainly hadn't stood a chance against those two, but really, couldn't they find a quieter way of venting their frustration? They were both completely wound up and quite upset. Beyond reason even. Not that Jade could really blame them, not with what they had just overheard.

After all, they had barely entered Daath when they caught a glimpse of their missing comrade, and despite the fact that they knew the blonde had some motivation to see both redheads six feet under, Luke at the very least, had been relieved to see him. That was when they noticed the company he kept. Now being caught with a God-General could mean a lot of things, but the fact that he was unrestrained, chatting over a couple of drinks with her in a small café on the corner,really limited those options.

So they decided to eavesdrop, the boys' last ditch attempt to give him the benefit of the doubt. Then…well suffice it to say that blew up in their faces. Even Luke could no longer entertain any of the doubts he had so desperately clung to. Though watching the two boys as they had made their way through Daath, each guard they came across becoming another unfortunate victim to their growing frustration and sense of betrayal, Jade couldn't help but wonder who it was harder on; Luke who had trusted his servant as long as he'd known him, or Asch, who had finally let down his guard, perhaps for the first time in his life.

But regardless, the two of them were incredibly focused on the task at hand; more so than Jade had ever seen them. Neither had spoken a word since the group hurried them off from the little café and their former companion. They were still in shock, unable to process the full extent of the truth they had uncovered. Asch got angrier, Luke withdrew, but they both forced themselves onward, neither of them saying a word. They needed to rescue Ion, and they needed to stop the war. If Guy decided to get in their way… then they would just have to deal with that when it came.

All things considered it had been a much simpler task than Jade had previously expected. Aside from Natalia and Tear struggling to keep their respective charges in check and free from injury from time to time, the rest of them really didn't have to do much in the way of fighting. As reckless as the two boys may be, this was probably a good way for both the young nobles to express their feelings. Much better than leaving it bottled up inside where it threatened to explode at a more inconvenient instance. Even Luke, who Jade had feared might do just that, had joined in the fray and quickly gotten over his initial withdrawal. So while they were being more than excessive and rather loud, Jade would allow it. It was better than the alternative.

"This is Ion's room right, Anise?" Luke inquired.

"Definitely," The Fon Master Guardian replied.

"It's unlocked," Asch commented.

"Ion never locks his door," Anise explained.

"But they're holding him captive," Tear pointed out. "Why leave the door unlocked?"

"It does seem rather counter intuitive," Natalia commented as everyone walked in through the door into a small office. It was a rather barren room in spite of the decorated walls. At the center stood a lone desk and chair, all neat and tidy; a thin layer of dust indicating it hadn't been used in quite awhile.

"There is of course the alternative option," Jade pointed out.

"What's that?" Luke asked as he opened the door on the far side of the room.

"What did I tell you idiots about-" The young God-General's scolding was cut off when she noticed exactly who it was who entered the room.

"Gloomietta," Anise seethed.

"What are you doing here Anise?!" Arietta snapped back.

"That there's someone else in there with him," Jade finished with a disappointed sigh. He had so hoped to get in and out without encountering a God-General this time. Oh well, some things it seemed, were simply inevitable.

"Arietta," Ion began. "Please let me go with them."

"I'm sorry Ion, not this time," Arietta stood her ground before the Fon Master.

"Return Ion to us, Gloomietta. It's too small to get your monsters in here and you're out numbered. You know you don't stand a chance."

"I don't care! I'll never let Ion go with you!"

"Please Arietta," Ion pleaded. He didn't want to see her hurt anymore than he wanted the others to have to fight her.

"No," Arietta stated. "You're sick, you're worn out and you can barely stand, but none of these people even care! They drag you around everywhere making you do things for them and they don't even pay attention to your health! What kind of friends are those?! Anise doesn't even take care of you! I'll never let you go back with them."

"But Arietta," Ion argued. "We need to stop the war. Otherwise more people will get hurt."

"Then let them get hurt," the young God-General protested. "They're not worth your health or your life!"

"How can you say that, Gloomietta?!"

"No, how can you say otherwise, Anise?! You're supposed to be his guardian; you of all people should be looking out for him first!"

"I…" Anise found herself at a complete loss for words.

"Have you stopped your selfish ramblings for long enough to see what the Fon Master wants?" Asch shot.

"He raises a very good point," Jade began. "If you truly cared about the Fon Master like you claim to, then you would be quicker to consider what he wants. Shouldn't his happiness be your primary concern?" Tear stared at the Colonel, what was he going on about? True though it may be…hearing Jade lecture the young God-General, about love of all things, was just…weird. Weird, and not like him at all. Just what was going on?

"But I-" Arietta's retort was cut off when Asch's elbow landed in the God-General's stomach, knocking her unconscious.

"Colonel, you said all that stuff to distract her didn't you?" Tear realized.

"When did you two…?" Natalia looked back and fourth between Jade and her fiancée who was picking the unconscious girl up off the floor. When had they planned a strategy like that? Jade simply shrugged and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"Shall we be going?" The notorious Colonel suggested.

"Yes," Tear agreed. "Let's get out of here before any more reinforcements show up."

"Don't worry Ion," Luke provided. "She's just unconscious. She'll probably be awake pretty soon so we really need to get going."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Ion conceded.

"Man," Anise stretched as she exited the room followed by the others. "Why did we have to run into Gloomietta of all people? Dealing with her always ruins my day."

"True, but all things considered we were quite fortunate. Had we encountered her with her monsters, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly," Natalia commented. "Still, it would have been nice if we could have avoided the God-Generals altogether."

"Yeah well, let's face it, coming to Daath and hoping not to run into a God-General is kinda like whacking a hive of bees with a stick and hoping not to get stung." Anise's snide remark elicited a chuckle from the rest of the group. Jade simply watched the other laughing in the office as Asch did his best to make the young God-General look like she was sleeping on the bed behind him. With that stuffed animal she carried around it wasn't difficult. Disguising their attack on the girl would buy them some time, so long as people passing by assumed her to be sleeping. It was cute. Jade refrained from pointing out that the trail of Oracle Knight bodies they had left leading all the way up to the Fon Master's room made the entire effort futile.

"You didn't try to kill her this time," Jade pointed out once everyone else was out of earshot.

"You got a point old man?" Asch shot back.

"Not really," Jade shrugged.

"Come on you two!" Luke called back to the stragglers. "We need to get going!"

"Wait," Ion stopped in the middle of his office.

"Let's go," Asch ushered the young boy along as he walked by. His face had become unexpectedly dark and serious. "We don't have any time to waste. We need to get to Baticul as soon as we can."

"But what about Guy?" Ion innocently inquired.

A tense silence fell over the group, no one dared say a word.

"We need to get to Baticul," Asch repeated.

"For more than one reason."

"I'm not," Guy's answer was drowned out by the chattering crowd that surrounded him and his companion.

"Sorry Guy, I didn't catch that," the violet haired God-General sitting across from him replied apologetically.

"I'm not going to kill them. I won't have revenge if it means taking their lives."

Cantabile burst out laughing. The woman almost had tears in her eyes by the time she realized that Guy hadn't followed suit. Her laughter died down a bit. "You're not serious are you?" she managed between chuckles.

"I am."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Guy replied. "I may have wanted it a long time ago, and hell, if I got the chance to take a swing at that man, I sure as hell would take it. But I'm not going to hurt either of his sons; they haven't done a thing to deserve it. What's wrong with that?"

"What's wrong with that? I'll tell you what's wrong with that!" Cantabile had clearly become upset. Several of the people at nearby tables had vacated, claiming some empty seats further away from the impending feud. "That man killed your parents, murdered your sister, your friends! He slaughtered everyone one; women, children, people that were completely harmless and utterly defenceless! He slaughtered them all and laughed while he did it! What had they done to deserve it?! He deserves to have everything ripped away from him! He should wallow in a hundred times the pain he delivered to us!"

"I won't stoop to his level, Mary wouldn't have wanted that," Guy replied.

"Mary wanted? Mary can't want anything anymore! She's dead! And her only little brother won't even avenge her!"

"Don't talk about my sister that way!"

"What do you care? You abandoned her! You abandoned them all the second you abandoned your desire for revenge! What happened to you Gailardia? You used to be such a strong person. I looked up to you. Now… you're just a dishonour to their memory."

"I won't kill them," Guy repeated. "I won't have that innocent blood on my hands."

"Like father, like son. They aren't innocent, the same tainted blood flows in their veins. You used to be able to see that," Cantabile replied solemnly. Guy returned her cold stare, but offered no retort.

"Go on, get out of here," Cantabile stood up, braking Guy's gaze.

"What?"

"I said you can go, I have no reason to keep you here."

"Cantabile…" Guy tried.

"Get lost," Cantabile cut in coldly. "I hope you've come to your senses before the next time we meet…" With that, Cantabile turned around and started to walk away. She stopped for a moment and a soft whisper reached Guy's ears.

"I don't want to have to kill you too."

And then she was gone.

Guy lost track of how many hours he had wandered Daath; long enough for the sun to be setting over the horizon and most of the shops to be closing up for the day. He hadn't managed to overhear anything useful, or anything that might hint at where Luke and the others would be heading. Nothing about war, nothing about St. Binah, nothing useful in any way at all; Guy let out a frustrated sigh. He racked his brain, trying to remember anything the others had said that might give him a clue. Cantabile had let him go, but she'd be damned before she gave him a ride back to wherever she had picked him and Ion up.

Ion. There was an idea. He should try and find Ion; the others would obviously try and track the missing Fon Master down. Then again, getting to see him, alone, was probably not feasible. Guy started towards the cathedral, it was worth a shot. Worse case scenario he'd be told no.

The swoosh of a cloak caught Guy's attention. The blonde spun around but the street behind was empty, save for the last few merchants closing up shop. Guy hesitantly turned around, and continued down the small street to wards the main road. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of his stalker. The cloak hung down over the person's face, making them unidentifiable. Was it one of Cantabile's men?

No. Guy's memory suddenly kicked in. This mysterious hooded figure had been seated a few tables away when he and Cantabile had been fighting. Come to think of it, they had been just out of eye shot all day…. What were they after?

Guy slowed his pace and the person following got a bit closer, then in a sudden flurry of movement, Guy spun around and grabbed his pursuant, pinning them against the nearby wall. The stalker's hood slipped down revealing a head of bright pink hair and a woman grinning slyly at her captor. Guy jumped back, but his sword quickly took the place of his arm as her restraint.

"You're Noir from the Dark Wings, are you?" Guy demanded. The woman's smug grin confirmed his suspicions.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Noir still didn't answer.

"Why have you been following me?" Guy tried, this time bringing his sword threateningly closer to her neck.

"Who says I've been following you, sugar?"

"Don't screw with me," Guy replied coldly. "I'm really not in the mood for it right now. You've been following me all day."

"I'm doing a favour for a cutie," the pink-haired woman replied with a wink.

"You think I'd believe that? You're after revenge for Chesedonia aren't you? Well you won't find Asch and the others here."

"Oh please," Noir responded, rolling her eyes. "We're hardly that petty."

"Don't play me for a fool," Guy argued, his sword still inching closer to the bandit's throat. "You've been in our shadow ever since then. I thought I saw you back in Baticul, but I figured I was just seeing things. But then you were in Daath too, and in Sheridan. Everywhere we go, you've been. If you're not after revenge, then what are you doing? How long have you been following us?"

Noir's smug grin remained on her face. "I've been following you long enough to know that you wouldn't kill me."

"You know where the others are, don't you?" Guy continued, ignoring the truth behind Noir's statement. "Tell me."

"If you're looking for your friends, I wouldn't bother," Noir provided. "They saw you and your God-General friend enjoying yourselves so they grabbed the Fon Master brat and took off."

"They saw me?" Guy lowered his sword. Noir wasted no time slipping into the nearby alley and vanishing into the slowly advancing darkness.

Damn it! Guy pounded the stone wall. What had they been thinking when they saw him, what could have possibly gone through their heads? Guy couldn't even imagine. With everything that had just happened with the curse slot… they had come in knowing a dirty truth. Ion had warned him. Explained to him how a curse slot worked and told him how broken up Luke and Asch had been about it. Now they showed up to save him, only to find him hanging out with their enemy. How could he have been so stupid?! They had been here, they had taken Ion, and they had left.

They had left him. Now he had no one. Guy glanced back up at the cathedral, that was now nothing more than a black outline against a blood red sky. Well, maybe he didn't have no one.

What a mess this had turned out to be.

Chapter Text

Why was it that the longer they were gone, the more amazing Baticul's heights seemed to be when they finally returned? Though the recent betrayal of his best friend still weighed heavily on his mind, Luke couldn't help but embrace the overwhelming sense of relief that washed over him. He was finally home.

It had been a long time since they had been back to Baticul, and even their surroundings had begun to show it. The lush green trees surrounding the city had faded into various shades of gold and red, and many of their leaves had already fallen. The air had a cold bite to it, and while it would probably still be a month or two until the city got some snow, winter had set in. Luke let out an involuntary shudder.

'Cold?' Asch inquired.

'Just a little,' Luke sheepishly admitted.

'Then I guess it's a good thing we're going home,' Asch replied, the faint traces of a grin on his face. Luke was happy; it was the closest Asch had come to smiling in almost a week now. The trip from Daath to Baticul had been painstakingly long, and if someone tried to console either of them one more time, they would probably snap. Why couldn't everyone just stop talking about it? Guy was gone, and no amount of comfort was going to bring him back.

"Wow! It's really, really tall!" Mieu commented from his perch on Luke's shoulder. "I can't believe Master lives all the way at the top!"

Asch chuckled; despite everything that had just happened, he couldn't suppress the joy and relief that welled up inside of him as he watched the bustling streets of his hometown. He had been gone a lot longer than he had originally anticipated when he and Natalia had chosen to sneak off, and he was very glad to be back.

It had been long in coming too. Their trip from Daath had taken longer than anticipated. But by the second day, Noelle had pushed herself past her limits and even Jade insisted that they take a day off so she could rest up properly, rather than the scant few hours of sleep she had been allowing herself each night. Given the fact that the perky young pilot's hometown was only an extra 20 minutes out of the way, it had made for a convenient resting point. In the end, the unexpected stay in Sheridan had proven to be rather useful. They had managed to re-supply the Albiore II and visiting with Ginji had really helped take his mind off things for a bit. The first Albiore was almost finished its repairs, but much to Ginji's dismay, Iemon refused to deem it ready to fly, so the silver haired pilot was forced to wait before he could rejoin his friends on their journey.

But when they had departed again, Asch felt his sullenness return. The others kept trying to comfort him, but that only made it worse. They didn't understand at all. He didn't hate Guy nearly as much as he hated himself for being stupid enough to believe in him. After so many years, you'd think he would have known better. He should have been expecting it. So why did it hurt so much?

Beside him, Luke let out another shiver. Not surprising given the flimsy top he was wearing. While it worked just fine on a summer afternoon under a jacket, it wasn't in any way suited for Baticul as it bordered on winter.

"Natalia where are you going?" Anise piped up when the princess diverged from the group. "The lift is this way."

"There's something important I have to look into," Natalia replied.

"Natalia, don't go up to the castle alone," Asch interjected. "We should all go together. There's no saying what Mohs has told Uncle, or what he might do to make sure Uncle keeps believing it."

"Don't worry," Natalia smiled. "While you two stop in at the manor, I just want to verify something I heard while we were away."

"Okay," Asch finally decided. "But promise me you won't go up to the castle by yourself."

"I promise," Natalia took Asch's hand and looked him straight in the eye. "I won't try to go see my father. I'll meet you at your manor once I'm done and we can go together, okay?"

"Alright, I'll see you there," the redhead conceded as they watched Natalia make her way through the early morning crowd.

"You think she'll be okay?" Anise inquired. Natalia was no longer visible, even from the lift that they were now riding to reach Baticul's highest level.

"She'll be fine," Luke provided. "She knows Baticul like the back of her hand."

"Maybe, but she does tend to go a bit overboard sometimes. Do you think she really meant what she said about not going to the castle?" Anise asked rather sceptically.

"She may go overboard sometimes, but she's still got a good head on her shoulders," Asch replied. "She won't go up there on her own and risk jeopardizing this attempt to stop the war."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It is all she's talked about for the past month," Anise rolled her eyes. There was being passionate about something, and then there was Natalia. That girl was scary when she was on a mission.

"Can you blame her?" Tear asked. "She's a princess worried about her country, I think that's perfectly natural."

"Indeed, it's likely why the people here regard her so highly. As they do our troublemakers," Jade added with a smirk. Luke and Asch couldn't resist a smile. Making their way through Baticul had ended up taking ten times longer than it should have, every few feet they were met by another group of people overjoyed to see that they were alive and well. They could only imagine what a time Natalia must be having.

"Say Asch?" Luke asked once the last lift had come to a stop.

"What is it?"

"Why are we going home to the manor?"

"What kind of question is that?" Asch shot back. "Why wouldn't we go back home?"

"I know, but when we left Daath you were pretty avid about going home to the manor. Not to Baticul, not to the castle, to the manor. Why?"

"Youwere quite particular when we departed," Jade pointed out. "Might it have something to do with our defective comrade?" Asch didn't answer, but it didn't take a genius to figure out the answer.

"M-Master Luke! Master Asch!" One of the guards on duty at the manor's gates noticed the boys. He almost didn't believe it at first, but when they had gotten closer, there was no doubt. He was so glad to see them both, and both relatively uninjured. The tense air that had settled over the manor after news had reached them of Akzeriuth had been unbearable. Everyone had been on edge and fraught with concern. Even the Duke, who normally spent a great deal of time away, had stuck close to home as of late; waiting, hoping beyond all hope for any sort of message that his children might have survived, that they might be okay.

"Shall we be going then?" Jade suggested.

"Sure," Luke agreed, smiling and waving at the guard in recognition of his welcome.

"I'm glad to see you are both well! The Duke and Lady have been overcome with worry!"

"I somehow doubt Father was all that concerned," Asch mumbled to himself earning a jab in the side from Luke.

Though Baticul had changed over the course of their absence, their manor had not. The morning light was streaming in the windows from the courtyard and lit up the familiar room. Three pillars formed a grand archway and the vaulted ceiling only added to the grandeur of it all. The sole presence in the room was that of the guard, dutifully standing in front of the drawing room, and an older man, standing alone, staring up at a sword that hung decoratively on the nearest pillar.

"Père!" Luke called out to the gardener.

