A/N: A repost from my Tumblr-the first TOA fic I've ever written. This story is a prelude of sorts to an incident portrayed in Tsuioku no Jade Chapter 4, and more or less wraps up in the same manner as that, though I admittedly took liberties with the setting and the like.
I do not own Tales of the Abyss.
"Jade, wait!"
Pausing in his tracks outside what used to be the academy's fomicry laboratory, Jade spared a backward glance at the male calling and running after him in the corridor. "Saphir," he said, his expression a mask of disinterest. "You're late to the party."
"Is it true?" Upon reaching his side, Saphir took the opportunity to catch his breath before continuing. "You're abandoning your fomicry research?"
Jade had to hold back a sigh of exasperation at Saphir's question. Obvious as the answer was, given the taboo issued throughout their unit that afternoon and the destruction of their fomicry machines along with it, it looked like he was going to have a very unpleasant discussion with Saphir whether he liked it or not. From the moment he halted on his tracks and allowed Saphir to speak with him, he had an inkling of what was to come, yet still hoped for something innocuous, like perhaps an invite to breakfast the next day.
Perhaps that was too much to hope for Saphir. This was Saphir he was talking about—fontech genius as he was, subtlety was never his strongest point. Still, he knew that from the moment he made that decision, this discussion was an inevitable result, and thus in his best interests, he might as well get it over with so that he could concentrate on more important matters. Like finding out the healthiest, non-lethal ingredient to add into curry.
"Yes, as you would have no doubt heard earlier," Jade said, pushing up his glasses, then shoving his hands inside the pockets of his uniform. "That is of course unless you managed to damage your hearing during the span of time I was away."
"You can't!"
"The top brass has been pushing for it sometime now, and my agreement, you could say, was merely a formality." Technically true, considering that Peony was Malkuth's crown prince and was the person who knocked some sense into him the other day. "In any case, it was a decision I should have made a long time ago."
Saphir bit his lip at his reply, then continued, "What about the Professor? You're going to abandon her just like that?"
"I'm sure she would have approved of my decision." After all, she was the one who taught him that life, no matter how big or small, had an intrinsic value. Though he was still far from a complete understanding of the matter, he at least knew that in relation to established laws of society, the practice of replicating living beings would not be without its own set of ethical issues, notwithstanding the imperfections of the replication process.
"How can you be so sure she would agree with what you're doing? Wouldn't you rather hear her say it in person?"
This time, Jade made no effort to hide his sigh. Of course he wanted to hear her voice again. See her smile again as she used a healing arte to help someone in need. The arte that fascinated him so. The arte that caused him to push her past the point of no return…
He narrowed his eyes at the other. "She is not coming back." No matter what he or Saphir did, the dead… remained dead. They were in a place where the living could not fathom to reach, not without achieving that state called "death"—an understanding he should have reached a long time ago.
Saphir took a step forward, challenging Jade's cool gaze as he spoke. "…What if I gave you another reason why you should continue the research?"
A flicker of curiosity crossed Jade's face then. "Pray tell." Given all the complications that rose from fomicry, there was no logical choice but to forbid it, and no other line of thought he explored told him otherwise. Was it possible that Saphir—despite his eccentricities, he was hailed as a genius along with him, loathe as he was to acknowledge it—had a good counterargument to the said subject?
With that line of reasoning in mind, he was somewhat taken aback with that happened next, what with Saphir cupping his cheeks, tiptoeing slightly to plant a light kiss on his lips.
He got over the initial surprise fairly quickly, for he did have an inkling that Saphir's feelings seemed to cross beyond the threshold of what most people classified as friendship. Saphir's almost unquestionable devotion to him despite his cold-shoulder treatment—bordering on fanaticism, really—was somewhat indicative of it, but Jade was not the type to point fingers when there was still room left for doubt.
Jade made no effort to pull away or reciprocate as the other deepened the kiss, though admittedly, Saphir's warm breath was somewhat suffocating. It was not a matter of liking or disliking Saphir at that point, more of a curious experiment as to how long it would take for the other to get the message that he was not interested in his offer at all.
It turned out that he did not have to wait for long, as Saphir broke away not a moment too soon, hurt etched on his face upon noticing Jade's blank expression.
"Are you done?"
"Why, Jade…?" A tear began welling up at the corner of Saphir's eye as he balled his fist tightly, shaking all the while. "Am I… not reason enough? Is there anything that would make you change your mind at all?"
"There is none. I have made my decision, and that is final. By the way, your nose is running."
Saphir's pained expression gave way to a glare at Jade's comment, and he quickly wiped his nose on his sleeve before continuing, "But the professor…" Jade had to resist slapping a hand to his forehead at the tack Saphir returned to. "You promised—"
"I made no such promises. I merely stated that if there were a way to revive Professor Nebilim, I would explore it. Unfortunately, there is none. Even if we manage to make a replica of her, there's no way we could return her memories. You have seen how the human replicas acted." Like newborns, having to be thought everything from scratch, with no memories of their past selves whatsoever.
"So you're giving up just like that?" Incensed, Saphir grabbed him by the collar and shoved him against the wall. "That isn't the Jade I know!" His voice rose a pitch."The Jade I know will—"
"—will have halted this foolish nonsense before it escalated any further," he said, red eyes flashing dangerously for a moment, though he made no attempt to break free of the other's hold. "I suggest that you drop any ideas of pursuing this research on your own, lest you find yourself imprisoned for life."
"…You've changed, Jade," Saphir said, tightening his grip on Jade's collar. "Ever since the Professor died…" He let out a loud sniffle. "You never smile anymore… You never… You never show any kind of emotion at all.. I… I don't know what you're feeling any more! If the Professor came back, then you'd return to the way you were!"
"People change, Saphir. That's all there is to it. No matter what you do—or what anyone does—I will not return to the way I was."
"I can't accept that!"
"No matter what?"
"No matter what!"
"Then this is where we part," Jade said as a matter of fact, gaze unwavering. "Goodbye, Saphir."
Saphyr's eyes widened in shock at Jade's declaration, and in surprise, let go of his collar. Tears welling once more, he fled down the corridor, and Jade could only smile ruefully as Jasper Cadogan entered the scene, a clear witness to all events that have transpired.