For clarification, Verse 1 and 2 (and a part of 3) are altered/extended versions of events in the game (so expect some spoilers). After these, it goes into original story that starts where the game ends.

First of all, it goes without saying I don't own Tales of the Abyss or any of the characters therein. Second, I realize that there are some powerfully schmaltzy lines that are pretty OOC (one in particular in this verse – you'll know it when you see it), but I've tried to keep them in the characters' thoughts to alleviate some of that.

Verse 1: A Day in Belkend

So he was going to die after all. It wasn't so long ago that he'd convinced himself he was ready to die. This was different, though – that was a choice, that even though he wanted to live, even though she told him she would hate him and never forgive him, he would die if it meant saving her…their…everyone's lives. And there was certainty. This: he didn't know when he would go – if they would find him gone after a quiet night's rest, or if he would disappear in the middle of battle, leaving his friends in danger.

Luke walked around Belkend for a while, sorting out his thoughts. Only like this, only when he was alone, would he let himself think about it. Resolved not to worry his friends, he went to the inn where they were waiting.

"How did it go?" Tear was the first to speak up when he walked in.

"Uh, he said my blood fonons are a little low, but I'll be fine."

"Really? That's great!" Guy chimed in.

"You sure are tough, Luke!" Anise certainly seemed cheerful enough.

"I'm relieved." Natalia said what they were all thinking, save Jade who stood quietly in the background.

"Well, I guess we can relax a little, then. You must be tired. Why don't we spend the rest of the day in Belkend? We can leave for Baticul at first light tomorrow."

"But Colonel, weren't you just saying we should make our report on the miasma as soon as possible?" Anise looked at Jade dubiously.

"Did I? I must be getting forgetful in my old age. Perhaps a good night's rest here at the inn will help."

"I guess we're spending the night, then." Guy said as he walked over towards the clerk.

Everyone else followed suit to book their rooms for the night, but Luke still stood by the door.

"Is something bothering you, Luke?" The voice pulled him back to reality. It was Tear.

"No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't look fine."

"I said I'm fine!" He hadn't meant to snap, but he still wasn't ready to face everyone. "Just… leave me alone, alright?" And with that, he stormed out, leaving everyone else awestruck.

---

"You know, you didn't have to go supply shopping with me." Tear said to a bag-laden Guy.

"That's alright, I'm just glad to be of service. Besides, you looked like you could use the company."

She turned away, blushing, while they continued to walk. "W-what? What makes you say that?"

"You're telling me Luke's little outburst earlier didn't bother you at all? I swear, just when I think he really has changed, he does something like that."

"You don't really think that, do you?" Tear asked inquisitively.

"Of course not." Guy paused, unsure if he should continue. "But I'm more afraid of what the alternative might be."

Tear couldn't respond. For a while, they walked in silence. As they approached the inn, she finally spoke her mind.

"He's obviously not going to talk to me, but you're his best friend…"

"If Luke isn't going to talk to you, he's definitely not going to talk to me."

Tear looked away again. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're his watcher, after all, aren't you?"

"Oh…right, that."

"What did you think I meant?" Guy couldn't resist asking.

"N-nothing! Let's go inside."

---

"Not that I don't mind helping, Noelle," Natalia questioned while carrying a box of tools over to where Noelle was working on the Albiore, "but wouldn't Guy be better for the job?"

Noelle patted the aircraft like a loving mother. "No, if I gave Guy tools, he'd just start taking her apart piece by piece."

"Why do we have to sit around this crummy town all day?" Anise questioned of Jade.

"If nothing else, we should at least wait for Luke to return."

"Boo, forget Luke!"

"Anise!" Natalia scolded. "Still, the way he acted was most uncouth."

Jade shifted his glasses. "Oh? He has his reasons. Granted, that's no excuse for his behavior."

Anise wormed her way over towards him. "Colonel, you know why Luke ran off like that, don't you?"

"Now now, Anise, I have my theories, but it would hardly be fair to Luke if I told you what I thought."

"Jade is right, Anise. I trust Luke. He'll tell us what's wrong when he's ready."

"Quite. Unless, of course, he's somehow killed before then."

"Colonel!"

"Jade! Don't say things like that!"