"Master Luke!" The man turned around. "Master Asch! You're alive!"

"Yeah, we're fine," Luke provided. Père's smile faded as his eyes passed through the group.

"Where's Guy?" He asked. Asch clenched his fists and an awkward silence settled throughout the entire room.

"Guy's…no longer travelling with us," Luke eventually managed.

"I see," Père replied simply.

"You don't sound very surprised," Jade pointed out, eyeing the gardener suspiciously.

"He's always been one to follow his own path," the gardener explained.

"Ah, so you know him well then?" Jade inquired.

"I've worked with him here for many years, so I guess you could say that." Jade eyed the man, but ceased his interrogation.

"So what are you doing here in the entryway?" Luke inquired curiously. It was odd to see Père simply hanging around; he usually kept himself pretty busy outside and around the yard.

"Well the flowers don't need much tending this time of year so-"

"That sword," Asch cut him off, not buying the diversion that had easily satisfied his sibling.

"Oh this?" Père inquired.

"That sword belongs to Guy doesn't it?"

Luke looked up at the sword Asch was referring to. It was a beautiful blade, wonderfully crafted with a golden hilt. The gold wrapped around a beautiful blue jewel that was set in the center. The blade hung straight and clean, untainted by the wear and stain of battle. It had been there for longer than Luke could remember. How could it belong to Guy?

"Ahh…" Père paused for a moment. "Well yes," he finally conceded. "Though one could technically say it belonged to his father."

"But what is Guy's dad's sword doing here?" Luke asked.

"Gaillardia Galan, son of house Gardios, one of the more prominent noble families on Hod," Jade provided.

"You knew?" Asch eyed the Colonel.

"I had my suspicions," Jade pushed his glasses back up with his forefinger. "So I looked into it while we were in Grand Chokmah."

"So Guy's actually a noble?" Luke still couldn't quite follow what they were all talking about.

"Yes," Jade provided. "A Malkuth noble at that."

"But how did you know that?" Luke inquired, this time requesting answers of his older sibling. How in all of Auldrant could Asch have known that?!

"It's his fighting style, isn't it?" Père spoke up.

"Yes, that and something he had mentioned to me on the Albiore when we were on the way to get Tear," Asch replied. "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but after everything that's happened, it started to bug me."

----

"Asch," Guy hesitantly began. "Maybe I could explain a few things…"

"What's that?" The redhead replied with a smile.

"When I was young, the reason that I started working at your manor…" the young servant continued.

"What is it?" Asch looked at him curiously, the blonde's sudden hesitation spiking his curiosity.

"No, never mind," Guy dismissed the thought. "It's not important, forget I said anything."

----

"It reminded me," Asch continued. "When we were younger, he used to stare at that thing when he thought no one else was around."

"Is his fighting style really that unique?" Tear inquired.

"Yes, the Sigmund style is a fighting style unique to Hod," Jade explained. "Very few people are left that are still fluent in it. Why do you ask?"

"Well it's just that Major Cantabile uses the same style," Tear explained. "She trained me since I was little but I wasn't aware she was from Hod."

"Cantabile?" Père's attention was drawn by the name of the God-General. "Cantabile is alive?"

"Ah, so you do know Guy," Jade slyly remarked. "More than just as a co-worker. Because, if I recall correctly, Cantabile was the name of the daughter of another of Hod's noble families. Just another little tidbit that caught my eye, after all, Cantabile isn't a very common name." Père bit his lip, but not in time to catch his blunder.

"You knew Guy before he came here?" Luke inquired, still struggling to keep track of what was going on.

"I did," Père confessed. "I was his sword instructor when we still lived on Hod."

"If I remember it right, Father was the one who led the forces to attack Hod," Asch pitched in. Things were finally starting to make sense.

"That's right," Père confirmed. "Duke Fabre was the one that attacked our household. The Lord and Lady were both killed as was the rest of his family. Most of the servants were also killed. It was a terrible war, many people were needlessly slaughtered and a great deal of hatred and resentment was born."

"If the Kimlascan forces resorted so low as to slaughter even the servants, how did the family's sole male heir survive?" Jade inquired.

"I can't say for certain," Père conceded. "I found him unconscious under the body of his sister and those of her attendants." Luke covered his mouth, his stomach lurching at the thought. Their father…had donethat?

"It was Guy's decision to come work at the manor here," Père continued.

"He wanted revenge," Asch realized, the last piece of the puzzle falling into place. "He probably plans to kill us to get back at Father for killing his family."

"But why didn't he? I mean, he had plenty of chances," Luke pointed out.

"Perhaps he changed his mind over the years," Ion suggested. "Based on that fact alone, Sync could still use the Curse Slot to have him try to kill you. The feeling was there at one point, but it might not still be lingering."

"That still doesn't explain what we overheard," Asch pointed out bitterly.

"I still don't understand," Tear spoke up. "How does Major Cantabile fit into all this?"

"Cantabile…" Père muttered. "It's been a long time since I've heard that name."

"Did you know her too?" Anise asked.

"If it is truly the one that I'm thinking of, then yes, I knew her well," the gardener replied. "She was the youngest daughter of another prominent noble house. At one point her family was considering marrying her off to Guy, but the idea fell through and they eventually chose another lad. In spite of this, the two of them remained close friends, along with Van who served Guy at the time."

"Master Van was one of Guy's servants?!" Luke's astonished cry interrupted the elder man's tale.

"Yes and no, he was not a servant in our house. Rather, he was a member of the Fende household. For generations the Fende had served the members of House Gardios, and of course, Van and Guy were no exception. The two were quite close as children. Guy always looked up to Van like an older brother. Along with Cantabile, the three of them were inseparable, they did everything together. I still remember how relived Guy was when he and Van reunited after Hod."

"And they've been close ever since," Asch noted, saying everyone's thoughts aloud. "If he, Van and Cantabile have been close since they were kids, there's a pretty good chance Guy's been with them this whole time."

Guy was… Guy was with Master Van? All this time, he had been lying to them, deceiving them all? Luke just couldn't believe it; it was too hard to swallow. Guy had followed him to Akzeriuth; Guy had been there when he came back. Guy had been through everything with them, and his best friend had never let him down. Not once. Had all that kindness really been by design, just as Master Van's had been? Why was everyone he cared about being ripped away?!

"What's going on in here?" Duke Fabre's authoritative voice echoed in the entry hall where the manor's newest guests were now silently standing. He entered from the drawing room followed by his wife and a servant who was talking far too fast for either of her patrons to catch a word of it. Realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, the flustered young maid simply bowed and pointed at the crowd that stood near the door.

"Asch! Luke!" Susanne ran over and both her sons found themselves trapped in her embrace. Despite the fact that both of them felt that they were too old for such signs of affections, in front of their friends no less, the cold tears that fell onto their shoulders kept either of them from moving. Instead, they simply allowed themselves to relax and gently returned the gesture. "I'm so glad you're both alive, I was so worried!"

"We're sorry Mother," both boys replied in unison. Susanne let go of the two of them, but refused to allow them out of her sight as if she were afraid they would vanish again if she did.

"Where have the two of you been?" Duke Fabre stepped in. "Why didn't you promptly return after what happened in Akzeriuth?"

Asch scowled. Leave it to Father to find something to scold them about when they had finally made it home. "We were busy," Asch finally provided.

"And what is more important than returning home and letting us know you were safe?"

"I sent word, did you not get it?" Asch matched his father's look and tone.

"We received it, but there was no way of knowing it was truly from you. With war ready to break out, it could have easily been a ploy from Malkuth. You of all people should know that."

Asch simply rolled his eyes, muttering something about no one else possibly being able to know about the things he wrote down; but rather than start an argument with his father, Asch returned his attention to their mother who proceeded to interrogate him on the state of his wellbeing. Only Luke saw the relieved smile that graced their father's face once Asch's back was turned.

"Father," Asch spoke up after several minutes of conversation in the entryway.

"What is it?" Duke Fabre replied sternly, but not with the anger or scolding tone in his voice this time.

"May I have that sword on the wall?" Asch asked, meeting his father's look with an equally intense one of his own.

"But Asch, isn't that sword technically Guy's?" Luke asked hesitantly, afraid to interrupt Asch and his father's staring contest.

"Exactly," Asch replied. "If he really did betray us, then it's going to be the first thing he'll come after."

"Ah, so that's why it was so urgent to return to your manor," Jade realized. "You believe Guy may target it to retrieve his family heirloom."

"That's right, and if he wants it back, I want him to have to face us for it."

"Fine," Duke Fabre conceded. "You may have the blade. I'll get Ramdas to take it down and retrieve the sheath for you later."

"If possible, could you get him to retrieve it now?" Asch asked as politely as he could.

"It's really important that we go talk to Uncle right away," Luke explained. "We're not sure how long it's going to take or if we'll be able to stop by again before we leave the city."

"If you're looking to speak with my brother, it will have to wait until this afternoon anyway," Susanne provided.

"Why's that?" Asch asked. "Uncle has always seen guests this time of day."

"Not lately," their mother replied. "Every since Natalia disappeared, he hasn't been well. He only accepts guests for a few hours in the afternoon now. Where is Natalia, anyway?"

"Don't worry," Jade cut in. "Our vivid, young princess is fine, she's just tending to a personal errand. She should be joining us as soon as she's done."

"Well speak of the devil," Anise piped up, hearing the door handle turn behind them. "Your timing is scary, you know that?" The Fon Master Guardian commented to the princess that had just walked in the door.

Natalia walked in, but if she heard Anise's comment, she chose to ignore it. She seemed lost in thought, and something was clearly wrong. It was written all over her face.

"Natalia? Are you okay?" Her fiancée inquired.

"Oh," Natalia snapped herself out of the daze she was in, putting on a smile that didn't fool anyone. "I'm sorry, I'm fine. Hello everyone, sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's alright," Susanne smiled, giving her niece a much needed hug. "It's just nice to see that you're well, your father has been absolutely distraught since you disappeared." Natalia smiled, but somehow seemed even sadder than she had before.

"So," Natalia spoke up, trying to disperse the attention that was suddenly focused on her. "What are we waiting for? Shall we head to the palace?"

"No good," Asch provided. "Apparently Uncle isn't seeing anyone until later this afternoon."

"Oh," Natalia's shoulders sank.

"Why don't you all take the chance to rest here until this afternoon comes around?" Susanne suggested. "You look like you've been through a lot, and could use a chance to relax."

"Thank you very much for your offer," Ion replied with a courteous bow. "I think that would be a wonderful idea."

"Splendid," Susanne smiled. She was more excited than Luke or Asch had seen her in quite awhile. "I'll have the chef prepare something nice for lunch."

"Alright!" Anise cheered from the back of the room.

'Are you sure this is okay?' Luke asked as everyone began to happily chat. 'I mean I feel kind of guilty about being so close to the castle and just hanging out around the house.'

'We really don't have much choice,' Asch replied. 'Besides, even we need the chance to unwind every once in awhile. Don't take these opportunities for granted.'

Luke laughed. 'I guess you're right.' But a more serious thought crossed Luke's mind and his laughter immediately ceased.

'What is it?' Asch asked.

'Why do you want Guy's sword?' Luke was still confused.

'Exactly what I said. I won't let him sneak around us for the rest of his life; if he wants his family sword, he's going to have to face us for it. Why do you ask?' Luke didn't reply. 'You want to talk to him, don't you?' Asch realized.

'I do, I want to know why.'

'Knowing doesn't always make it easier,' Asch pointed out.

'I know, but I still want to know, no matter how painful it may be.'

'Good. If you truly believe that, then you'll eventually find your answers.'

"So where did Luke go?" Tear inquired, noticing the redhead's absence from the courtyard where everyone was sitting.

"I believe he went to fetch something warmer to wear," Natalia provided. The princess' mood had improved considerably over the past few hours, and while she hadn't actually shared whatever was bothering her, she seemed to have gotten over it. Maybe she was just disappointed she hadn't been able to find whatever she was looking for.

"I believe that's where Asch went as well," Ion provided. "It must be nice for them to finally be able to come home, they've been away for a long time now."

"They have," Natalia agreed.

"Oh! I'm sorry Natalia," Ion stated, suddenly realizing the implications and to whom he was speaking.

"Don't be," Natalia chuckled. "I'll make it home soon enough. But Asch is with his father right now, he's fetching that sword that Asch asked for."

"I wonder what Asch has in mind," Tear pondered.

"I bet you he's worried that this place could become a target," Anise pointed out. "I mean, like he said, if it's that important, Guy's bound to come after it eventually."

"I suppose you're right," Tear conceded. She didn't like the idea of thinking of Guy as the enemy anymore than the rest of them, but even she had to face the facts at hand: Guy wanted Asch and Luke dead, and she refused to lose either of them. They had both become too important to her.

"That's much better," Luke's voice came from the other end of the courtyard, where the noble in question had just walked through the door.

"There you are dear," Susanne replied somewhat disapprovingly, but failing to maintain any degree of discontent with her son. The Lady of the house had kept their company since they had decided to sit outside in the courtyard to avoid the constant hustle of the servants as they came and went. "It's rude to keep your guests waiting."

"I'm sorry, Mother," Luke apologized.

"Well you're here now, that's what matters," she replied with a smile. Wow, she sure went easy on him, Anise noted how quickly Susanne had lost her dismay at Luke taking his sweet time. It was a miracle Luke was disciplined at all if that was any example of his childhood.

"No way," Tear interrupted. "Not happening. Go change."

"What?" Luke demanded. "It's warm."

Tear only shot him a pointed look eyeing him from top to bottom. Luke had chosen a black jacket; almost identical to the one Asch was currently wearing, and a longer black top that covered his abdomen. Other than the tail of the jacket that was split in two to accommodate his sword and the yellow edging, it might as well have been Asch standing before them.

"Fine," Luke grudgingly conceded.

"I don't care what it is, just go find an outfit that doesn't look like something Asch would wear," Tear called after the redhead who stomped back inside. Across from the melodist, Natalia was in a fit of giggles. "What is it?" Tear's curiosity finally got the better of her.

"Something that Asch wouldn't wear?" Natalia snickered. "Have you seen their wardrobes?"

"Identical?"

"Pretty much," Natalia explained. "They're twins. People always thought it was cute to give them matching outfits."

"Man, that must have been a pain!" Anise exclaimed. "Not only are they practically identical, but they have all the same clothes? How did you stay sane?"

"Thankfully, they didn't really like the idea of having matching wardrobes either," Natalia replied with a chuckle. "Needless to say they're pretty good friends with a couple of the seamstresses here in town. Asch's favourite colour is red, Luke's is yellow, so you can usually use that to tell whose outfit is whose. Of course that means absolutely nothing when they switch."

"No kidding, those two are freakishly good at that," Anise grumbled. "I still haven't got it figured out. Come on Colonel, out with it! How can you tell?"

"Yes, I admit, I'm rather curious as well," Natalia conceded.

"What makes you think I can tell?" Jade taunted.

"Come on tell me!" Anise pouted.

"Like I said it's quite simple," the Colonel began. "It's simply a matter of calculation. Asch steps at 1.26 second intervals and Luke steps at an interval of 1.43 seconds."

"You're not funny, Colonel!" Anise stuck her tongue out at the man.

"I'm being perfectly honest," Jade shrugged.

"I just wish they'd stop doing it," Natalia commented.

"But you know," Ion began. "To them, it's really just a game, a way for the two of them to have fun. I mean, for them to manage it so flawlessly, they must be very close."

"I guess you're right," Anise admitted. "It's just annoying."

"But they don't mean any harm in doing it," Tear replied. "They're both just trying to lighten things up a bit, I mean, we all laugh about it later, right? Deep down, they're both really good people at heart. It's just so hard to believe that someone like that caused Akzeriuth to…"

"Tear…" Anise began hesitantly. "…didn't anyone tell you? You didn't yell at Luke about it or anything, did you?"

"What? Why?" Tear eyed the Fon Master Guardian. "Tell me what?"

"Tear… Luke wasn't the one responsible for the disaster in Akzeriuth," Ion explained.

"It was Van," Asch finished for the Fon Master, making his way into the courtyard. He must have slipped away to change because he was wearing a different outfit than the one he'd had on earlier. The jacket was shorter, though still black with blue bands on the sleeves. Rather than trailing behind him, this one didn't even reach down past his waist. He had a plain black top underneath his coat and the edging at the end of the long sleeves matching the blue bands of the jacket. His black pants were decorated with a set of belts that supported his own sword as well as the one they had seen in the entryway that he wore next to it.

"Yes," Duke Fabre also joined them in the courtyard. "Had I known the man was capable of such atrocity, I would never have allowed him in this house."

"What?" Tear sat dumbfounded as she listened to Asch explaining the facts to her. That her brother had tricked Luke into causing Akzeriuth to collapse, about how Luke had kept it a secret out of guilt because he blamed himself, everything. She didn't quite understand it all, like how Luke could have destroyed a passage ring? But she just couldn't bring the questions to her lips, so she remained silent. Why didn't he tell her? Why didn't he stop her when she had gone and lectured him about it? Or maybe he did, maybe he had tried to tell her, and she just wouldn't listen.

----

"Tear, there's something I have to tell-"

"Please, let me finish this."

----

She hadn't ever stopped to let him defend himself, not then, or after Akzeriuth. Not once had she ever given him a chance. Knowing that, just how was she supposed to face him?

Duke Fabre and Susanne were also hearing this story for the first time. Jade watched the expressions on the two nobles quite carefully, and only he saw through the indifference on the Duke's face. He was equally talented in the art of hiding one's emotions, and it took one truly well versed to see through it. Something Asch wasn't quite capable of, and caused him a great deal of irritation as a result. Though whether it was that, or just the boy's usual caution that kept Asch from explaining the part about him and Luke being able to create a hyperresonance, Jade wasn't quite sure. It certainly didn't do much for Tear's understanding of the situation. Oh well, she'd find out eventually.

"Better?" Luke demanded, bursting back out in the courtyard, completely unaware of the topic of the conversation he had interrupted. Admittedly, his irritation at the fuss being made over his choice of clothing considerably lightened the mood. Clearly he had never needed to meet anyone's expectations as far as clothing was concerned. It certainly made one wonder why he was trying so hard all of a sudden.

