Disclaimers: I don't own Tales of the Abyss…
Author's notes: I was inspired by my fanart "Same Face", and so I decided to type this down. It's somewhat short, but well… yeah…
Just a suggestion though… read this with a sad background music… It's a good method to set up the mood. XD
If you have the song "Akatsuki no Kuruma – Piano Version" from Gundam Seed Destiny, then play it before reading this…! XD
With a weird occurrence of hyperresonance, he suddenly had no idea where he was. The place was very familiar to his eyes, and yet he couldn't pinpoint where exactly he was. He was standing in the middle of a meadow, and even he knew that this wasn't Tartaroo Valley. He could see high walls from a distance, but the slight dust was blurring his sight. He continued to stare at the walls, and that was where it hit him.
He was very near the Capital of Light… his former city… Baticul…
However, that didn't explain why he was there. He knew how the outskirts of Baticul looked like, but despite the fact that some aspects were the same, it was not completely the same as he remembered. There were differences. The walls didn't seem as old as he last saw them… and there were supposed to be trees around the area where he was. So… what happened…?
He continued to glance around him in confusion, but soon realized that he was gaining nothing by what he was doing. He decided to enter Baticul, and well… He would try to find the answers from there. Soon reaching the city gates, he hesitated. Was it right for him to be in this place after years of disappearance…? After all… his replica already took his place. It wouldn't be right to just suddenly barge in and claim what was rightfully his… He would be destroying his family's happiness… despite the fact that his… family… had no idea what had been going on.
However, for some unknown reason, he found himself entering the city, and the sight that he saw was the same as the outside. This wasn't the Baticul that he remembered seeing just a few days ago after accidentally meeting with his replica. Things were different… and… he couldn't explain it, but something was telling him that there was something not right about where he was.
He shook his head and decided that it didn't matter before leaving the city. He went back to the outskirts, soon reaching the small forest that was owned by the Fabre family (1) He sat down under a tree, closing his eyes to clear his thoughts. No one would be coming here because of the dangers of lurking creatures, so he wasn't afraid of having someone sneak up on him. Monsters may attack him, but he would keep his instincts and senses up for danger. That was what he was trained for, after all.
Soon, he found his eyes becoming heavier by the second, and he readily closed his eyes, slowly entering the realms of sleep. But that was before he heard ruffling from the bushes that made him open his eyes and hold his sword. He was now on high alert, waiting for whatever it is to come out and attack him. He did not have to wait long before he saw a creature come out of the bushes, however… it did not seem that the creature was going after him.
He could hear footsteps, but there was more than one pair of feet. He stood up, wanting to know what was going on for someone to be in this place. He squinted his eyes, barely seeing a silhouette of white and orange. He could hear someone else running, and then he heard one of them speak.
"Master Luke! Where are you?! This is no time for games! Your mother would be so worried by now!"
His eyes widened.
Master Luke…?
He glanced around him, seeing a blonde boy run inside the forest, calling the same name again and again. The boy looked familiar, and that was where it hit him.
"Guy…?"
He was about to follow him, but as he turned around to follow, he was gone. Asch shook his head. "What's going on…? Why was Guy there…? Why did he look so young…?" His eyes widened slightly, the possibility of his assumption becoming clearer by the second. "Don't tell me I've…"
"Wah…! Ooof…! Oww…"
A body bumped into him, which made him take a step back before looking at the figure that fell on his behind. His eyes widened even further as he realized who that kid was. Long messy reddish-orange hair framed the young one's face, and similar green eyes adorned his orbs. Asch was shocked, not daring to speak. However, the young one seemed to be glad to see him. The child latched himself onto him, hugging his waist tightly as scared teary eyes glanced up to meet his.
"Please don't let him take be back…" The child whispered his cry. "I don't want to go back there…"
Asch gulped slightly, soon finding his voice once again. If his assumption was right, then maybe…
"Why don't you want to go back…?"