"My apologies. I was merely stating a possibility."

---

"So," Luke said, parrying Guy's attack, "why'd you want to practice all of a sudden?"

"You looked like you needed to work some things out of your system. Besides, it never hurts to practice against a human opponent."

Luke brought down a particularly hard strike with his sword, which Guy only barely managed to parry, then withdrew for a moment. "I guess I did make a scene back there, didn't I?"

Guy nodded, then charged forward with another attack. "I suppose I shouldn't ask what that was all about, then?"

"No," Luke countered with a flurry of slashes, "I think I've got it under control."

They both stopped attacking for a moment to catch their breaths. "You sure? You still seem a little worried."

"Yeah, I guess I am. But it's nothing for you guys to worry about."

"Is it something big?"

Luke really didn't want to answer. It was best to be vague. "It's a lot of things."

Guy thought about Luke's answer for a moment. "What about Tear?"

"Yeah, her too, I guess." It came out before he could stop himself.

"Well well… I was just asking if you'd considered all she has to worry about, but that's good to know."

Guy laughed as Luke charged at him for another round. "S-shut up! It's got to do with everyone else, too."

"So what is it, then? You don't trust us enough to tell us?" Guy knew it was a low blow, but it was for Luke's own good.

"It's not about trust! I… I just don't think it's necessary to burden everyone with my problems."

Guy sheathed his sword. "That's enough for today." He turned and started heading back for the inn. Without looking back, Guy added "But don't think you can just decide for me what's necessary or not."

---

"Tear, you missed dinner." It was Jade. She was a little shocked that he was the one to check up on her, but she made no effort to move from her chair.

"I wasn't hungry."

"If you don't keep your strength up, you won't be ready for the coming battles."

"I know."

Jade sighed. It wouldn't do well to leave her like that, and it was at least partly his fault for having them stay in Belkend overnight – though he'd only wanted a chance to talk with Luke in private.

"Whatever it is, I can assure you it's not your fault. It's a personal battle, and he wants to fight it on his own."

"So I should just let him?" Tear sounded even more despondent than before.

"I never said that. In fact, if you really care about someone, you'll know when to fight alongside them even if they don't want you there."

"Jade…" She was on the verge of tears.

Jade pushed his glasses up by the bridge. "If you're going to thank me, don't bother. I'm just an old man, rambling on about things that are none of his business."

---

The sun was setting in the distance. There was a quiet calm in the air; no wind, not a sound from the streets below, and a certain numbness for having sat there on the roof for so long. For a moment, he wondered if this is what it would feel like, to be dead. Maybe it was because he had come so close, but he wanted to live now even more than ever. Logic and sentiment were tearing away at him from inside. Even though he knew what he had to do - even if it meant the world - he still wanted to stay with everyone.

Tear silently climbed the ladder, stopping the moment she saw him there. Luke was facing the other way, towards the sunset. He let his head fall back to look up at the sky. The fonstone ring seemed to glow around this time of day. Even with everything on his mind, he still knew there was no excuse for the way he acted.

"Tear…"

"I'm surprised you heard me."

Luke sat upright with a start. He hadn't, but he couldn't tell her that.

"How did you know where to find me?"

Tear climbed the rest of the way up the ladder and stepped out onto the roof. "I seem to remember you liking places with a nice view."

He smiled. "That doesn't sound like me… but then again, here I am."

Tear took a few tentative steps towards him. "Yeah…"

"Tear, I… I'm sorry about before."

"That's alright."

"It's just that I'd really rather deal with this on my own."

"I understand." She turned away. "But, I'm here for you if you need me." The ladder was right ahead, but she didn't want to leave. Still, she said what she came to say, and he told her exactly what she expected to hear.

"Tear, wait."

"What is it?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything."

Luke couldn't look back. He just kept his eyes straight ahead at the horizon. "You… mind staying here for a while?"

Wordlessly, she walked over next to Luke and sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Sitting here alone together, both of us thinking seriously… You know… what this reminds me of?"

"Yeah, when I wanted you to stop lowering the Outer Lands." Luke smiled. "Only, you wanted me to leave. I really was an idiot, huh?"

"Not at all. I never said it, but… I was really grateful that you stayed." Tear stared at her knees.