Luke's second outfit looked surprisingly practical, especially considering who it was on. Like Asch, Luke had chosen a shorter coat, probably tired of the coat tails getting in the way in battle. This one still ran down to his knees but was more beige in colour than the one he'd abandoned in Yulia City. The edging was a rusty colour and matched the cuffs on the long-sleeved top he wore underneath. He wore a set of belts similar to Asch's but his sword was still strapped behind him, where the jacket split. On his feet he wore matching boots that looked far more durable than the shoes he had on before. All things considered, the ensemble he had put together looked rather good on him, and the colour almost seemed to resonate in his hair giving it a somewhat rusty hue.

"Much better," Tear replied, somewhat solemnly. She still couldn't shake the pit in the bottom of her stomach. But seeing as she wouldn't likely get a reason for Luke's lack of explanation without upsetting him, she let it go for the time being. Maybe she could bring it up later, but for now, she just didn't have the heart to drag him down. Not when his mood had finally picked up for the first time in a week.

"You know, what I don't get is why it's so cold here when it was so warm in Grand Chokmah." Luke inquired as he sat on one of the planters, taking an open spot in the circle that his parents and comrades had formed.

"Grand Chokmah is on the opposite side of the world, so their seasons are opposite from ours," Asch explained. "So while we're almost in winter here, they're just starting summer."

"I'd like to see Grand Chokmah in the winter time someday," Luke commented. "With all that water it must be really beautiful."

Susanne happily sighed as the conversation turned to the many places her sons had been. They had seen so many places and done many things, not all of them easy, not all of them pleasant. Especially Luke; he had been through a lot, but he had grown up so much in the short time he'd been away. She could see it in his eyes. He was so much more open minded, more aware of the world around him and the people in it. It was so wonderful, but at the same time, it was frightening.

For now he longed for that world. He yearned for the sky beyond the cage in which he'd been content all these years. It was as obvious to her as the sun overhead; the light that lit up in his eyes when he spoke of all those places he'd seen was unmistakable. To hold him up here would be all the crueller, so while she wished with every essence of her being for her boys to stay home where they were safe; she also knew that wasn't possible anymore. Luke had grown up somewhere along the way, but she just wasn't ready to let him go.

"Lunch is ready!" One of the servants called across the courtyard.

"Let's go eat shall we?" Susanne suggested. "I had the chef prepare your favourite."

"All right!" Luke cheered and then proceeded to hurry everyone inside. But amidst the rolling eyes and stifled chuckles, Susanne couldn't help but smile.

Maybe he was still a child after all.

Man oh man what Anise wouldn't give to live a life like this. The food here was amazing, and she couldn't remember the last time she was so full. But she just had to try everything, it all looked so good! It would be a shame for any of it to go to waste, so what's an extra couple platefuls? Ion needed the sustenance anyway. He never ate enough, if it wasn't for her constantly shoving food in front of him, he'd be nothing but skin and bones!

But that wasn't the only reason lunch was good. Everyone at the table had been happy, and much more relaxed for the first time in quite awhile. Between Luke fretting over Tear, then Ion being kidnapped and now this whole Guy fiasco, it seemed like forever since everyone had been in a good enough mood to just sit down, eat, laugh and just enjoy themselves. It was a pity Noelle wasn't around, she probably would have loved to be in on it. Oh well, at least they could bring her some of the left over sandwiches.

"There you are Anise." The Fon Master Guardian jumped at the sound of Ion's voice.

"Don't scare me like that Ion!" Anise protested. She hadn't expected anyone else to join her in the otherwise empty entrance hall.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was just wondering where you were. What are you doing in here all by yourself?"

"Nothing really, just thinking I guess."

"Really? Thinking about what?"

"About everything," Anise replied nodding in the direction of the drawing room.

"I certainly was wonderful to see everyone happy and laughing again," Ion commented.

"Yeah, but I wonder if everyone's really as happy as they seem."

"What makes you say that?" Ion inquired curiously.

"Oh nothing," Anise dismissed the topic. "You know what else I was thinking about?"

"What's that?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes you." Anise replied in a tone of voice Ion knew meant only one thing: she was about to scold him. "You don't eat enough; no one's going to be offended if you help yourself to seconds. It's no wonder your health is so bad, you have to take better care of yourself!"

Ion laughed, knowing full well the truth behind what she said. But that angry pout she gave him when she scolded him was amusing. Something about it put his mind at ease. It was nice knowing someone else was looking out for him.

"Thank you, Anise."

"Thank you? What for?" Anise was caught off guard by Ion's reply. Usually he would happily reassure her that he'd do exactly as she said which always meant that he wouldn't. But really, Anise wouldn't have it any other way. He wouldn't be Ion otherwise.

"For caring about me," Ion provided. Anise stuttered a bit but couldn't quite formulate a response to the Fon Master's unexpected response.

"Anyways, do you mind coming to join us?" Ion finally asked. "The others are preparing to head over to the castle, and we would appreciate your presence in the other room."

"There's no need," Natalia interrupted as she came through the door from the drawing room followed by the others. "We'll just join you in here."

"So what is our course of action?" Ion inquired once the entire group as well as both Duke Fabre and Susanne had joined them in the entrance hall.

"Well we don't really have a formal plan," Tear replied.

"Yeah," Asch confirmed. "We're just going to go see Uncle and hopefully we can talk him out of this. Natalia and I are both alive, so he shouldn't have any reason to want to continue with war. I can't think of any possible benefit war would have for Kimlasca beyond seizing territory, and that isn't something Uncle would do."

"Uh guys," Anise hesitantly spoke up, her face glued to the window. "I think we might have a bit of a problem."

"Why what's the matter?" Luke joined her at the window.

"What is it?" Jade demanded.

"Oracle Knights," Luke cursed. "And not just a couple of them; there has to be at least a dozen, and I bet there are more that I can't see from here."

"Damn, they must have realized we're here!" Asch pounded his fist against the nearby pillar.

"But how?" Tear asked.

"Enough people saw us on our way here," Jade provided. "It wouldn't be difficult information to obtain."

"Can we assume their objective is to stop us from getting to the castle?" Natalia inquired.

"I'd say that's a safe bet," Asch replied. "Mohs doesn't want Uncle to know we're alive."

"Yeah, I bet he's really pissed since Peony won't listen to him anymore," Anise stated.

"That's likely the case," Jade agreed. "He won't risk his hold over the world's other power. So what is our plan?"

"Can't we just take them on?" Luke asked.

"We can't risk losing Ion," Asch replied. "If we lose and are captured, then that means they'll take Ion back to Daath. As much as I hate to say it, priority goes to making sure Van can't access any other passage rings."

"I hate to agree, but he's right," Natalia conceded. Everyone, including Asch turned to Natalia in shock. "What?" Natalia looked at them all, almost offended that they seemed so surprised. "If Van continues to access the passage rings, than even Kimlasca will end up falling into the Qliphoth. It will be easier to find another opportunity to get to the castle than to raise the land again."

"Our princess raises a very valid point," Jade agreed.

"This is nonsense!" Duke Fabre interrupted. "No one is going to keep my guests, my children, prisoner in their own house! I'll have the White Knights deal with these fools at once."

"No, don't!" Asch protested.

"Why not? I mean, if we can get to the castle, then all the better right?" Anise looked up at the redhead confusedly.

"If we cause an incident here now, then Father will lose favour in court and no one will be able to do anything," Asch stated before turning to the man he was speaking of. "Since we won't be able to make it to the castle, can I ask you to do your best to stop this war? I know it's not likely possible for you alone, but if you could delay things as much as possible, we'll go speak with Emperor Peony and try to work on relations from the other end."

"Of course we can," Susanne pitched in. "Don't you worry about a thing here, we won't let my brother do anything rash, now will we dear?"

Duke Fabre looked down at his wife who had just taken hold of his arm. She certainly picked odd things to be eager about. "No of course we won't," he finally provided. "This war has no justification, I won't see lives thrown away for nothing."

"Thank you, Father," Luke gratefully replied. "We'll do our best as well."

"That's great and all," Anise interjected. "But those guards are standing right outside your gate. Even if we don't intend to go to the castle, I highly doubt they're going to let us just stroll out of here."

"Leave that one to us," Luke replied with a wink.

"What do you plan to do?" Tear inquired.

"We'll show you when you get there, for now let's head out the back into the yard."

"Alright," Tear replied but still had a suspicious eye on the young noble. Just what did he have in mind? But for the time being she followed the others into the drawing room, leaving the Fabre family alone to say their goodbyes.

"Luke, Asch," Susanne began once the others had left, giving each of her sons a hug. "Please do be careful."

"Don't worry Mother," Luke replied. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Be sure to look after each other."

"We will Mother," Asch answered. "We always do."

"Thanks again," Luke stated with a polite bow towards their father. Luke was so glad he agreed to Asch's request. Yeah it was great that he would help stop the war, but more than that, it was a step in the right direction for both of them. Who knew, maybe someday Asch would finally realize that in spite of what he believed, their father really did care about him. Even if it wasn't as obvious as he'd like it to be.

"You just do your best," Duke Fabre replied sternly. "I'd expect no less from either of you."

"We will. Thank you for your efforts as well," Asch replied stiffly, echoing his little brother's gesture.

"Best of luck to both of you," Susanne stated with a smile. "But you'd best get going, you shouldn't keep your friends waiting."

"You're right," Asch agreed. "We'd better hurry. Goodbye." Asch finished with one last hug for his mother.

"Goodbye!" Luke waved enthusiastically as he followed his sibling out the door.

"They certainly have grown, haven't they?" Susanne whispered softly to her spouse once their sons were both gone, gently laying her head on his shoulder.

"That they have. Time goes by so fast."

"It does," Susanne chuckled. "I still remember when we just had Asch running around the house. It doesn't seem like all that long ago, now does it?"

"No, it doesn't." Duke Fabre agreed with a rare softness to his voice. "They've both changed so much since then. Not that they didn't cause their share of troubles along the way."

"Do you ever regret taking Luke in?" Susanne inquired gently.

Duke Fabre thought on it a moment. "No, if anything they've both grown because of each other."

"They both have a bright future ahead of them," Susanne replied with certainty.

"They will," Duke Fabre added with determination. "I'll make sure of it."

"Why am I not surprised you two have an escape route?" Anise stated sceptically as she eyed the part of the wall to which Asch and Luke had led them. Two nearby trees and worn out ridges in the stone made the barrier easy to climb, and the wear proved it had been used, and quite frequently. Luke just shrugged but didn't erase the mischievous smile on his face.

"You think you can climb it, Ion?" Luke finally asked, watching the Fon Master who was eyeing the wall hesitantly.

"I'm not sure," Ion admitted.

"That's okay," Luke reassured him. "Here, hop on my back, I'll carry you over."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure, I've climbed this wall tons of times, it's not a big deal." Luke quickly proved his point by allowing Ion up on his back and began to scale the wall.

"But what about me?" Jade asked his voice drowned in a mocking tone. "Someone as old and frail as I couldn't possibly scale this wall all on my own."

"Well then we'll just have to use that thick skull of yours to make a hole in the wall and then you can walk through," Asch shot back with an equally mocking tone.

"My, my, such violence," Jade shrugged.

"Okay we're good!" Asch heard his sibling call from the other side of the wall.

"What's that about?" Tear asked.

"Only one person at a time," Asch explained. "You'll see once you're over."

"Okay," Tear replied as she grabbed a hold of the same branch she had seen Luke take. Following in his exact footsteps she quickly found herself on the other side of the wall. She immediately saw why Asch had said only one person could go over at a time. The landing on the other side was nothing more than a small observation station. At best it might fit three people, and it made landing a great deal more nerve-wracking. All it took was a misplaced step to send you tumbling over the edge.

"Over here," Luke called once Tear had both feet safely on the ground. She found him and the Fon Master standing on a walkway that presumably led them towards the lift. Once he had taken her hand, Luke called over the wall and slowly but steadily, everyone made it over, including Jade who, in spite of his earlier comment, probably made it over faster than any of them, with the exception of the twins.

"This should take us straight to the lift," Luke explained as they hurried along.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Tear asked. "I mean, can they really stop the war on their own?"

"Not likely," Asch answered. "Father may be stubborn, but it's still going to be him against the rest of the court. War could still break out any day now."

"That's terrible," Tear replied.

"Yeah well, look at the bright side," Anise suggested. "At least we're not down another member."

Every one fell silent at her attempt to lighten the mood. It was still far too soon to be making jokes about Guy and his departure it seemed. Anise let out a frustrated sigh. Well they could be depressed all they wanted, but they'd better not be expecting her to walk on eggshells about it forever.

Asch continued along, Anise's crack putting a bad taste in his mouth, but at the same time, he wondered if maybe she didn't have the right idea. It's not like they had the time to be sulking around anyway. They had far more important things to handle, and he'd be damned if he let Guy ruin it all now.

They had almost made it out of Baticul, and still no one had said a word. Luke appreciated Anise's attempt to lighten the mood a bit, but it was just not the right time. Luke still didn't know what to make of it, especially as far as Guy was concerned. Guy really did have a valid reason; after all, Luke couldn't even imagine what his former best friend must have gone through. But at the same time, it also meant that what they had overheard in Daath was true. Guy really did want to kill both of them, and for all Luke cared about Guy, he wouldn't allow that. There was too much he had to do, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt Asch either. But the thought of Guy as an enemy… that was something he still couldn't swallow. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds and the light reflected on the blue jewel inlaid in the blade at Asch's side and drew Luke's attention away from his thoughts.

It really was a beautiful sword. But would Guy really come after it? If he did, what would Luke say to him? What words could possibly make up for the death of his only family, the loss of everything he ever loved? Luke wanted to know why Guy did what he did, but deep down, he probably knew, he just couldn't accept it. Even with the truth spelled out for him to see, in all its harsh reality, he wouldn't be satisfied until he heard it from Guy himself. Not until he saw his friend one last time.

But when that time finally came, would Luke really be able to let go?

Chapter Text

Van let out a heavy sigh, dropping to one knee. He glanced around as his heavy breathing settled, glad that no one was in the immediate area. Weakness was a luxury he wasn't allowed anymore and he wouldn't let any of his subordinates believe any different. But things had proven to be more trying than he had initially anticipated.

His stomach lurched, more violently than the last time, but not unexpectedly. Curse these damn things. Yulia had been foolish in her designs, too naïve in believing they should never have to be used, or perhaps simply forgetting such an obvious source of contamination. She had overlooked such a simple matter, a blunder that impeded him now. But if it took every last drop of blood in his body, he would see this through to the end. Van forced his stomach to settle, refusing the dizziness that begged him to rest. He hadn't earned such a privilege yet. Not until that Score was nothing but a long forgotten nightmare.

It didn't bother him though, not nearly as much as the fact that this Score-forsaken illness was slowing his pace. He should have easily been able to have everything in place by now, and with that fool and the fool's replica following in his footsteps, he needed to work faster.

His lack of strength was limiting him, slowing him down and things were only getting worse. It had seemed simple to deal with the first couple, but now it took everything he had to get simply one of them in place. The amount time that he required to fully recover was increasing as well, not that such a break was unnecessary otherwise. There were many other things he had to ensure were set in place, projects to oversee, fools to deal with, so much needed to be done before his goals could be realized.

But he still had time, at least for now.

Asch's actions had proven to be unexpected, resourceful even, and it was starting to become bothersome. Though he was only stalling the inevitable for now, what concerned Van most of all was what he could eventually do, given what he'd already accomplished. Thankfully Mohs, and his idiotic devotion to the Score, was keeping the little monarch busy, but that wouldn't last forever.

The boy was foolish, blinded to a truth Van had been unable to instil in him over the years. But he would eventually see. Of that, Van had no doubt, and he would do anything and everything to make sure of it. He needed the boy and his unique abilities; there was no way around that. The Commandant cursed the replica who still had Asch in its clutches; because of it, the seed he'd planted had yet to sprout. He should have killed the thing in Akzeriuth himself and saved himself the trouble. He certainly wouldn't make that mistake a second time. Though it may involve the use of a trump card he had hoped to save for later, he was beginning to run out of time.

He still had time, but that time was swiftly running out.

Raindrops crashed against white marble buildings of Malkuth's capital as everyone hurried towards the palace. Dark grey clouds hung low in the sky, casting an ominous shadow over the normally sparkling city that was now illuminated only by the periodic flash of lightning across the sky. Though his soaking red hair clung to his face and his wet jacket sat heavily on his shoulders, Luke couldn't help but feel cheerful, a fact that seemed to be antagonizing Natalia who thoroughly hated storms. But Luke had always loved the rain, and puddle jumping was still secretly on his list of favourite ways to pass the time.

Storms on the other hand, were just as exciting and the bright lights and loud crashes had always fascinated him, almost to the same extent they drove Natalia into her fiancée's arms. Though she refused to show any signs of weakness now, Luke could still see her cringe at every clap of thunder.

By the time they finally reached the palace doors, all seven of them were thoroughly soaked, including Jade, who was normally immune to the elements. Asch and Luke's jackets both fell heavily to the floor, splashing more water onto their respective owners as they were temporarily discarded.

But Luke and Asch weren't the only ones trying to get rid of the excess water. Not that Grand Chokmah was foreign to rain with all the water nearby, but at the very least they should probably try to look presentable. Anise finished extracting the water from her raven locks, the pigtails they were confined to giving her hair some semblance of order. Everyone else on the other hand, wasn't quite so lucky, including the Colonel. Apparently the seemingly untouchable Colonel only repelled water to a certain extent, after which point the elements won. Anise tried to stifle her laughter. She thought his hair had been straight before, now it hung like needles down in his face, hiding his rather annoyed red eyes.

"Colonel, you look like a wet cheagle," Anise managed through fits of giggles.

"What?" Mieu looked up from where he was jumping in the puddles everyone had created on the floor in the entryway. The furry blue creature was the only one who had managed to stay relatively dry, having taken shelter under Luke's coat. While it may not have saved him from all the rain, he was certainly in a much better condition than the rest of them.

"Not you, Mieu," Anise continued to laugh, joined by several of the others who couldn't deny the truth in her statement. None of them had ever seen Jade in any sort of disarray before; it was so unlike him, it was hilarious.

"I think it's a good look for you," Asch shot.

"You as well," Jade shot back, brushing his dripping auburn hair out of his eyes. "But we already knew that, didn't we?"

Asch grumbled at being reminded of his defeat in the Cheagle woods, but chose not to retort, especially since Jade wasn't the only one having fun. Luke, Asch and even Tear were all fighting with the long hair that still clung to the backs of their necks and sides of their faces sending more water cascading down onto the outfits they had just wrung out. It was a completely hopeless venture.