The child tightened his hold on his waist, little blobs of tears coming out of his eyes. "They won't let me out again… They'll lock me up… They'll keep me in… Please don't let him get me…!" He cried. "I don't want to go back…"
"Replica…"
"So please…"
He kneeled down, and with a rare act of gentleness, placed his hand on the smaller one's head. His eyes softened as his other hand wiped away the tears from the young one's cheeks. He was back to the past, and now… he had the option to change things. His replica grew up spoiled and unknowing of anything because he was kept inside the manor for so long. He could take his replica with him and train him. Then his replica wouldn't have to make the same mistakes in the future. However, he knew that he shouldn't. He wasn't the type to change things, and Asch would be damned if he decided to change things without knowing the consequences.
"I'm sorry… You have to go back…"
Teary eyes widened in fear as the child shook his head. "No…! Please don't… I don't want to… I don't want to be locked up again…!"
It was just then that he realized… Luke was just like him. He suffered in the same way he did… confined against his will… although with a different motive. They were both stripped off their freedom to live in a way they would rather not live. He was kidnapped against his will, replicated and then forced to train under his former master as a god-general. He was tricked of course, but he knew that he didn't have a choice.
His replica lived the same life… He was 'rescued', lived a life knowing nothing, confined inside the manor against his will, and taught things he would prefer not to know. He was locked up inside his own home, wanting nothing but to escape and see the world outside the walls…
They were exactly the same…
"I'm sorry… Luke…"
Soft hand suddenly held made their way towards his face, wiping the wetness that came out from his eyes…
Tears…?
"You have… the same face as I do…"
And he wrapped his arms around the child tightly, burying his face on the child's hair…
"I know…"
He didn't know why he was crying… or why he was there… All that he knew was that for some reason, this child was breaking his walls, allowing him to let out everything he was keeping inside for so long…
"Master Luke…! There you are… Who are you…?!"
He loosened his arms around the young one, giving him smile… an act that he knew he wouldn't be able to do again…
"Go now… You have to go back…"
"But… I don't want to…!"
He shook his head. "Don't worry… It won't be long… and you'll be able to go out and see the world…" He cringed inwardly; knowing that what his replica would be experiencing in the future would not become memories that one would enjoy remembering.
The young one stared at him, and after a while, spoke words that Asch was never expecting…
"I'll see you again… right…?! Promise me…!"
His eyes slightly widened before nodding. "Yes… We'll see each other again… although by that time, I doubt that you'll remember me or even act the same way towards me…"
"No…!"
His eyes widened…
"…I will never forget you…! You and I share the same face… You even know my name… so I'm sure that I'll see you again!"
He shook his head before sighing. "Fine then… We'll see each other again… I promise… now go…" He gave him a slight push towards his blonde caretaker. He then stood up, turned around to make his leave before his replica called him once again.
"Wait…!
"…What's your name…?"
"Asch…?"
He opened his eyes, slightly growling as he saw his replica's relieved face inches away from his own. "Oh thank goodness…! I was worried when you suddenly collapsed during our fight…" He scowled before roughly pushing his replica away from me, standing up to glare at him.
"Don't touch me, replica…! You're infuriating me…!"
"But Asch… I was just…"
"…and don't start that with me!"
Luke fell into silence, in which Asch was grateful (and slightly guilty) of. The silence occurred for a few seconds before his replica spoke once again…
"You know…"
"Shut up…"
"…you have the same face as I do…"
And he knew that all he could do was sigh…
"…I know…"
END
(1) I know that the game never really mentioned a forest owned by the Fabre Family, but hey… They're rich! They should be able to own at least one… right? XD
Author's notes: Ah finally! XD You know, I was actually tempted to end it midway, but I wanted to add more… XD Well… this was just a random idea that popped into my head while I was staring at my "Same and yet Different" fanart… Haha… I know, I know… Asch was kinda out of character up there, but I couldn't help it…! The thought was just too tempting to resist! XD
If I offend anyone, then I apologize…
XD
The fanart could be found here:
http://mikageakizuki. please!