The setting sun had passed on, and they'd gone well into the night without a word between them. Luke lay back on the hard roof to look up at the stars. From the corner of his eye, he could see Tear shiver. Abruptly, he jumped upright and unbuttoned his coat, draping it over her shoulders. "Here."

Tear breathed a sigh of relief when he continued on towards the edge of the roof to look out in the distance – there was no way she could've looked him in the eye. "Thanks, Luke."

"You know, it's funny, for some reason I just started remembering Tataroo Valley."

"Why's that?"

"I remember… there was something really beautiful there that night."

"Yes… the selenia flowers were in full bloom."

Those too… he thought to himself.

Tear got up and stood next to him.

"Luke…"

"Tear, I have another favor to ask."

"S-sure."

"I want you to go home. Go back to Yulia City."

She was shocked. "What? Why?"

"It's not that I… You don't need to see what's coming. You watched over me, just like you promised, and I'm thankful. But I can take care of Van, and I'll free Lorelei. You don't need to be there."

"If you're worried about Van and I, I already told you–"

Luke turned and headed for the ladder. "–Please, just go to Yulia City. Don't be here when I wake up. Please…"

Tear speechlessly watched him as he descended.

---

"Luke, do you know what happened to Tear? She's not in her room." Natalia asked as soon as he came down the stairs. Everyone else had already gathered.

"No, maybe she went on ahead to the Albiore." Luke secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well then, we do have pressing matters to attend to, so let's be on our way, shall we?" Jade urged.

They all started heading towards the door. Tear quietly started down the stairs at the same time, Luke's coat draped over her arm.

"Luke, could I talk to you for a minute?" Jade called out just as Luke was almost out the door.

"Sure, what's up?"

Jade waited until the others had left. "If you don't want to tell the others, that's your business. But I think we both know the truth of your diagnosis."

"No one can keep anything from you, huh?"

"Let me warn you: your fonons must be undergoing rapid separation. Don't use your power any more than you absolutely must. Of course, to use the key, to free Lorelei, you'll have to."

Tear clutched the coat to her chest.

"I know."

"Are you still prepared to die?"

"I think so… I mean, I don't want to die, but… if I don't stop Van and release Lorelei, then we're all going to die anyway, right?"

"I suppose. Well, as long as you know." Jade started towards the door.

"Wait, Jade. Do you think…if I do this, I might be forgiven?"

Jade didn't turn around. "Are you still worried about that? I suppose that depends on who you're looking for forgiveness from. Yes, some of the world might. Others will probably never forgive you. But I can only speculate about the world at large. Of course, I could tell you how I feel," Jade said as he continued towards the door, "but there's someone hiding in the stairwell who could probably speak better for all of us." The door shut behind him.

Luke didn't want to turn around. "Tear?"

"Is that what you've been hiding this whole time?" Her cover already blown, she came down the rest of the way to confront him.

He still wouldn't turn. "Yeah."

"That's why you wanted me to leave? So I wouldn't have to watch you die?" Tear stepped in front of him.

Luke only looked at the floor. "Yeah."

She looked away. "I…don't want you keeping things like this from me anymore. So, now that I know, you have to live. Promise me."

Luke took a step back. "I can't."

Tear struggled valiantly not to cry. "I know. I'm sorry. But don't resign yourself. At least you have to try."

"I'll try. I promise that." Luke sighed, much of his burden lifted, even if against his will. "You couldn't just leave though, could you?" Tear looked up, shocked and… wounded. But if she hadn't looked, she wouldn't have seen his smile. "I guess it's my turn to say 'I'm glad you stayed.'"

"I…" Tear wanted to hug him. As she was on the verge of movement her own words stopped her short. "I'm going to keep my promise, too. And I'll always be by your side, watching you if you need me."

"Thanks. Tear, I…" He wanted to, but not yet. "Thank you."

Yes, I know someone in the group would've commented on "coatless" Luke, but I figure he's gotta have like twenty of the same coat for all the titles he's collected by then. Also, I'm still debating whether or not the white & yellow part is attached to the black part, or if that's actually a black shirt on underneath: on one hand, it's cut to follow the same lines as the coat, but on the other hand, there doesn't seem to be a separation up the middle where the coat buttons up.