"Natalia?" Asch began, having gathered all his crimson hair into his hand. The young princess looked up and must have guessed at what her fiancée was going to ask her, for she immediately began digging in her small pack. A moment later she pulled out a pair of hair ties and passed them over to the redhead, who then forwarded one to his sibling.

"Thanks," Asch replied with a smile. Both he and Luke quickly pulled their unruly hair back and bound it in a ponytail. It was good enough for now, at least until it dried.

"You two don't look to bad like that," Anise commented. "You should let me braid it sometime. Ion's hair isn't long enough to do anything fun with."

"No way," Luke protested. "At least not until it's dry."

"Why's that?" Tear asked, finally managing to get her own hair relatively free of water.

"He let Mother do it once while it was wet and it ended up wavy for days," Asch explained with an evil grin.

Tear burst out laughing and Luke sent Asch an evil glare. Tear felt bad laughing, and she had fully intended not to, but the thought of Luke with wavy hair was just too funny! Luke grumbled and stomped inside followed by Asch, Jade and Ion with a cheagle on his shoulder, leaving the girls alone in the entry hall.

"But you know," Anise said slyly. "If she braided Luke's hair, what are the odds she braided Asch's too?" Natalia burst into giggles.

"Probably pretty good," Tear managed. All three of them were in stitches picturing the twins with varying degrees of wavy hair.

"We'd better get going," Natalia finally managed, still trying to catch her breath. It had been ages since she'd laughed like that. "The boys will be wondering what's keeping us."

"Yes," Tear agreed. "And we have important matters to attend to as well."

"Well nothing says we aren't allowed to have any fun along the way," Anise commented.

"You're right," Natalia agreed. "But let's hurry along before they send a search party, shall we?"

"Man, those guys are so uptight sometimes," Anise pouted.

Natalia laughed, "Yes, boys will be boys."

"I see," Peony contemplated, sitting back in his throne. They had just finished telling him their story, and quite frankly, the young ruler wasn't too sure what to make of it. It was really quite the story. But he liked these kids, those twins in particular. They had that air about them that had him eating right out of their hands. A sincerity about their manner that you didn't see all too often these days. The real question is what would the rest of the council make of it?

"This is folly!" Nordheim protested once Asch had finished speaking. "You mean I am to believe you, the heir to the throne, would betray your own country? You would turn on your own people to bring us news of war? Your majesty, this must be some sort of scheme!"

"Well Asch?" Peony looked the youth straight in his emerald eyes. "Nordheim has a point, what do you have to say?"

"Your Majesty, I don't believe that I am betraying my people," Asch replied. "My Uncle is being misled by Grand Maestro Mohs who, for some reason wants a war between our countries. I sincerely hope that this war doesn't happen at all, but of that, I am starting to become doubtful. I believe that by reporting this information, and by allowing you to be prepared to defend yourselves, less innocent lives will be lost, both for Malkuth and for Kimlasca. I don't report this with intent to do harm, only with hopes to protect those who shouldn't have to be involved in our political games."

"But many lives will still be lost," Peony pointed out. "More Kimlascan soldiers will die than would have, had we been unprepared for their initial assault."

"It's war, of course lives will be lost," Asch conceded. "Soldiers serve with the knowledge they may have to lay down their lives for their country, which is why we have to protect as many lives as we can; to save the places and the people that they are willing to die for."

Peony smiled, he certainly was well spoken, and he'd expect no less from the young noble. He would make for a great leader someday. "I couldn't have said it better myself," Peony finally spoke up when neither of his advisors issued any further protests. "Unfortunately, what comes next is up to the council. Nordheim. Sesseman." The ruler nodded to the two men at his side.

"Yes, your Majesty, we'll summon the council at once," both men replied in unison before excusing themselves from the audience chamber.

"I gotta say, I'm pretty impressed," Peony replied with a grin once the men were gone. "You guys really went beyond your call on that one."

"It was no trouble at all your Majesty," Luke replied.

"Something is bothering me though," Peony's face grew serious. "From what you guys told me, it seems like Mohs knew you were in the city, and not just in the city, he knew exactly where to find you."

"Yeah, we know," Asch replied, losing the formal tone he had just moments ago. "We're still not sure exactly how that information got to him."

"Well as long as you're careful," Peony shrugged. "There's no way that guy's getting in this court again after what he pulled, but it's looking like he's still got quite the hold on Kimlasca."

"I'm afraid so," Asch admitted.

"Don't be so down, you tried your best. It sucks, but things don't always work out the way you hope they will. A good leader is someone who can turn something like that around, and still pull through in the end."

"You're right, thank you, your Majesty," Asch replied with a small bow. Peony laughed.

"My, my, corrupting your future competition? Shame on you, your Majesty," Jade said in a mockingly scolding voice. Everyone in the throne room laughed, the mirth echoing off the walls and lightening everyone's spirits.

"Well the council will probably be gathering soon, but before I go, I have one last tidbit for you," Peony winked.

"What's that, your Majesty?" Luke asked curiously.

"Frings is coming back with a report on 's condition," Peony grew serious again. It was amazing how he turned his carefree attitude on and off like that. But either way, if Peony was serious about something, it must mean that it was really bad. "If he's coming himself and not sending it through the usual means, it's probably not good news," Peony confessed. "He'll due to arrive by tomorrow at the latest, so if you want to stick around to hear his report, you're more than welcome to. I'll also be able to fill you in on the council's decisions that way."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Natalia said with a bow.

"Yeah thanks, we'll take you up on that," Asch added.

"Well in that case, why don't you snatch a couple rooms here at the palace? It'll save you going back out in that storm-"

"Please!" Natalia jumped on the emperor's offer.

"Well, well, I'm honoured," Peony replied with a mischievous grin that could give Jade and the twins' a run for its money.

"Your Majesty is too kind, to offer such beautiful young women a place to stay," Jade taunted. "Certainly you aren't planning to take advantage of such a situation-"

"Shut up, you sleep outside," Peony cut Jade off.

"Your Majesty," Norheim returned an hour or so later, interrupting everyone's conversation when he called from the entrance to the throne room. "The council has gathered!"

"Well," Peony stood up. "That's my cue. I'll try and catch up with you guys for supper, okay? I'll have a couple of the maids prepare the guest rooms for you. Jade knows where they are. In the meantime, feel free to relax. You guys deserve it."

"You don't really think he would…." Tear trailed off as she watched Peony leave the audience hall.

"He would what?" Asch asked.

"Well…" Tear stuttered. "You know…like the Colonel said… take advantage..."

"Nah," Asch shook his head. "The only old man we have to worry about is standing right next to us."

Everyone simultaneously turned their head to the left, including Jade who was on the leftmost outskirt of the group.

"Where? I don't see anyone," Jade replied in his mocking tone.

"Find a mirror, you'll figure it out," Asch shot back.

"My, my, and here I was thinking of giving you a tour," Jade replied as the group made their way down the stairs.

"I'll pass thanks; you'll probably be busy setting up a bed outside," Asch added with a malicious grin.

"Okay you two, enough is enough," Tear interjected before Jade had a chance to reply. The Colonel simply shrugged and continued along leading everyone down the main staircase and into the left wing.

"So where are the bedrooms?" Asch haphazardly inquired. "I would love to get into something dry. Thank Yulia for waterproof packs."

"Yeah rub it in," Anise grumbled. Her pack had a hole and water had leaked in so even her spare uniform was wet. But at least it was drier than what she was wearing.

"I wonder if they have any hot chocolate…" Luke wondered. Other than a towel, that was probably the one thing he'd love to see the most right about now. Their wet clothes had all of them chilled to the bone, except Jade who, despite having succumbed to water, had yet to be defeated by temperature.

"That would be wonderful," Ion agreed.

"Well, once we get changed we can head over to the kitchens and inquire," Natalia suggested.

"That sounds like a plan to me," Asch nodded in agreement.

"First things first, we need to find the guest rooms," Tear pointed out.

"True," Asch agreed. "So old man? Where are they?"

"I thought you didn't want the grand tour?" Jade taunted.

Asch grumbled in defeat.

"Shut up and walk."

The soft melody gently flowed out of the room, entrancing the few souls that happened to walk by. Luke stood outside the door, his hand resting on the handle, happily listening to the gentle music. They really were beautiful. Tear's voice melded with the ancient melody and the resulting hymn put his heart at ease. He hated to interrupt her song, so he waited for her to come to the end of the second hymn to knock on the door.

The gentle knock was drowned out as the melodist continued on into another hymn that Luke hadn't heard before. Didn't Tear only know the first two? There was no doubt it was Tear's voice that was singing… Luke really didn't want to interrupt her, but if he waited much longer, everyone would be waiting on the two of them to eat. Luke knocked a little bit harder this time, and successfully drew the melodist's attention.

"Who is it?" Tear's voice sounded startled. Luke softly opened the door and peaked in. "Oh Luke, come on in, I didn't realize you were out there."

"Sorry to bother you Tear, but I heard you singing and… well…"

Tear chuckled. "You could have knocked sooner."

"I didn't want to interrupt you," Luke confessed. "I really do like your hymns, they're so pretty."

"Th-Thank you," Tear stuttered.

"Were all those hymns Yulia's?"

"That's right."

"I don't remember ever hearing you sing the last couple," Luke commented. "How many of them do you know?"

"I only just recently learned the third and fourth hymns," Tear explained. "When I was in Yulia City, a friend of mine found one of my brother's old books." Tear went to the table next to her bed and pulled out a worn, leather-bound journal from her pack. "There were some notes on the last couple pages that we hadn't seen before. From that I was able to decipher the next couple hymns. I'm still working on the last three though."

"It sounds like Master Van was a pretty good brother," Luke said gently.

"He was," Tear smiled. "He was away a lot when I was younger, but he was always so kind to me." She gently fingered her sibling's faded writing next to the hymns' lyrics.

"You'll figure those hymns out, I know you will."

"Thanks Luke," Tear smiled and put the book away.

"You should sing them more often, they really are beautiful," the redhead said with a smile. "But we'd better get to the dinner table or Anise is going to eat it all without us."

Tear laughed and accepted Luke's arm. Walking with him, feeling the warmth of his arm within her own, put her heart at ease and the worries that she had been trying to drown in her songs so easily succumbed to his presence. It was times like this that she truly believed that everything would be alright.

Their stay in Grand Chokmah ended up proving to be rather… unique. Between a herd of uniquely named rappigs, several pigsties (that ironically belonged to Peony and not his favourite pets), more information over dinner than any of them ever wanted to know, and an incident in the girl's bedroom involving a lecherous ruler and several conveniently placed mirrors; everyone was glad to find themselves back in the audience hall the next morning with sun shining in through the window. Though the storm had lasted through the night and kept most of them from getting any extensive sleep, things had cleared up nicely and the sky was a deep azure, unlike anyone had seen in quite awhile.

"I am General Aslan Frings," a man with silver hair stood before them and introduced himself. His adorned blue uniform confirmed him to be a ranking member of the Malkuth military, and of a higher rank than Jade. He had an air of pride about him, but not one of conceit. "My troops are currently stationed in St. Binah. I have already presented my report to the council this morning, but his Majesty has asked that I give my report to you as well."

"Thank you very much General Frings," Asch replied. "This means a lot to us."

"It's no trouble at all; in fact, I'm hoping that you might be able to shed some light on this new weapon Kimlasca is using."

"New weapon?" Luke looked up confusedly, an expression that swept through the rest of the group.

"We had originally suspected that Akzeriuth's fall was due to some new weapon Kimlasca had built," Peony explained. "Of course, we know now that isn't the case, but word hasn't exactly gotten out. You'll have to forgive me for not spreading it around, but I think you know why."

"Most people would be unable to accept the truth," Natalia provided. "I must admit, had I not been in the Qliphoth, I might not have believed it myself."

"Your Majesty?" Frings looked back at the emperor in search of an explanation.

"Please continue with your report, Aslan," Peony requested. "I'll fill you in on everything once we're done."

"Yes, your Majesty." Frings returned his attention to the people before him. "Lately the land surrounding St. Binah had begun to sag. We thought little of it at first, but it has reached the point now that several of the streets have begun to crack. Though that may be partially due to the earthquakes that have been happening more frequently as of late, we aren't sure at this time. Many of the citizens are quite anxious, but we dare not abandon the city with war so close. Kaitzur is filled to capacity with Kimlascan forces, therefore abandoning St. Binah now is simply not an option."

"So you see my dilemma," Peony interrupted. "Thanks Aslan," the ruler nodded to the young general who bowed and returned to his place beside Sesseman. "Thankfully, with the information you brought us yesterday, the council has become more willing to take your word at face value, and we're willing to abandon St. Binah. The problem is, that with reinforcing all our other defences, we don't have the troops to spare for the evacuation. Are you sure that St. Binah is going to fall like Akzeriuth did?"

"If left alone, yes," Asch replied who was subsequently supported by a nod from Jade.

"I believe he is right in that assumption," the Colonel agreed. "St. Binah was partially supported by Akzeriuth's Sephiroth which no longer exists. It has likely only been hanging on by drawing on the strength of the other Sephiroth, but with them weakening, it isn't all that unreasonable to believe it would fall into the Qliphoth."

"Is there anything you can do to stop it?" Peony inquired.

"We don't know, your Majesty," Asch admitted. "But we intend to try."

"Your Majesty!" Luke spoke up.

"What is it Luke?" Peony acknowledged the second young noble.

"You don't have the extra people to evacuate St. Binah, right? Let us handle the evacuation with the troops that are already there. If we use the Albiore, we can speed things up a lot, and can make sure that everyone gets out, even if we don't succeed in stopping the land from falling."

"Thank you, Luke. I thought it would be too much of me to ask you to save the people of your enemy."

"Your Majesty," Natalia interjected. "I do not believe that Malkuth is Kimlasca's enemy, and I sincerely hope that we are not considered yours. Our people travel across our border as if it were nothing."

"I agree," Asch supported his fiancée. "People aren't denied food or shelter because of their nationality, because, in the end, we're all still people. I stand by what I said before; it's irrelevant what country a person is from, lives are lives. If that truth can't hold now, it never will, and we'll be at each other's throats forever. It's our job, as the nobility, to help those in need of it and to set an example for the future."

"Well spoken," Peony smiled. "For that I thank you. I hope once all this is sorted out we can work on our countries' relations."

"I sincerely hope for that as well," Natalia replied with a courteous bow.

"But time isn't on our side, we should get going," Jade pointed out. "I doubt the city's condition has improved in the time it took for General Frings' report to arrive."

"Could I ask a favour of you?" The General in question spoke up.

"What's that?" Asch asked.

"Could I accompany you on your journey to St. Binah?"

"Of course," Asch replied. "I'm sure you're concerned about your men, and we could use all the help we can get with the evacuation."

"Thank you."

"I wish you the best of luck," Peony said, ending their audience. "Please save them, they are my dearest people."

"Don't worry, your Majesty. We won't let anything like Akzeriuth happen again," Asch reassured the monarch.

Luke clenched his fists, but chose not to voice his thoughts that ran along the same lines as his older brother's. It was just like Akzeriuth, he was being sent to help save the people of St. Binah, and without their help, they would probably die. But this time he wasn't going to make the same mistakes, he was going to save them.

It was the only thing he could do for the shadows that still haunted his dreams.

Luke couldn't really identify why he had a pit in his stomach as he watched the Albiore fly off into the sky, but something within him was unsettled. Was it because everything was so like Akzeriuth? Was he afraid of screwing up again? That more people would die?

"Do you think Noelle will be okay on her own?" Anise inquired.

"She'll be fine," Jade replied. "General Frings will recruit the help of General McGovern and his father, who was also in the military, to assist him. They'll be more than capable of getting the evacuation underway. We have more important things to take care of here."

"Yeah, but…" Anise trailed off. "Where are we going to find a passage ring around here? We're in the middle of nowhere!"

The Fon Master Guardian had a point. Though Ion had been able to provide the general area, the local forests had limited Noelle's ability to land and they had to settle for a field slightly south of where they wanted to be.

"I'm certain this is the area," Ion reassured them. "Shurrey Hill is just north of here."

"Then let's hurry so we can be ready for when Noelle comes back," Asch replied.

'What's the matter?' Asch finally asked his sibling. Though, for the most part, they had been walking in silence, Luke seemed to be exceptionally quiet, and had spent most of their walk staring at the ground.

'Do…Do you really think we can save St. Binah?' Luke inquired hesitantly. He didn't want to ask… probably because he was scared of the answer.

'We won't know unless we try,' Asch answered comfortingly.

'But what about the people in St. Binah? What if we screw up!'

'Luke, right now, the best thing we can do for these people is to find the passage ring, and try to keep the land from falling. Frings understood that, and he's putting his life and that of his men in our hands. We owe it to them to do our best.'

'You're right, I'm sorry.'

'Try not to worry,' Asch put his hand on his little brother's shoulder. 'We just have to do whatever we can, and hope for the best. There's really nothing else we can do.'

'We have to stop Master Van,' Luke's statement caught his sibling off guard. 'He's the one doing this, isn't he?'

'Yeah, probably.'

'Why? Why is he putting all these people in danger? Why is he trying to drop all the Outer Lands?'

'I wish I had the answer to that for you, Luke,' Asch admitted. 'But I don't. For now, let's make sure these people stay safe and alive.'

'You're right, thanks Asch.'

'You're welcome, now get your butt in gear, we're falling behind. Nothing's going to get started without you.'

'Nothing's getting started without you either,' Luke pointed out.

'Maybe,' Asch chuckled as he jogged ahead. 'But I'm not the one falling behind.'

"Hey!" Luke called after his sibling and began to give chase, quickly sending both redheads flying past their comrades.

"It's nice to see them in such good spirits," Ion commented as the two boys had begun playfully sparring ahead of them.

"It is," Tear replied as she watched the small scuffle. Even in their games Asch clearly had the advantage. Tear recalled the last time their blades had met, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Only now, when she thought back on it, did she realize the harsh reality of Luke's condition at the time. They had to save St. Binah, they had to stop her brother. She didn't want either of them to have to go through anything like that ever again.

"Now as long as they don't wear themselves out before we get there," Jade commented with a defeated sigh.

"I still like them better worn out than depressed," Anise pointed out.

"Yes, dear Anise, so do the God-Generals," the Colonel taunted.

"We should be arriving soon," Ion stated with a bit of a chuckle at Jade's comment. As true as it was, he had to agree with Anise. He hated seeing his friends as upset as the two of them had been since they had lost their comrade a few weeks ago. It had really only been in the past week or so that they had started to smile again, so while what Jade said was a valid point, he wasn't going to be the one to stop them, and he suspected that the Colonel wouldn't either.

After all, now came the hard part: saving St. Binah, if it even could be saved. The people, Ion didn't doubt would survive, so long as the evacuation finished in time, but he feared that the city itself may be a lost cause. Time was working against them, and for all he sincerely hoped they would make it, something told him that their time had already run out.

If there was one thing Luke would give Yulia credit for, it was designing these passage rings; assuming she was the one that built them of course. Just how she had figured out the best way to hide them all, he'd never know. But the array of devices and tricks that she had utilized were nothing short of awe-inspiring. Then there was the decor, though whether it had been Yulia's design, or just a result of the fonons that gathered so readily, Luke wasn't too sure, but he loved it.

For all that the passage rings filled him with dread and turned his stomach into a twist tie, he couldn't deny their beauty. Like the previous two, glyphs whirled around the rooms in an array of colourful lights, drawing onlookers into its eternal dance. Tear in particular seemed in awe of it all, but who could blame her? Especially since she'd never seen a passage ring other than Akzeriuth, and something told Luke she hadn't exactly had the chance to take in the sights.

"It looks like the Yulian seal has been broken here as well," Jade commented, having been the first to investigate that fact.

"Not surprising seeing as Van's already been here," Asch commented.

"True," Jade conceded. "Tear, do you by chance know anything about breaking the Yulian seals?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Tear replied.

"But Tear, aren't you and Master Van descended from Yulia?" Luke asked. "I thought that was why Master Van knew how to open them."

"If it was a knowledge passed down through my family, then Van would be the one who knows," Tear explained. "My parents died just after I was born, and my brother never liked to talk about the past."

"I'm sorry," Luke apologized.

"It's alright," Tear smiled

"Well as much fun as I'm sure you two lovebirds are having flirting and all," Anise commented slyly, eliciting a blush from the two teens to whom she was referring. "I think we'd better get working. We don't exactly have all day, and they could probably use our help with the evacuation."

"She's got a point," Asch shrugged, all too amused at Luke's reaction to Anise's taunting. He laughed outright when Luke noticed the grin on Asch's face and turned bright red. But with his attention so focused on his younger sibling's embarrassment, Asch failed to pay attention to where he was going and ended up walking right into the melodist. Tear was sent staggering backwards before crashing to the ground next to the pedestal that had been Asch's destination before running into her.

"Sorry Te-" But the words hadn't even come out of his mouth. Above where the young oracle knight was rubbing her shin that had taken the brunt of the fall, the pedestal was open, and the passage ring was active. But how? She wasn't even touching it.

"Now this certainly is interesting," Jade commented.

"What's interesting Colonel?" Tear inquired as she stood up and returned to join the group. As soon as she stepped away from the pedestal, it slammed shut and the passage ring returned to its slumber.

"Tear, could you stand near that pedestal again?" Jade requested. The melodist did so, and as soon as she did, the pedestal opened once again.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Asch muttered under his breath.

"I wonder why it reacts so readily to you…" Jade pondered aloud. "Any Seventh Fonist can activate it, but perhaps it's more sensitive to your fonon signature because you're a descendant of Yulia? At any rate," Jade continued without waiting for an answer. "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to hold that open for us."

"C-Certainly Colonel," Tear hesitantly approached the pedestal and placed her hands on it, stabilizing the flow of Seventh Fonons. She watched Jade take a step back and ponder the glyphs that had appeared on the ceiling. Her gaze shifted, and she was taken aback to find herself under Asch's judging, and rather hateful glare.

"Um, Asch… i-is something the matter?" Tear finally asked. Jade took his attention away from the ceiling for a moment to judge the situation before returning to the glyphs.

"Oh don't mind him," Jade commented as he continued to decipher the many messages that had appeared. "He's just jealous. When he had to hold that pedestal open, he ended up passing out from the effort." The colonel felt Asch's foot come crashing down on the toe of his boot. It was a shame they were reinforced with metal, perhaps next time.

Luke snickered as Asch continued his intense scrutiny of the melodist. It wasn't often Asch got shown up, and he was obviously a sore loser in that regard. But now that Tear knew the reason behind Asch's rather childish jealousy, his gaze no longer innerved her and she too attempted to make heads or tails of what the passage ring said.

"It's locked," Tear stated, not realizing everyone already knew that was likely to be the case. "My brother closed off the valve so we won't be able to operate the Sephiroth!"

"That's not my primary concern," Jade replied.

"What has you worried Colonel?" Anise asked. The tone in his voice meant that it must be really bad.

"Wait a second!" Luke jumped in. "Why are there four red rings?"

"Zao ruins," Asch ticked each location off his fingers as he listed the locations. "Shurrey Hill, Megi-" Asch cut himself short when he realized what Luke was getting at. "We already dealt with the one in the Meggiora Highlands, and Akzeriuth is gone, so there should only be two!"

"But there are definitely four," Anise stated. "Can you tell what passage rings, Colonel?"

"The ones supporting Daath and the area near Tataroo Valley," Jade provided. "I can't determine the actual location of the Sephiroth from here."

"But Ion, I thought you only opened four of them!" Anise protested. "They didn't make you open any when they kidnapped you from Grand Chokmah did they?"

"No, I'm sure only four of them should be open," Ion confirmed.

"So how is the Commandant accessing the other passage rings?"

"I don't know, but we don't have the time to worry about that now," Jade replied sternly.

"He's right," Natalia agreed. "This is a matter we can address later. For now we have an obligation to the people of St. Binah."

"I don't think there's much we can do but get them out of the city," Jade stated.

"What? Why not?" Luke demanded. "Can't we do the same thing we did last time and stop the land from falling?"

"It's no good Luke," Tear spoke up. "My brother put in some kind of code that's blocking it of. We can't do anything."

"This Sephiroth is already past its breaking point," the Colonel explained. "There's no way of saving it, if you tie it to another, you'll drag them both down."

"So St. Binah is just going to fall and sink into the miasma like Akzeriuth? And we can't do a thing about it?" Luke shook his head violently. "No! I won't accept that! There has to be something we can do!"

"Luke…" Tear wanted to go comfort the young noble, but was stuck keeping the passage ring open.

"We can't stop the land from falling, but is there anyway to at least keep it from sinking?" Asch suggested. Jade pondered for a bit, his eyes still fixed to the glyph overhead.

"That might be possible, though it will be far more complex a task than last time. Do you think you'll be up to it?" Jade fixed his ruby eyes on the redheads.

"What do you think Luke?" Asch asked. "Think you can save it?"

"I'll try," Luke replied with a firm nod. 'But are you sure you don't want to?' Luke asked privately. 'You probably have a better chance at succeeding, seeing as you're better with your hyperresonance.'

'Not really, you're the one who's done this before. You go for it. I'll be here in case you don't think you can handle it all.'

'Okay.'

"Alright then Luke, listen carefully." Jade began a series of complex instructions, but with the odd intervention from Asch over their connection, Luke was able to grasp the most of it. He didn't really like it, but it was much better than the alternative. Basically, Jade's plan was to let the land fall on it's own, but to inscribe a glyph that would reactivate the Sephiroth after the land had fallen. Though it wouldn't be able to raise the land again, it would be enough to keep it afloat on the sea of miasma.

Tear watched from afar as Jade spoke with Luke, just softly enough that the others were unable to hear their conversation. Just what did they think they were going to do? With what Van had done, they couldn't do a thing. Did the Colonel figure out some way around it? There certainly wasn't one that she could see.

"Okay Luke, you're up," Asch stated as his twin took a spot in the center of the platform, with the others all safely standing near the wall.

"What are you guys planning?" Tear demanded, suddenly drawing everyone's attention.

"We're going to keep from sinking into the miasma once it falls," Anise provided.

"But how? This passage ring can't be operated. I've been trying to tell you, my brother closed it off! We can't operate the Sephiroth at all."

"Ah but that's where you're wrong," Jade retorted with a sly grin. "Our boys here have a little trick that should get the job done."

"Luke, what are you going to do?" Tear was completely baffled. What kind of trick did the Colonel mean?

"Just watch," Luke replied with a bit of a mischievous grin. The young noble returned his attention to the ceiling. Jade had been right when he said this was going to be harder than before. There were a lot more complex instructions and commands that had to be carved, but he could do it. Luke took a deep breath. Now focus…

It took everything Tear had not to let go of the pedestal in shock when Luke slowly raised his arms and a soft golden glow enveloped him. Was he- but that was impossible! She turned her gaze to the giant glyph on the ceiling where several sets of ancient Ispanian commands were being forcefully carved. Nothing short of a hyperressonance could do that… but- but how?

Tear heard Anise snickering from the other side of the room. Suddenly she realized her mouth was hanging open and she was leaning so far in that she was ready to topple right over the pedestal. The melodist looked over towards Asch, obviously the others had known about this, but what about him? Jade had implied both of them earlier. Could he do this as well?

The redhead was standing with his arms crossed over his chest; all traces of his prior amusement were completely gone. He solemn look continually shifted from the job Luke was doing, to Luke himself, then to Tear, and back to the glyph on the ceiling. One more person that knows. Though he knew that Tear was bound to find out eventually, the thought still made him uneasy. Not that he couldn't trust Tear… but then again, who was to say who he could trust and who he couldn't. Someone had told Mohs where to find them, and while he didn't actually think it was one of them, after what had happened with Guy, Asch just didn't know who he could believe in anymore.

After an achingly long moment of tense silence, Luke finally let out a deep breath and allowed the excess Seventh fonons to dissipate. "How's that Jade?"

The Colonel stepped forward and examined Luke's work. "Well done," Luke smiled at the Colonel's praise. "I think that should work just fine."

"Then is it okay if I let go over here?" Tear inquired. She was starting to see why Asch had passed out; the passage ring was really starting to sap her strength. "We should probably get going if we plan to help with St. Binah's evacuation."

"No, wait," Asch interrupted stepping in to take a closer look. "We have a much bigger problem than St. Binah."

"Why? What is it? What's the matter?" Mieu bounced several times but was unable to draw anyone's attention away from the lights on the ceiling, so he returned to his perch on Tokunaga.

"Yeah, what's up?" Anise inquired.

"This Sephiroth doesn't just support St. Binah, but all of the Rugnica plains," Asch replied.

"But doesn't that put Engeve in danger as well?" Natalia stepped forward and joined everyone else.

"If Engeve is going to fall then we'll have to hurry and evacuate them as well," Ion spoke up.

"You're right," Luke agreed. "We can't let them die either!"

"How much time do you think we have before the land falls?" Asch inquired.

"I don't know for certain, but I doubt we have very much," Jade replied. "A week, two at best."

"That's going to be pushing it, even with the Albiore," the young noble contemplated.

"But what about Noelle?" Jade pointed out. "She's already busy helping with St. Binah. She may be talented, but I doubt she can be in two places at once."

"Then we'll have to detour to Sheridan and hope that the first Albiore is done with repairs," Asch decided. "Didn't Noelle say they had gotten the transmitters working?"

"Yeah, she said that they were almost done with repairs," Luke provided. "But couldn't we just ask Ginji to meet us?"

"That's a good idea," Jade agreed. "It would save us a great deal of time, time that we don't have to begin with."

"Sorry Tear," Asch apologized. "You can let go now."

"Thank you," Tear removed her hands from the pedestal and stepped away allowing it to slam shut and the glyph above them to fade. Without its glow the room seemed unusually dark. Tear stumbled and was caught by the eldest redhead who offered her his hand.

"Are you alright?" Asch asked concernedly.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired, that's all."

"You did better than me," Asch said with a chuckle. Tear looked him in the eye. He and Luke really were alike; their eyes both had that same mysterious light in them. "But do you think you'll be okay to move?" Tear shook her head as his inquiry brought her back to reality.

"I'll be fine." Tear smiled, punctuating her point by straightening her posture and dismissing Asch's support.

"Good, because the old man is right, we haven't got time to waste."

"I know," Tear agreed. "Come on Luke," the melodist called to the redhead who was the only one who had yet to begin towards the exit. "Don't worry, we're going to save them."

Luke looked up at her, and only now did she see how broken up he was. His emerald eyes were shining in the soft light of the dancing glyphs, and his tightly clenched fists were trembling. Tear came over and placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"But it still won't be the same."

"What do you mean?" Tear asked softly.

"Yeah, maybe we can save them, but they're all still going to lose their homes, their town. We've been there Tear! All those places, they're all going to be gone!"

"Luke, you've already saved those places. You made sure that they won't be destroyed by the miasma. You should be proud of that."

"I just wish there was more we could do."

"For now, we've done all we can. The only thing left is to make sure everyone is evacuated before the land falls."

"I know you're right," Luke said softly. "But still…"

"Then we're going to find a way to stop my brother, and to restore the lands that are in the Qliphoth, but if we want to do that, then we have to act now. There isn't any time left for regret."

Tear was right. Luke shook his head violently trying to shake off the fear and the doubt that still clung to him. He wouldn't do anyone any good here, and for all that Luke felt like he was drowning, he knew he didn't have time to give to such petty feelings as regret and feeling sorry for himself. There would be times later, once Master Van had been stopped, to properly mourn the people lost in Akzeriuth, the sunsets, the mountains, the wonders that had all been devoured by his foolish mistakes and a sea of poison. Any time spent now would be paid for in lives, because there was so precious little of it anymore.

Things had been set in motion, and there would be no stopping them.

Chapter Text

The sudden sound of swords clashing made Anise's heart skip a beat and sent her scrambling to her feet from where she had been sitting in the lush green field. How did an enemy get that close without anyone even noticing?! The raven haired Fon Master Guardian spun around, her adrenaline pumping, ready for a fight; but no sooner had she laid eyes on the source, she let out a frustrated sigh and sat back down. Those two were at it again.

Anise lay back in the grass staring at the blue sky and cotton white clouds above her, the sound of metal on metal continuing in the background. Everyone else was just sitting around waiting for Noelle to come pick them up. Their perky pilot said she'd pass by after each round of evacuees to see if they were done with the passage ring. Until she passed by again, there wasn't really much of anything they could do but wait. So that's what they did, well, except for a certain pair redheads who seemed to have found something better to do with their time.

What was with those two lately? It wasn't like she really minded the sparring or anything, but it wasn't the first time they'd practically given her a heart attack in doing it. And it wasn't just sparring either, maybe it was just her but it seemed like they were getting more and more spontaneous lately. Then again, spontaneous wasn't really the right word, they just… did stuff, without ever seeming to talk about it. Like this sparring, neither had said a word, they just starting going at it. Did they just attack each other at random or something? Maybe she was looking into this too much. Anise made a mental note to ask Ion if he had noticed anything, she was probably just imagining things. But in the meantime, at least it was something interesting to watch.

Luke's sword came down but was cleanly met by his sibling's, who wasted no time in retaliating. The younger brother was forced back but quickly regained his initiative and temporarily took control of the scuffle. Asch's blocks became less fluent, and he found himself caught off guard by Luke's offensive. Noticing Asch was starting to have trouble keeping up, Luke attempted to increase the frequency of his attacks. But by picking up his pace, he left himself open, something the eldest redhead quickly took advantage of, and Luke found himself on the defensive again.

Damn it Asch was good! Luke struggled as his brother took control of the scuffle, carefully watching each strike. Other than their recent bouts, it had been awhile since either of them had sparred for any length of time. Sadly, it didn't seem like he had managed to gain any sort of advantage over his older brother in that time. Still… there had to be someway to get the advantage back! But Asch's defence was next to flawless, especially when he had control of the fight, and Luke couldn't find an opening. Luke continued to block, slowly being forced back by his sibling's offensive. Asch was far more refined in his swordsmanship than he was. Then again, Asch did have almost six years of a head start.

Luke was doing well, but it was likely that their bout wouldn't last much longer. Asch quickly noticed that he was starting to get tired, meaning Luke was probably starting to push his limits. His sibling's stamina had drastically increased since the start of their journey, but the two of them still weren't quite on equal ground.

Before Asch knew what happened, Luke pulled off a feint and broke through the redhead's defence, forcing him back. Wasting no time, Asch spun around, drawing the other blade at his side and sending Luke's sword skidding across the dirt.

"Hey! That's cheating!" Luke whined, all the while glaring at the Jewel of Gardios that dangled from Asch's other hand. His brother's own sword still sat against his throat, proclaiming the elder sibling's victory.

"Everything and anything is fair if you're fighting for your life," Asch shot back. He sheathed both blades and offered Luke a hand. "You're getting a lot better. You don't hesitate as much anymore."

"Thanks," Luke replied, accepting Asch's help in getting back up. "You too, I mean, you caught me off guard more than once."

"Good to know," Asch answered with a mischievous grin.

"Hey!"

"As nice as it is to see you two staying in top shape, is there any particular reason you've been so eager to practice lately?" Jade inquired once Luke had retrieved his sword and both boys had sat down with the rest of the group.

"Yeah," Anise spoke up. "On the way to Shurrey Hill, last night and again this morning, what's with all the sparring?"

Both boys simultaneously shrugged. "Well we want to keep in practice," Luke provided. "It's too cramped in the Albiore to do any sparring."

"Oh? And all the monsters we've fought don't count?" Jade taunted.

"It's not the same as fighting a person who can gauge your strategy and adjust to compensate," Asch retaliated. "All things considered, we've been really lucky as far as the God-Generals are concerned. Legretta retreated on her own, as did Sync and Largo, and we managed to catch Arietta in a situation where she couldn't fight back. When you think about it, we have yet to seriously fight any of them. If we keep up what we're doing, it's only a matter of time before we'll have to face them."

"Fair enough," Jade replied simply.

"I noticed you've managed to get that Fon Slot seal figured out," Asch commented.

"Really?" Luke piped up.

"That's very observant of you," Jade replied.

"That's good to hear, Colonel." Tear smiled.

"Yes," Ion agreed. "Especially since it was partially my fault it happened in the first place."

"Well, it was only matter of time to begin with," Jade shrugged. "Fon slot seals aren't meant to last indefinitely. They were designed to restrain a strong fonist long enough for them to be killed."

"Man, when is Noelle going to get here?" Anise whined, breaking the tense silence Jade's comment had created.

"My, my," Jade pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, an evil gleam sparkling in his eye. "You're the last person I expected to be anxious to get up in the air."

"Shut up, Colonel!"

"Don't be so embarrassed," Jade continued his taunting. "Why, you're the first person in all of Auldrant to be afraid of flying. You should be proud."

"I am not afraid of flying!"

"Oh? So then you'd be okay if we cra-"

"Shut up! I hate you, Colonel," Anise pouted.

"Well if that's the case, she won't be hiding it much longer," Asch commented, suppressing his own chuckles as he pointed out a small object in the western skies. "There she is."

"I wonder how everything is going," Natalia wondered. Asch placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find out soon enough."

"So Noelle, how's the evacuation of St. Binah coming along?" Asch inquired as soon as the blonde pilot had them safely in the air.

"Not so well, I'm afraid," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the air ahead of them.

"Why, what's the matter?"

Noelle simply nodded towards the mountain range on their left. "You'll see," she stated solemnly, still refusing to look away from the air ahead of them. What had her guard up? Everyone shuffled over to the windows on the left side to try and get a decent view. Did a storm come up? No, something like that would be visible from here. Just what was impeding the evacuation? None of them had to wait long for answers; moments later, the last mountain vanished beneath them and their view opened up onto the Rugnica plains.

There wasn't one passenger on the Albiore whose heart didn't drop into their stomach.

The Rugnica Plains were enveloped in war.

Seas of blue and red crashed sending waves of blood and bodies scattering across what was once an endless green sea of fields and forests. Land ships were scattered among the forces, their cannons launching massive fonic artes. The explosions left in their wake sent smoke, flames and debris so high, even the Albiore had to be wary of them.

This was… this was terrible! Luke felt like someone had dropped a boulder into the pit of his stomach. Everywhere he looked, people were dying. Blood stained the once pristine meadows, bodies littered the field like embers in a dying fire; and once again Luke found himself surrounded by death, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Asch saw Luke look away, turning from the grim sight before them. He couldn't blame his younger sibling; he was ready to look away himself. It was almost more than he could bear. And after they had tried so hard! He had known at the back of his mind that the war could still break out, but somewhere deep down, he had actually believed they could still make it in time.

"Damn it!" Asch's fist pounded against the window.

"H-How?" Natalia's hand was trembling as her fingers lay gently against the glass. "How did this happen?"

"It was inevitable," Jade said, his voice stone cold. "Though we did stop in Baticul, we didn't succeed in speaking to the King. Like Asch said, it was Duke Fabre against the remainder of the court, I'm afraid it was a hopeless venture to begin with."

"But this is terrible!" Natalia continued. "All those soldiers are down there; Asch, that land is going to fall!"

"I know!" Asch gave the window one last frustrated pound. "Noelle, what's the situation in St. Binah?"

"Most of the citizens have been evacuated to Grand Chokmah. We've been bringing them to the Theor Forest where the military has arranged to have them brought into the city."

"That's quite the risk his Majesty is running," Jade commented. "Normally in war time, Grand Chokmah is completely closed off. It becomes an impenetrable fortress."

"There are only a handful of people and the soldiers left there now," Noelle replied. "From what I've been told, Grand Chokmah will be closing off the entrance once the last of them arrive."

"So what's the problem?" Asch inquired.

"It seems the Kimlascan army figured out that the defences in the St. Binah area are weaker, so they're trying to gain ground in that region. The entire city is under siege. The people in St. Binah have enough supplies to last them awhile, and from the looks of things they're fine in terms of defence, but the only way they're getting out is if they board the Albiore."

"So without any of them going by land, how many more trips do you think it'll take to get everyone out?"

"At least two, maybe three or four."

"Noelle, can you send a message to Sheridan with the transmitter?" Asch requested.

"It's no good, I tried earlier; I can't get it to work."

"It's likely due to interference from the battle in this area," Jade commented.

"What do you think Jade?" Asch pondered. "Do you think there's enough time to get everyone out of St. Binah before the land or their defences fall?"

"St. Binah's defences are nothing to laugh at; I don't doubt that they can hold, even given the limited number of people they have to hold them. I think our primary concern is the land falling. I can't be certain but there should be enough time, especially given the fact Noelle doesn't have to pass by to pick us up. That being said, I believe it is imperative that we get those remaining citizens evacuated as soon as possible."

"But what about everyone else?" Natalia asked, her voice still laced with panic, betraying how shaken she was by what was going on below them.

"Yeah," Luke agreed. "What about the people of Engeve? We have to evacuate them too! And we need to find somewhere to bring them if Grand Chokmah is going to be closed off."

"Engeve? What about all those soldiers?" Natalia's protests were directed at the younger redhead. "We need to head to Baticul right away to stop the war!"

"There's no guaranty that we can stop the war in time, even if we do go to Baticul," Luke stood his ground. "We should start with evacuating the people we know we can save, and then we can work on getting the soldiers out of the way."

"There are a lot more soldiers on this field than there are people in Engeve!"

"But even if we could somehow get all the way to Baticul, stop the war and get the soldiers to retreat, what about all the Malkuth soldiers? We leave them to die?!" Luke's voice was steadily climbing alongside Natalia's.

"Emperor Peony doesn't want war. If Kimlasca retreats then so will Malkuth! Then everyone is saved!" Natalia retaliated.

"Except the people of Engeve! They're the ones in the most danger right now!"

"A few hundred farmers are hardly worth the lives of over half the Kimlascan and Malkuth armies!"

Everyone else in the Albiore had fallen silent in the wake of the nobles' quarrel. It was astounding, none of them, Asch included, had ever seen the two of them fight like that before. Though it wasn't unusual to see Natalia that passionate about something, it was the fact that Luke refused to back down that had allowed the fight to escalade to new heights. No one was quite sure how to interject; both of them had very valid points after all.

"It's never going to happen in time!" Luke yelled. "Engeve is a huge source of food for well over half the world. You think it won't be a target of the military as it is? Especially once St. Binah is taken; it'll be Kimlasca's next target! It's not like St. Binah; they don't have walls or soldiers to defend them. If the Kimlascan front gets that far, there won't be anything we can do! We need to get everyone out of there while we still can!"

"If we stop the war, that will no longer be of any concern now will it?" The young princess shot back, her patience with her fiancée's replica growing thinner every second. Just who did he think he was, sentencing thousands of his own countrymen to death?

"The people of Engeve can't defend themselves like the soldiers can," Luke replied, his voice possessing an edge of venom to it. "Weren't you the one who told me to make priorities?"

Natalia fell silent but her hateful stare didn't subside. This was clearly a different situation! They had to help as many people as possible, and the best way to do that was to stop the war. It was so obvious, even a child could see it! It didn't matter; Asch knew it was the best course of action. He was the heir to the throne; he would never abandon his country, not when it needed him so desperately. Luke would simply have no choice but to follow their lead.

"So where are we heading?" Noelle finally asked, being the first to dare break the silence that had filled the Albiore.

"Can you drop us off in Sheridan?" Asch said quietly, his gaze never leaving his brother and his fiancée. "After that, we'll get you to go finish evacuating St. Binah."

"Sure thing, General Frings and that McGovern fellow have things pretty organized. I don't expect there should be any problems," Noelle replied.

"Good," Asch said with a nod.

"So what about us?" Anise asked. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to pick up the first Albiore, and then we're going to evacuate Engeve."

"What?" Natalia demanded when the answer she had been expected didn't come.

"I'm sorry Natalia, but Luke is right. The people in Engeve are in a lot more danger right now. Even if we went to Baticul, things like this are complicated; you know that. It would take awhile to get worked out, and even longer to get the soldiers to retreat. We need to save those we can right now, and once we do, then we can see about ending the war."

Natalia's fists trembled but she said nothing. This was complete and utter nonsense. Everything was wrong, but why was Asch so intent on making it worse?! It was all Luke's fault. Asch had been doting on his so-called sibling ever since Akzeriuth. Sure maybe Luke hadn't been entirely at fault, but he still bore some responsibility for his actions. Their reactions and attitudes towards Luke hadn't been that out of line; certainly not enough to merit this kind of babying. Didn't Asch see how much he was sacrificing just to make his brother happy? She could handle Luke's new found attitude, she could take being proven wrong, and she could deal with Asch doting on Luke; but to the point of sacrificing lives? When the path they needed to take was clearly laid out in front of them? Maybe what she'd been told wasn't so far off after all. This was going too far, and things were quickly getting out of hand.

Enough was enough.

Priorities…

Asch sighed and continued to fiddle with his small golden trinket as he pondered all possible meanings of the word. Luke had put emphasis on it, and whatever he meant, it made Natalia fall silent pretty fast, not to mention ticked her right off. Though he highly doubted he had helped that situation much by siding with Luke, even if it had been the same course of action he had been planning. There was no way around it; it just wasn't possible to stop a war in the time they had to work with. No matter how much Asch hated it, all they could do was get the people of Engeve out of the line of fire. But for some reason, Natalia refused to listen to any of the reasons they had offered. The livid young princess had long since stormed off to one of the cabins, and would probably stay there until they reached Sheridan. He wanted to go talk to her, but before he did, he wanted to know what he was talking to her about.

"Thinking about something?" Tear's voice broke him out of his train of thought. The melodist was seated across from him and her gentle blue eyes held a hint of worry at the redhead's troubled state. It wasn't until she had spoken that Asch realized she was the only one left in the seating area behind the cockpit.

"Yeah, priorities," Asch replied, still subconsciously fiddling with his trinket. His eyes followed the shine of the metal as it bounced around, ironically reflective of his current state of mind.

"What sort of priorities? Are you worried about having disagreed with Natalia? If it's any consolation, I think you made the right decision."

"No, the word 'priorities'," Asch corrected the melodist. "The way Luke said it, and the way Natalia got mad. I can't figure out what he meant, or why it would have upset her like that."

"I see," Tear's reply made Asch look up. The melodist was no longer looking his way but was instead staring out the window.

"Do you know what he meant?"

"I might know why it upset Natalia, but I can't be sure. I wasn't there either," Tear finally admitted.

"What do you think it might be?" Asch inquired.

"I can't say."

"What? Why not?"

"Because Luke made me promise not to tell you," Tear said rather hesitantly. She obviously didn't want to reveal the reason for not answering, but apparently couldn't come up with any sort of believable explanation. Tear never was good with excuses.

Asch eyed the melodist, but it was easy to tell that she had no intention of breaking her promise to his little brother. But why didn't Luke want him to know? What was going on behind his back, or better yet, why did Luke feel he could confide in Tear but not in him?

"Why don't you go ask Luke yourself?" The melodist suggested when she saw how upset Asch had become. "I'm sure he'd tell you if you asked him about it."

"He's sleeping in one of the cabins," Asch replied.

As much as he wanted answers, Asch didn't have it in him to wake his little brother up. Luke's lack of sleep lately hadn't gone unnoticed, but no matter how many times Asch asked him about it, he refused to admit anything was wrong. And yet, it was obvious something was amiss. What else was Luke keeping from him?

Asch let out a sigh and returned to his pondering. Tear watched him as he gazed out the window and into the horizon. They had finally gotten away from the battlefield, but it was something that still weighed heavily on everyone's minds. So many people hung in the balance and it seemed unlikely they could save them all. But somehow, Tear had a sneaking suspicion that wasn't what had Asch so worried, if only from the broken locket he rolled between his fingers.

"Why don't I go get Luke and you can talk with him. You're never going to get anywhere thinking in circles like that," Tear said after a moment.

"No, let him sleep," Asch interjected when the melodist motioned to get up. "He probably needs it. He hasn't really been sleeping very well lately, so let him get some now. We may not have time for it later."

"I suppose you're right," Tear sat back down. "I wonder why he's been having trouble sleeping."

"He hasn't said anything to you?"

"No, nothing." Asch let out a silent sigh of relief at the melodist's reply. So maybe it wasn't just him. But what reason did Luke have to be hiding things? Tear didn't seem to be quite as concerned as he was; maybe he was just blowing things way out of proportion. After all, Luke trusted him… right? "I wonder how long it's been going on," Tear wondered.

"Of course," Asch could have kicked himself for not noticing sooner.

"What? What is it?"

"It's been since around the time Akzeriuth fell," Asch replied.

"You think it has to do with Akzeriuth?"

"It wouldn't surprise me; Luke isn't the kind of person who could get over something like that very easily."

"Are sure it's about Akzeriuth? I mean he's changed a lot since then," Tear commented, her voice becoming quiet.

Tear had a very valid point, Luke had come a long way since then, and if his fight with Natalia had been any indication, he had become a lot stronger. He was determined, desperate even, to save as many lives as he could, and Asch was worried to the extents to which that may drive him, or break him.

"It doesn't matter, he's still Luke," Asch finally answered. Maybe he had changed, maybe he hadn't, but Luke still had the same stubborn tendency to put everyone's happiness before his own. If it really was something related to Akzeriuth that was bothering him, he'd be keeping it to himself. But why wouldn't he even talk about it with his own family?

"I guess you're right," Tear admitted. "But try not to worry so much."

That was easy for her to say.

Sheridan was much of what he expected, with none of what he'd hoped for. Guy sighed as he aimlessly wandered the city's streets, hoping beyond all hope that he'd catch a glimpse of red hair, a flash of Jade's blue uniform, the sound of Natalia lecturing Luke in the distance, hell, he'd even settle for one of Anise's bear hugs at this point. Guy shuddered at the thought. He took it back. He didn't need to find them thatbadly.

Then again, just how badly did he want to find them? Guy wasn't too sure of that answer himself. It was highly unlikely that they wanted to see him; of that much Guy was sure. He may not know exactly what they had overheard, but to have them flat out abandon him like that… they had certainly heard enough. He'd be lucky if they didn't attack him where he stood, forget even talking. Guy could see the look in Asch's eyes already, and just the thought sent chills down his spine. They had every reason to deem him a threat; he couldn't honestly say he'd feel any different if he was in their position. Still, he wanted to talk to them, if nothing else, they deserved a reason.

But whether he wanted it or not, Luke, Asch and everyone else were nowhere to be found. The hangar where the Albiore was kept had been closed and locked, though whether it was empty, or because Iemon and the others had been given a heads up about him, he couldn't be sure. Either way, it told him nothing. Not surprising really, given what was going on with the war and all. Sheridan was the probably the last place they'd be; but he knew they had planned to come back for Ginji once repairs were done on the Albiore, so he thought he might have had a chance to catch up with them. No luck, that window seemed to have already closed. Maybe he'd have better luck in Grand Chokmah, or perhaps in Baticul, even if Guy doubted the safety of the latter option.

A sudden movement just to his left drew the blonde's undivided attention. Who was it this time? These people were starting to try even his seemingly limitless patience. But there was one way to put an end to this once and for all.

Guy spun around suddenly, surprising the figure he had identified. A rather startled middle aged woman staggered back a few steps and dropped the basket she had been carrying.

"I'm sorry," Guy apologized, motioning to help her recover her possessions, embarrassed at his careless assumption. But before he could intervene, the woman had collected all her belongings.

"It's no trouble," the lady said with a smile before continuing on her way.

At least it wasn't another one… Guy let out a sigh; seriously, he'd never had so many stalkers in his life, at least five since he'd arrived in Sheridan alone. Some wore cloaks, others didn't, and they varied in age from a young boy to an elderly lady, but they would all follow him in spite of his best attempts to shake them off. Guy couldn't get any information out of them either, not since he had caught Noir in Daath. What business did the Dark Wings have with him? Oh well, he wasn't getting anywhere just standing around, he might as well find somewhere to stay the night before it got too late.

There were a lot of things Guy had been looking for when he came to Sheridan. But it was on the street leading up to the inn that Guy found himself staring into a pair of very familiar blue eyes. This was the one thing he hadn't been expecting to find.

"Hello, Gailardia."

"…Vandesdelca."

Luke brought his hand up to cover the yawn he let out. Despite his extended nap aboard the Albiore, he still felt rather tired. His sleep was still fogged by nightmares, and it seemed like no matter what he did, they just wouldn't leave him alone. Perhaps that was his punishment for what he had done.

"All that sparring must have worn you out, huh?" Anise commented, noticing how he was dragging his feet.

"Yeah, I guess so," Luke answered with a chuckle. The redhead eyed Jade, and was grateful when the Colonel decided not to pry. It was a bad lie, and even he knew it.

"Do you think Noelle will be alright?" Tear asked as everyone made their way through the streets of Sheridan. Though it was only about mid-day, there weren't many people out and about, maybe because of the clouds that hung overhead and their threats of rain. But whatever the reason, at least it made the normally bustling city easier to navigate. Hopefully they could catch up with Ginji soon.

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Asch replied. "She did just fine on her own before, I don't see why she'd have trouble now, as long as she's careful while flying over the battlefield."

"I doubt there's much to be concerned about," Jade stated with a shrug. "The battle will likely die down to some extent once night falls. The explosions will be easier to spot in the dark as well. She's safer now than she was while carrying us."

"I'm still somewhat concerned for her safety," Ion commented.

"Well it's not like there's much we can do from here," Anise pointed out the obvious.

"Shht," Asch harshly hushed everyone and quickly signalled them to take cover behind a nearby building.

"What? What is it?" Mieu bounced. Pre-empting his older brother, Luke grabbed the little creature by the head mid-bounce and forcefully replaced him on the ground. Taking the hint, the little cheagle fell silent. But what had Asch spotted all of a sudden?

"You won't reconsider?" A very familiar voice was carried on the cold breeze. It was Master Van! A feeling of apprehension washed over the man's younger student, a feeling Luke was becoming far too familiar with lately. What was Master Van doing here? Was he trying to make Sheridan fall too? But they had already stabilized the Passage Ring in this area so he couldn't do anything, right? Was he there to stop them from saving the people of Engeve? But how would he know they were here? Luke's head began spinning with an endless tirade of questions that served no purpose but to spur on his already racing heart. His growing anxiety must have been showing, for Tear placed a comforting hand on Luke's shoulder and gave him a gentle smile. Luke took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Master Van didn't have any way of knowing they would come to Sheridan, so he must be here for some other reason. But who was he talking to? The young noble peeked further around the corner into the virtually empty city street. Luke's heart sank when he saw the second person, for standing in front of his former teacher, was Guy.

Damn it! Why here of all places? Asch cursed to himself as he clutched the second sword at his side. They didn't have time for this! Engeve could fall any day now; they couldn't afford to get caught up in a mess with Van and Guy! Neither of them seemed to have noticed the groups' presence; with any luck things would stay that way, and they may learn a thing or two about what Van's plans were.

"I'm sorry," Guy's response halted everyone's thoughts and drew their undivided attention to the two men in the street. "Even if you do revive Hod, all those people are still gone. No matter what you do, they won't come back. I just can't agree with what you're doing. "

"You'll still side with them, even though they abandoned you?"

"It's not just for them," the blonde finally said. "They share the same beliefs that I do, and they want the same things for this world. So even if Luke and Asch abandoned me, even if they think I'm a murderous spy and are willing to attack me on the spot, I will still defend them."

"They killed your family," Van pointed out, the look on his face growing dark.

"No," Guy shook his head. "Their father killed my family. It's not the same thing."

"But you wanted revenge all the same. Didn't you want to hurt him like you'd been hurt? Show him the suffering he inflicted on you and all the other families of Hod?"

"Not if it means hurting Luke or Asch. I won't make them suffer; they have nothing to do with this."

"You're being rather noble to a family of murderers."

"It was a war," Guy pointed out.

"The slaughtering was needless none-the-less," Van retaliated.

"It doesn't matter anymore; it was a long time ago. I may not like it, and I don't have to accept it, but getting revenge now isn't going to solve a thing!"

"Why doesn't it matter? Because the Score said it would happen? Because the Score said that Hod would fall? Or is it simply because not a soul on this planet did a thing about it?" Van's voice was rising, a rare occurrence in itself for the man who normally had perfect control of any situation he found himself in.

Guy watched his former comrade with mixed emotions: sadness for the person his friend had become, anger at the world that had driven him to these lengths, and hatred, for the people that had taken away his innocence. Yet, beyond all that, Guy nurtured a small feeling of hope, hope that the once bright young boy could be made to understand, to turn away from the destructive path he was on. But the more Van spoke, the more that small flame was smothered.

"Gailardia… we wanted the same things once. Won't you consider joining me? Together we can right the wrongs of your past, right all the wrongs the Score has written for this world. We swore to help each other out, why do you hesitate now?"

"When we last left Baticul, you had promised me you would protect Luke in Akzeriuth; but you left him to die in the passage ring. So tell me, why should I believe you now?"

"It couldn't be helped," Van offered a bit too quickly for Guy's peace of mind. "The boy didn't trust me, he wouldn't come."

"Can you blame him after what you pulled?" Now it was Guy's voice that was beginning to rise. "I'd be worried if he still did trust you after a stunt like that; and it sure as hell didn't stop you from saving Asch!"

"I couldn't have both of them die. Try to understand Gailardia; this is for the greater good, for the freedom of the world. There are bound to be sacrifices along the way."

"Then what's to say I won't become one of those 'sacrifices'?"

"I pledged my sword to your service, to be your protector and to give my life for yours should that day ever come," Van replied. "A lot has happened since then, but I still hold to those words. I will not see you die if there is something I can do. Right now, the best I can do is to have you alongside me, where I can ensure your safety and your happiness."

Guy let out a heavy sigh. "Then as your master, I ask you to stop this foolishness. If you can't do that, then I will return your sword to you."

"That I cannot do," Van said sternly.

"Then I return your sword to you Vandesdelca."

"You always were foolish," Van said coldly, his voice betraying his disappointment. "Your greatest mistake is choosing to stand by an old enemy rather than an old friend,"

"No," Guy retorted, "my only mistake was ever deluding myself into believing Asch was my enemy."

"Should you choose to stand against me the next time we meet, I won't show you any mercy." And with those final words, Van turned around and walked away.

"Farewell Vandesdelca," Guy said softly as he watched the man who had been his closest childhood friend vanish into the grey horizon.

"Well now what?" Guy wondered aloud, still staring down the street where Van had vanished. Given the clouds overhead, it was hard to estimate the time. It must be getting closer to super by now. Guy's stomach rumbled at the thought. He could use a good meal and then he would just have to resume his search. Maybe he would have better luck in Baticul. Given the current war and the fact that it was unlikely Natalia had changed that much in the past few weeks, it was a safe bet they'd be going there eventually.

With renewed resolve, Guy turned around to make his way back to the inn, but instead, he found himself face to face with a shadow from his not-so-distant past.

"A-Asch? Luke? You guys, what are you-"

But before Guy could even get his question out, he found himself staring down the blade of a sword he had seen all too often in his dreams these days. But what in all of Auldrant was it doing here, and why did Asch of all people have it?

'Asch?! What are you doing?!' Luke demanded, infuriated by his brother's harsh actions. Asch had heard the things Guy had said, just like the rest of them. What the hell was he thinking?

'Shut up Luke!' Asch cut off all his sibling's protests with a single sharp command. He didn't budge an inch, and the Jewel of Gardios remained pointed at the blonde. Luke may not like it, but this was necessary.

It was his father's sword. The heirloom of his family that he was supposed to inherit when he came of age and took over the household; a precious treasure that was stolen as a trophy along with his father's head in proclamation of the loss of all he had ever held dear. Guy's clenched fists turned white and it took every drop of the will power he'd built up over the years not to react any further. This was too much. Maybe he had made some mistakes, maybe he did deserve their hatred, but to point his own family sword at him? And in the hands of the son of the man who had killed his family? It was just-

"Guy..." Luke hesitantly began, but was cut off by a sharp gesture from his older brother. Damn it Asch! Luke bored holes in the back of his brother's skull. What was he trying to do? Was this all supposed to be some sort of stupid excuse to finally have at it with Guy?

The blonde eyed his best friend; maybe former best friend, Guy silently reminded himself. Luke seemed willing to talk, but Luke wasn't the one he would have to contend with. Asch wasn't the only one giving him hateful stares. But still, as long as there was that small chance they would listen, maybe it would be worth the effort. None-the-less, as Guy stared down the length of his family's last remaining treasure, he couldn't help but wonder.

Was Asch really his enemy now that he knew the truth?

"I suppose you want an explanation, huh?" Guy managed to choke out. No one dared say a word, but the two emerald daggers before him were enough of an answer for him to find the motivation to continue.

"Van and I have been friends since we were kids," the blonde explained. "We both used to live in Hod along with Cantabile. Van's family technically served mine, but I was the one who looked up to him. Of course, everything changed when the war started. Duke Fabre led the attack, and was the one who killed my family. For a long time, all I could think about was revenge. I wanted to hurt the people who had hurt me; I wanted revenge on your father for what he did to my family. I had planned to kill both of you, to make him go through what I had. Van and I swore to help each other as much as we could, as two survivors of Hod, and as two friends looking out for each other." Guy paused, but the sword Asch was holding didn't budge, so the blonde continued his tale.

"To be perfectly honest, I knew about Akzeriuth, Van had told me long before it happened. I didn't know the details, but I knew what the Score said. But when the time finally came, I started doubting what I wanted to do. I wanted my revenge, but I didn't want to see Luke get hurt. I had tried so hard not to get close to either of you, but I guess I failed," Guy said, his last comment directed solely at his best friend.

"So Van promised me he would make sure that Asch was the sent to Akzeriuth in Luke's place." Guy could almost feel Asch tense up as soon as the line escaped his mouth, and given who was holding the sword, he wondered if it had been a smart idea to say it at all. But if he was going to come clean, he may as well give them the whole truth. "Of course, we all know what really happened. Believe me, I was pissed to high hell with him all the way to Akzeriuth. But I swear, I had no idea what he was planning. I didn't realize that Akzeriuth's destruction was going to be his doing. It's not an excuse, I know it isn't; Akzeriuth is just as much my fault as it is Van's because I wasn't able to stop him. If you don't believe anything else I say, believe that."

That was it; Guy's shoulder's sagged, clearly indicating that he was done. He had nothing else to tell, that was the whole truth; that was how he felt. Now there was nothing left but to wait for Asch to run him through with that sword he was holding.

But much to the former servant's surprise, when the Jewel of Gardios finally moved, it wasn't towards him. Asch withdrew the blade from the blonde's face and flipped it around, skilfully catching the blade without cutting his fingers. Guy could only stare in amazement at the hilt of the sword that was clearly being offered to him.

"What on- After all that… why?" Guy finally managed, accepting the sword from Asch.

Asch remained silent.

"It's because he's going to trust you," Luke provided with a smile, finally understanding Asch's intentions.

"Even though I was going to kill you? Even though I tried to arrange for you to die in Akzeriuth?" Guy still couldn't believe what was happening, this couldn't be real… he must be dreaming. The glistening blue jewel, the shining gold hilt it was wrapped in… there was just no way. But the warm metal hilt in his hand along with the feeling of cold raindrops on his face as they slowly began to fall betrayed the reality he found himself in.

"We knew all that stuff already," Anise pitched in. "Père told us all about it when we were in Baticul."

"But wait, if you already knew… then why didn't you…"

"That was rather cunning of you," Jade commented to Asch who chose to ignore it. Even his compliments sounded insulting. "He was testing your reaction," the Colonel explained.

"Jade?" Guy eyed the colonel whose harsh and condemning gaze from just moments earlier had completely vanished.

"A clever plan I must say," the colonel continued as he used his uniform to wipe the raindrops from his glasses. "It was simple; if you had truly been our enemy then you would have reacted as soon as he pointed the sword at you."

"Yeah," Anise agreed, "and you wouldn't have told us all that stuff. You would have lied and tried to make yourself look good."

"You told us the truth," Ion commented. "Even though it put you at a disadvantage and was more likely to earn you our hatred and distrust. That alone is proof of your integrity."

"I-I don't know what to say," Guy managed.

"Say you won't do it again," Luke teased. "Next time we'll have to send Anise after you."

"Gah! Please don't!" The thought alone sent shivers down his spine.

"But seriously," Luke continued, his smile vanishing in place of the solemn expression that washed over his face. "Don't do that again. I really thought…"

"I won't," Guy cut his best friend off. "I swear, I will use this sword to protect the both of you." Guy nodded to Luke and turned towards Asch who stood alone and still refused to look him in the eye. "Asch… areyou okay with this?" He didn't really want to ask, and his question may have just relit the proverbial fire, but he'd rather deal with this now than later.

"You were still honest," Asch finally replied. "Even though every word out of your mouth made me want to run you through, you still said it. So I'll trust you… for now." Asch pulled the matching sheathe from his belt and held it out, his eyes meeting Guy's for the first time since he had handed over the sword. All the sharpness in Asch's eyes was gone, though Guy could still see a flicker of distrust. But distrust, he could handle. Maybe not right now, but eventually. He would prove to Asch that he meant what he had said, that he wanted to protect them... now more than ever. At the very least it was a start.

Guy smiled and reached out to grab the sheathe he was offered, but as soon as he did, Asch's grip tightened.

"But," Asch continued, his intensity reaching an all time high. "If you ever do betray us, next time, I will run you through."

"I wouldn't expect any less," Guy said happily. The redhead let go of the sheathe and allowed him to put his family's -no- his sword away.

"So what's next?" Guy casually inquired. He had no idea why everyone was here in Sheridan or what they had been doing up until this point.

"First I think we should get out of the rain before someone catches a cold," Jade provided as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world. Well, it was comforting to see that he never changed. "Then, provided the weather lets up and it is safe to depart, we will locate Ginji and evacuate Engeve."

"Engeve? What's the matter with Engeve?" Guy asked worriedly.

"Can we save the explanations for once we're inside and dry?" Asch grumbled, upset at being caught out in such terrible weather yet again. He'd had enough rain in Grand Chokmah to last him half a lifetime.

"Umm, I think we may have a problem," Ion hesitantly spoke up.

"What is it?" Tear asked.

"Uh guys…" Anise drew their attention, noticing the problem that Ion was talking about. "Where's Natalia?"

Chapter Text

"Natalia!" The blonde's voice was drowned out by the light drizzle that was now falling steadily down on the city of craftsmen. "You know," Guy suddenly realized with a chuckle, "maybe I shouldn't be the one calling for her."

"Maybe," Luke replied. "But I don't think she's all that likely to answer to me either."

"She mad at you again?"

"Oh yeah."

"What happened this time?"

"It's a long story," Luke said with an exasperated sigh.

"Isn't it always?" Guy shrugged, pleased with the faint smile that tugged at his best friend's lips.

"I'm glad you're back, Guy."

"Thanks Luke, that means a lot." Guy really was glad to be back. It wasn't until he had been gone, did he realize just how much he had missed being around everyone. He still couldn't really process everything that had just happened. To be perfectly honest, he was utterly amazed that Asch had been willing to take him back so easily. It was clear as day that any and all trust that may have existed between the two of them before this mess was completely gone, but considering the circumstances, and just how much of a concession it was for the noble, he was grateful. Maybe there was hope for them yet. "I'm glad to be back too."

"You really scared me," Luke admitted hesitantly.

"I'm sorry Luke, I really am. I didn't mean for everything to happen that way, or for you to find out about me like that. I guess that's what happens when you keep secrets too long; they just sort of come out, and never in the way you want them to."

"I know what you mean," Luke replied remembering all too well how his and Asch's last secret had ended up out in the open. "That God-General, Cantabile… she was your friend right?"

"Yeah, we were pretty close as kids. I haven't seen her since Hod fell."

"And you were both from noble families?"

"That's right," Guy answered, a bit surprised at Luke's sudden interrogation. But he would give Luke as many answers as he needed. Guy owed him that much.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You've already been asking me things," Guy shot back teasingly, giving his best friend a pointed look.

"If you're a noble from Malkuth, you must have had somewhere else you could have gone," Luke continued undeterred by Guy's taunts. "Why did you come work as a servant in our house?"

"You really want an answer to that?" Guy inquired, his tone making it clear that the answer wasn't something pleasant. Luke nodded. "Honestly, I moved to Kimlasca because I was going to kill Asch. My status meant nothing to me, it was just an empty title. All I cared about back then was getting revenge."

"I'm kind of jealous," Luke said with a weak smile.

"What?" Guy asked incredulously.

"I mean, I know revenge isn't right and all, but I'm jealous of how easily you gave up everything to follow your goals. I don't think I could do that."

"You'd be surprised what you'd do for the people you care about," Guy answered simply. "Besides, it's different for you; you still have your parents and Asch which is why it seems like it would be so much harder to give it all up. I don't think you'd have any problems following your dreams, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Thanks Guy," Luke smiled. He'd forgotten how good Guy was at saying just the right thing to make him feel better. Then a thought crossed his mind. "Do you… I mean, you don't…"

"I don't want to kill Asch anymore," Guy provided easily guessing what had Luke so worried all of a sudden. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't resent what your father did, but I know that hurting you two won't solve a thing. Back then, all I really thought about was hurting your father as badly as I could, and Asch was an easy target. Maybe you could say I just didn't have the guts to go after your father, so I took it out on Asch."

"Is that why you two never got along?"

"Yeah… Asch has more than enough reason to hate me. I was pretty terrible to him before you came along. Of course, you know Asch, he isn't one to just take it, and I'm sure you can guess how things went from there. But I can honestly say that I was the one who started everything. Then… then I helped Van kidnap him." Guy fell silent and waited for Luke's reaction.

"Yeah," Luke said softly.

"Yeah? That's it?" Guy had expected a lot of different reactions from Luke at his latest revelation, but that certainly hadn't been one of them.

"I know, Asch told me."

"You knew? For how long?"

"Does it matter?"

"Then why did you trust me?"

"Well, it's like you said," Luke shrugged, "things are different now, right?"

"Yeah but…"

"Then that's what matters," Luke said definitively. Guy smiled.

"Shall we go find Natalia? Before Asch rakes us over?"

"Yeah, and when I find her, I'm going to give her an earful."

"Really?" Guy just couldn't picture Luke yelling at Natalia. It was usually the other way around.

"Yes. Asch has enough to worry about without having her taking off like that." Luke was determined, and there was a strength in his best friend that Guy hadn't seen before.

Just what had happened while he was gone?

Asch stood alone on the road leading up to the inn. Everyone had finally vanished in the distance, breaking into pairs to try and track down his errant fiancée. He had volunteered to search the places he thought she might go on his own, while everyone else covered the city. They knew she had been with them when they got to Sheridan, but no one had noticed when she slipped away. But why would she just take off like that without telling anyone? It wasn't like her at all. She wasn't that mad, was she?

No matter how mad she might be, Asch knew Natalia had more sense then to try and head back to Baticul on her own, especially with the world's current state of affairs. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. To be perfectly honest, he didn't really know what to think anymore; she hadn't been at all like herself for quite some time now. Everything was such a mess, it was getting to the point that he didn't even know where to start anymore. So much to deal with, no time to do it in, and without any of the information that he needed… Asch let out a frustrated sigh. If he got out of this one with all of his sanity intact he'd be highly surprised.

"Hey there, honey."

Asch could feel the pressure of the pink-haired bandit's shoulders as she leaned against his back. He didn't need to see her to know that her arms were crossed in front of her chest and a smug grin was spread across her face. Her pink hair hung messily in her eyes that were probably closed or staring intently at the ground. Her personality was evident in every aspect of her posture and every word from her mouth. Time and again she'd proven herself to be an invaluable ally, and Asch hadn't once regretted his decision to enlist their help.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on Guy for me," Asch stated.

"No problem. You sure pick troublesome jobs though, honey, we had to get pretty creative to keep him from catching us," Noir said, her voice laced with her favourite tone: a sweet way of talking that bordered on seductive. "And we didn't always succeed," she added after a moment's thought.

"That's alright."

"Pretty cruel of you there, sweetheart," Noir taunted as she circled around to meet his gaze.

"He couldn't touch you if he wanted to," Asch shot back. Noir smiled in defeat.

"So what's it this time?" The young bandit asked, quickly figuring out the reason for their encounter. It wasn't like it was that difficult to figure out. Her boss was cautious, played his cards very carefully, and meeting here and now was very risky for both of them. Whatever he needed must be urgent.

"It won't be easy," Asch replied.

"Honey, who do you think you're talking to?"

"It'll probably be dangerous."

"And when has that ever stopped you?" Noir grinned as she successfully elicited a chuckle from her boss. "Have we ever let you down before?"

"No, you've done well," Asch let out a sigh, his face growing very serious. He was worn out, tired by the multitude of troubles that he had to deal with. Even she could tell that much. Someone as young and handsome as him shouldn't have to look so grown up. But it wasn't like he had a choice. No…it wasn't like either of them had a choice, because she couldn't just abandon a sweetheart like him.

"Noir," Asch began. "I need you to find something out for me, and I need to know very soon."

The fire at the inn crackled as the flickering light it emitted chased away the cold the rain seemed to bring with it. Luke, Guy, Anise, Ion and Mieu were all seated strategically around the flames, taking in the warmth and waiting for their clothes to dry while Asch had begun pacing along the length of the fireplace. None of them had any luck in locating Natalia, and it was starting to get late. It would be dark soon, and if she didn't show up before nightfall, their chances of finding her later would be pretty slim.

'You're going to make a rut in the floor if you keep that up,' Luke commented.

'Go crawl under a rock,' Asch shot back.

'You realize your pacing is just making everyone more nervous, right? Besides, I think Anise is going to kick you into the fire the next time you pass by her.'

'I dare her to try it,' Asch stated in a bitter tone.

'Look Asch,' Luke interjected, annoyed by his brother's foul mood. Not that he could blame him, but still… 'We're all worried, but I'm sure wherever Natalia is, she's fine. Seriously, just sit down. You're going to drive us all crazy at this rate.'

But before Asch could come up with a sarcastic response, the door to the inn opened and Jade walked in with two figures trailing behind him: Tear and none other than the errant princess.

"Natalia!" Guy stood up excitedly, but backed off when he realized she hadn't been around earlier.

"Don't worry Guy," Jade cut in, "we filled her in on the details regarding our previous encounter."

"Thanks." Guy smiled almost apologetically.

"Where were you?" Ion inquired as Natalia stood in the entry way wringing the water out of her hair. "We searched everywhere for you."

"Yeah," Anise emphasized. "Why'd you take off like that without telling any of us?"

"I just took a wrong turn," Natalia said in an annoyed tone. Tear gently nudged the princess with her elbow and Natalia seemed to lighten up a bit.

"So…what took you so long to come back and find us?" Anise pried. There was a long silence before Natalia answered.

"Instead of wandering aimlessly around Sheridan searching for you, I simply used the opportunity to restock on some supplies I used up while we were at Shurrey Hill," Natalia eventually explained when it was clear everyone was waiting on an answer from her.

"You should have tried to find us right away rather than gone shopping," Asch scolded once Natalia had finished her explanation. "We were all really worried about you."

"That's a surprise since you don't seem to care about anything I think. Why bother having me around?" Natalia snapped back, angry at being scolded by her fiancée. But as soon as she saw the hurt look on his face, she regretted her words.

"That's not true!" Luke angrily cut in. "Asch was worried sick about you! He-"

"Luke!" Asch cut his sibling off.

"You shouldn't be going off on your own," Jade re-iterated, "especially with the God-Generals and Dorian General Grants around. You couldn't have known about the later, but the former is always a threat. Do try to keep that in mind."

"I- I'm sorry," Natalia managed. Now she felt terrible, here they were all genuinely worried about her and she was putting them down. "Asch… I'm sorry for what I said." Her fiancée gave her a weak smile and a nod in acknowledgement and acceptance of her apology.

"Look Natalia, about this whole Engeve thing," Asch began.

"No, it's alright," the princess cut him off. "I... I know you're right. I just don't like it. I don't like not being able to do anything for all those people. I can't just watch them die. If there's something I can do, I don't want to just sit back and do nothing!"

"None of us like it," Tear said softly.

"Tear's right," Ion agreed. "If given the choice, we'd all choose to save everyone. Unfortunately, something that convenient just doesn't exist in this situation. It's not possible to save everyone, so we just have to do what we can. Other than that, we'll just have to hope for the best."

Natalia listened to the Fon Master's words ‒and they sounded so right‒ but she still couldn't bring herself to accept them. Not with…. No. She just couldn't. It wasn't just Engeve. This wasn't the first time, and she knew if things continued the way they were, it wouldn't be the last. Something had to be done.

"Well fortunately this mess wasn't a complete waste," Jade said with a shrug.

"What makes you say that Colonel?" Ion inquired.

"Our young Princess just happened to run into a certain someone we were searching for while she was out," Jade shrugged.

"Jade!" Natalia protested the wording the Colonel had chosen to use, her cheeks flushing.

"I was pretty surprised to say the least," the familiar voice came from the back of the room.

"Ginji!" Anise jumped. They had all been so focused on Natalia that none of them had noticed him come in behind her. "Don't do that! You scared me!"

"Sorry, Anise," Ginji chuckled.

"It's nice to see you again," Asch spoke up. "How have you been?"

"I've been busy, but not half as busy as you from what I hear. So what brings you guys here anyway? I thought you were going to stop the war."

"Yeah, that kinda failed," Anise provided.

"We were actually wondering if we could ask for your help," Asch replied, the light from the fire giving his face a dark look.

"I was hoping you would say that," Ginji answered. "You know I'll help you. Anytime, anywhere! So what's the problem?"

"It's the people of Engeve," Luke provided. "They're in danger and we need to evacuate them as soon as we can. Noelle's too busy trying to evacuate St. Binah to be able to help in time."

"So you want to use the Albiore to get them out of there faster?"

"That was our intention, yes," Jade provided taking a spot by the fire so he could dry off properly.

"No problem," Ginji said with enthusiasm, trying to lift the unsettled mood that had fallen over the entire group. Things must really be bad for such a lively bunch to be so down. "The Albiore's repairs are done so we can get going anytime. But where are you planning to evacuate everyone to?"

"Normally, the obvious choice would be Grand Chokmah," Tear provided. "But since its defences will probably be active by the time we arrive in Engeve, it's not an option. We can't bring them into Kimlascan territory either."

"What about Chesedonia?" Ion asked. "It's an autonomous state that doesn't belong to either side, so I don't see why they wouldn't accept the citizens of Engeve."

"That may not be a bad idea," Jade pondered. "Chesedonia is a fairly rich city as well and the war is unlikely to have impacted its economy that greatly. It should be able to support the citizens once we get them there, at least for the time being. It will be up to the citizens themselves to decide what they want to do beyond that."

"That's a very good point," Asch agreed. "How soon do you think we can get going?"

"The Score says it'll be sunny tomorrow, so we can take off first thing," Ginji replied.

"Alright," Asch said with a nod. "Then let's call it a night and get some rest. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

It hadn't seemed like that long ago since he had stood at the entrance to Engeve with Tear at the very start of their journey, but as Luke thought back on it he realized just how much had happened since then. It also struck him just how much more work they had ahead of them. But for now, they just had to get the people of Engeve out of harm's way. Then they could worry about the future.

The journey to Engeve hadn't taken nearly as long as Luke had expected it would. Something about the engines involving a lot of complex terminology that only Guy could get that excited over. But if it meant they could move faster, and save more people doing it, then you wouldn't catch him complaining. Now if only he could remember the mayor's name…

Luke had met a lot of people during his last stay in the small farming town. He had explored almost every nook and cranny of the town, much to Tear's dismay, who had been looking for him at the time. But in the process he had met and had interesting conversations with a lot of the people here. He wondered if anyone remembered him.

"So where do we start?" Tear inquired. She watched the people of Engeve going about their business. Other than the atmosphere that was much more unsettled then the last time she was here, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It was hard to believe all this land was in danger of falling into the Qliphoth.

"We should stop by Rose's house," Jade suggested. "She's the Mayor here, if anyone can help us get the town evacuated, she's the one."

"Well hello!" One of the villagers stopped in passing and greeted Luke.

"Hi there!" Luke cheerfully replied, recognizing the man as one of the men he had spoken with on his previous visit.

"I remember you! You were here back around harvesting time. You're the one who helped us with the cheagle thefts. Luke, right?"

"That's right," Luke confirmed excitedly. "But I wasn't the only one who helped with the cheagles, I really didn't do much."

"Nonsense," the man dismissed Luke's humbleness. "I heard you got rid of a nest of liger eggs up in the Cheagle woods. We hadn't even thought to watch for liger nests up there, we really owe you one!"

"Really, it wasn't that big of a deal."

"Of course it is! My house is over on the north eastern edge of the village. I don't know what would have happened if ligers attacked my family. If there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know."

"Well thank you," Luke finally answered when he realized the man wasn't going to let him dismiss what he had done. It left the young noble to wonder exactly how the villagers had found out about their endeavours, but at the moment he had more important matters to deal with. "Actually, could you point me in the direction of Rose's house?"

"Sure, it's the first house on your right. You can't miss it."

"Thanks!"

"Sure thing, and stop by later if you have the time, I enjoyed our conversation last time you were here."

"I don't know if I'll have time, but if I get the chance I definitely will."

"See you!" The man called back as he continued along his way.

"Who was that?" Asch inquired.

"Just someone I met when I was here last time. You know, when Tear and I were swept away from the manor."

"Still, I'm rather surprised he remembered you," Jade provided. "It has been quite some time since we've been here."

"Yeah, I guess," Luke shrugged.

"Well, we had best get working; we don't have much time after all." Ion knocked on the door of the house before them. Moments later, the door was opened by a woman who looked to be in her 40's and was rather well built. "Hello Rose," Ion greeted her.

"Fon Master Ion! And Colonel Curtiss!" Rose exclaimed noticing Jade standing behind the redheads. "It's a surprise to see you here, especially in these times. What in Auldrant brings you all the way to our small town?"

"I'm afraid it's not simply to visit," Jade explained. "May we come in?"

"Certainly! Come in, come in," Rose ushered them all inside. "My… your entourage has certainly grown in number since the last time you stopped by. I'm afraid I may not have enough chairs for all of you."

"Please, don't concern yourself," Ion spoke up. "I'm afraid we don't have much time to begin with."

"Goodness, what's so urgent? Does it have to do with the war?"

"You could say that," Jade stated. "The fact of the matter is, Engeve is in grave danger and it is urgent that you evacuate everyone as soon as possible. We're here to help as much as we can."

"That's going to be a problem," Rose replied solemnly.

"Why's that?" Luke asked worriedly.

"Well I've been concerned about the battlefronts being pushed back so I've been trying to prepare an escape route. But with the children and the elderly, there isn't any way to get everyone safely to refuge."

"That's where I can help," Ginji spoke up.

"That's right," Asch provided. "Ginji here can take the young and the elderly to Chesedonia on his flying ship. We can also transport anyone who's injured or weak that way as well. We won't have time to take everyone that way though, so some of us will still have to head by land."

"So you're suggesting that we split up and take half the villagers by land, and the other half stay to help with loading and evacuating with the Albiore?" Tear guessed.

"Precisely," Asch confirmed. "Luke, Guy and I will go by land with everyone who is able to make the trip. Everyone else please help with evacuating everyone else."

"I'll join you by land," Jade offered. "There shouldn't be anything here the girls and the Fon Master can't handle, and you're more likely to need the fighting strength passing through the battlefield."

"Thank you Jade," Luke smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want someone who can heal as well?" Tear offered. "I don't mind joining you."

"Though your skills would be welcome, they're going to need the extra help here," Jade provided. "Ideally we won't have to deal with anything beyond a few wild monsters. We have no intentions of trying to engage those in the battlefield."

"But what about the villagers? I doubt you'll be able to get to Chesedonia without anyone getting hurt," Tear protested.

"Don't you worry about that," Rose spoke up. "There are a few able healers here and I know a couple who will be more than able to make the trip by land."

"Now we just need to get the villagers organized," Ion pointed out.

"Leave that to me!" Rose stated. "We'll gather everyone in town square and work from there. Don't underestimate us; we stick together in this town. There's nothing we can't get done if we put our minds to it."

"That's good to hear," the young Fon Master replied.

"Then let's get to work, the faster we can get things going the better," Asch pointed out. "I highly doubt the battlefield will get any less intense."

"Well then, let's work on spreading the word and gathering everyone together in the town square," Luke suggested.

"That's a good idea," Asch agreed. "We should probably split into three groups. Jade can lead one group; he's from the military so you shouldn't have any problems, same with Ion since he's the Fon Master. Natalia, would you go with Jade? Anise and Guy can go with Ion, then Luke, Tear and I will manage somehow.

"You shouldn't have any trouble," Jade said in that mocking tone of his. "You have Luke with you."

Asch simply rolled his eyes. "Uh huh, sure. Now get going old man, or the war will be over before you get anything worthwhile done."

"One could only hope wars would resolve so quickly," Jade said simply.

"Oh, just go."

"Yes, your Majesty," Jade replied with a mock bow. Asch almost growled. If Rose wasn't still in the room he would have socked the man right then and there.

"Your Majesty?" Rose inquired confusedly. Asch's palm hit his forehead.

"It's a long story," Luke provided with a nervous smile. "We really should be going; we'll meet up with you later."

"Certainly, good luck to you!"

"Thanks, you too!"

Much to Asch's dismay, Jade had proven to be right after all. Though Asch wasn't sure if he should be happy or not. He hated that Jade had been right… but the fact of the matter remained that things were going much smoother than he had anticipated.

As it turned out, the man they had met at the entrance wasn't the only person who remembered Luke. It almost seemed like Luke had succeeded in meeting every villager in all of Engeve during that day he had run off on his own. It certainly made the evacuation efforts much easier. The fact that Luke and Tear were known to the villagers as the ones who had eliminated the liger nest certainly helped matters as well. Most of the villagers were more than willing to listen to what the three of them had to say and all too often Asch and Tear had to cut the younger noble's conversation off and shuffle him over to the next house only to repeat the entire process all over again.

"Just when did you meet all these people?" Asch whispered to Tear while Luke was engaged in another conversation.

"I honestly don't know," Tear replied dumbfounded. "I only lost him for half a day; I guess he met a lot of people in that time."

"Maybe, but still you were only here for a day." Asch eyed the melodist but Tear simply shrugged, she didn't have any more answers than he did.

"My my, and what are we up to over here?" Jade's voice came from between the two teenagers. Tear's heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she stumbled forward, away from the unexpected intruder. Rather than react as Tear did, Asch's fist instinctively found its way to Jade's face only to be caught at the last second by the devious Colonel. "Violent, aren't we?"

"Seems like your bad habits are rubbing off on the rest of us," Asch commented.

"What do you mean? I am completely opposed to unnecessary violence," Jade said in that sickeningly fake tone of his.

"Sure, and I'm Yulia's cousin."

"No, you're not doing anything productive," Jade shot back. "We can't have Luke doing all the work, now can we?"

"And what about you?" Asch shot back.

"We're done informing the citizens on the western side of town."

"This is the last house for us too," the redhead answered, getting somewhat defensive. Tear just shook her head. Since when was this a competition?

"Then shall we fetch your other half?" Jade suggested. "There's much more work to be done before we can leave, and I'm sure I don't need to remind you that we're working on a time limit."

Ion let out a huge sigh as he placed the last crate on the small wagon. They couldn't afford to bring very many wagons with them. Even though they planned to try and avoid the main battlefield, there would be a great deal of danger and the small caravans were difficult to conceal. But it was a risk they would have to take, after all, they still had to feed everyone for the week or so that they had anticipated the trip would take. He just hoped everyone would make it to Chesedonia safe and sound.

The young Fon Master pulled himself up onto the edge of the wagon and allowed himself to sit and rest for a bit. He just wasn't cut out for physical labour, but he wanted to help out as much as he could none-the-less. Anise had made him promise five times over that he would sit and rest when he needed it before she would even consider letting him help out. Though she had eventually conceded, Ion could still see her watching him from afar and could tell she disapproved of him hauling crates of food, even if they were the smaller, lighter ones. He would never hear the end of it if he wore himself right out, and it wasn't like a little rest wasn't welcome.

So in the meantime, Ion was content to simply watch everyone coming and going. Rose had been right, and it was quite the sight to see everyone in Engeve working so well together. It was nice to see everyone in their group working so hard as well. Even Natalia, who they all knew would rather be trying to put a stop to the war, was working her hardest at getting everyone ready. Luke in particular was doing really well. If he wasn't helping direct and organize people, he was helping to gather supplies and load the wagons. It was completely different from his attitude in Akzeriuth. He seemed so much more certain of his own abilities, a thought that made the young Fon Master smile.

"Hey Ion, how are you doing?" Luke asked as he set another crate of food into the cart the Fon Master was sitting on.

"I'm doing fine Luke, how are you?" Ion replied with a gentle smile.

"Good, Jade thinks we should be ready to leave by tomorrow morning."

"That's sooner than you expected, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think Jade thought it would take longer to gather supplies," the young noble explained.

"That's true, but if there's one thing that's nice about Engeve, it's that they're almost never short on food."

"Yeah, no kidding," Luke replied with a chuckle.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Ion commented, noticing Luke's good spirits.

"I guess you could say that. It's not like I'm glad that the land is falling or anything, but it feels really good to be able to help out, you know?"

"I do, there's so much joy to be had in helping those in need."

"I better get back to work if we want to be ready by the morning," Luke said with a sigh as he glanced around the town square. There was still a lot left to do.

"I'll come too," Ion offered.

"That's okay, I know you just sat down. I've only got the last few crates to load then I'll be taking a break too."

"Okay, don't work yourself too hard."

"I won't!" Luke waved as he ran off to load the crates into the other wagon. It was such a shame he'd been confined to Baticul all his life. He obviously took so much pleasure in being able to help others; there were so many wonderful things he could have accomplished.

Regardless, it made Ion happy to see his friend in such good cheer. Ion froze at the thought. That's right, Luke was his friend, as was everyone else they'd travelled with. Seeing them happy made him happy, and it bothered him to see them upset. Without even realizing it, they had all become so important to him. The memories he shared with them were the most precious times he'd ever had in his short life, and he wished for nothing more than for those times to continue on forever.

Sadly, it didn't seem like things would stay that way for much longer unless something was done. There was something wrong. It had been lurking beneath the surface ever since the war had started, but no one would talk about it. Perhaps no one even knew what it was, but it was there. This war had everyone tense, himself included, and he could almost definitely say it was entirely Mohs' fault. Well that was something he was more than capable of handling, and that man had better have a very good explanation for his actions if intended to remain within a mile of Daath.

But above and beyond Mohs and his vexatious schemes, something seemed to be bothering everyone, Asch in particular. Perhaps it was simply the stress of dealing with everything going on at the moment that Ion had been noticing, but Asch looked worn, like he hadn't slept peacefully in days. Though he wouldn't say it, Ion suspected he blamed himself for the war. He had tried speaking to the redhead; Asch just wouldn't open up with him the way Luke would, and so he left Ion to wonder. He certainly hoped Asch had no intention of taking responsibility for Mohs' machinations, even if only to himself. He only wished there was something he could do.