PRE-WRITING FUN: Well now... My first Tales fanfiction. I feel proud for some odd, unknown reason. Since Tales of the Abyss is superior to Symphonia in every known way to humans, and some only known to monkeys (Deny it all you want, you know it to be true. That ain't no opinion either, sister), it deserves a flaffy,fluffy, fliffy, cute, wonderful, fuzzy-lovey-dovey plagiarizing fiction all to itself. And what better than my favorite pairing? I now invent the term... Lear! ..It was kind of already invented, but no one needs to know that.

Also, about names in the story. For those of you who were major fans of the game before the NA release, you might have noticed that a lot of names were changed in localization. While I'm not a Tales-Otaku or Japanophile in any way, I will admit that some of the translations were just plain lazy or inaccurate on Bandai's part. Therefore, some of the character's names will be changed for accuracy (Legretta the Quick's untranslated name is Magic Bullet Regret). Spelling changes in English in the localized version will retain the NA names. So don't be pissy in your review and put "OMG THATS NOT insert character's name!!". You know who you are.

"..." - Speech.

italics.../italics - Thought.

Large gaps in story - I got bored writing.


Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss and its characters are copyright Namco... And only Namco. You don't get any special attention, Bandai. Back! Back in yo' cage! D:

Spoilers: The end of the Tower of Rem.

Protecteur de la Nuit

WARNING: Prior to writing this story, the (male) author took large amounts of wimp-doses and estrogen injections, resulting in a fluffy story of cute affection that only a girl could manage, as well as make any man or toddler-aged boy gag (But make any girl giggle in glee). Viewer Discretion is advised; do not let any children read the contents of said story, as they'll become rotten little gelatin-covered tree-huggers the instant their eyes see the text. Damn tree-huggers, huggin' my shootin' spots.

As night was beginning to roll around on the grassy plains of the Kimuelasca-Lanvaldear continent, the sky was changing in accordance. The endless blue started to change to a light orange on the horizon, slowly forming violet after that.

Most people would call it day as long as they could see two feet ahead of themselves.

Jade Curtiss, known as the Colonel of the Markt Empire's Military Third Division to some and general pain-in-the-butt to others, was smart enough to know that Monsters don't follow the same logic.

"We should set up camp soon," he addressed the rest of his companions, stopping all in their place.

After defeating God-General Dist the Reaper (Or Rose, if one wanted to take what he said seriously) onboard the Tower of Rem's unnaturally long elevator, and mass-murdering thousands of replicas as well as destroying the fatal miasma that covered the planet of Auldrant in the process, Jade had requested the team's leader Duke-Heir Luke fon Fabre to head to the city of Belkend to get a check-up on his status. There, he received the tragic news of his fate.

Luke, being a replica himself, was composed of nothing more than Seventh Fonims. Caught in the chain reaction of the Key of Lorelei as it absorbed the Seventh Fonims of the thousands of other replicas who had also climbed to the top of the tower caused his own to go out of control and slowly dissipitate. Effectively, he had only a short while until he completely disappeared off the face of the planet. Fate was pretty cruel.

Now, they were heading to the port where the Albiore II and its pilot Noelle were waiting, who would then take them to Chesedonia to prepare for the final battle atop Eldrant. They would have to deal with the remaining God-Generals Synch the Tempest and Magic Bullet Regret, as well as the Commandant Van, so tensions were highly stressed between the rag-tag team of heroes.

Anise, former Fon-Master to the late Ion, began to fidget like most children do when they realize their progress will be halted, "What? But why?.." she pointed north, "Belkend port is only a few more miles away! If we rush, we can probab-"

"Nocturnal monsters come out around this time of day. Besides, there's a forest that runs directly through the path we're taking," he pushed up his glasses since he had to look down at Anise "If we go in there at night, the ligers could easily rip us apart in such tight quarters."

"Oh yeah!" Luke's best friend decided to pop into the conversation, "I remember hearing from somewhere that a liger's fur really only lightens up during the day. It's almost impossible to spot at night. You see, the fur starts to retract the light..."

Anise sighed as Guy continued to describe the animal in vivid detail. She really wanted to hurry up, but she wouldn't be so impatient as to threaten the lives of her companions. "Boo..." she crossed her arms and landed her bottom on a rock behind her, the girl's head pointing straight up to the sky.

Luke opened his mouth for what seemed to be the first time since leaving Belkend, "Then... I'll set up the tents." He solemnly got to work.

The young fudge-haired Soldier of Lorelei, Tear Grants, looked worried about Luke's slightly off-put behavior, "I'll help too, Luke."

He seemed put off with her offer, "N-no..." he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, trying not to sound too troubled, "I got it, Tear."

Tear looked straight at him, as if she was trying to stare through his soul and into what he was thinking, but eventually complied and sat down along with Anise.

Jade got a fire started just in time before the darkness of night had gotten to them. The flames were only able to illuminate a few yards away from the camp site, so everyone was glad they settled in early.

Above the bonfire was a pot full of Tear's cooking. She realized this may very well be the last time that all of them will be eating together, so she got an extra-large amount of ingredients at Belkend, planning on cooking a big hearty dish for their last meal.

That sounded wrong, Tear thought. Their last meal together.

"Well then!" Jade sat down on a fallen tree's branch near the fire, crossing his legs, "Now that the tent's are set up and the food is cooking, how do you all suggest we spend the next few minutes?"

Natalia spoke up first, "Oh, I have an idea!" she pumped her fists like a little girl excited about her bedtime story, "How about we share a few ghost stories? My father use to tell me them all the time when I was child."

No one noticed Tear shiver.

When you were a child?... "That sounds like a splendid idea, Natalia," Jade smiled, "I have a few myself, actually."

Tear shivered again.

"Jade's stories are probably reencountments of his own life rather than fairy tales," Guy laughed. He turned to Luke's direction, expecting him to atleast be smiling, but only Luke's out-of-focus look greeted him.

Jade smiled... Again, "Well then, you'll just have to wait and see."

Anise seemingly popped out from behind Jade's shoulder, "Ooh, tell them about.." she rose her hands and wiggled her fingers infront of her face, trying to look as threatinging as possible, her face illuminated by the cackling flames, "'The Oak Lady'... That's a good one!"

"'Oak Lady'?" Natalia tilted her head, "I've never heard of that one before."

Jade relaxed in his make-shift chair, "...Then it'll be a surprise for everybody!"

Uh oh... Tear fidgeted in her seat.

"Well now... Let's see... This is an old legend that's been passed down around this area for quite a long while, so some of it may or may not be true," Jade straightened his glasses and placed a finger on his chin, raising his head to the night sky as though he were reminiscing the story, "About thirty or so years ago, before any of you were born, Belkend's government found an alternative to fonic technology that would use heat from burning trees to power machines and the like. Since the city was near countless trees and forests, they planned on chopping those down in order to test the first few machines that would run on this new alternative power source."

"'But there was one young lady, a fresh young adult, who objected to this form of power. She and her family lived in a hermit in the middle of the forest, so she grew up to enjoy the nature of the forest. But no matter how hard she pleaded, the government would turn a blind eye to her plight. Knowing she was nothing compared to an entire city, she accepted her loss and the fate of the forest she grew to love.'"

Natalia giggled, this is sounding good.. If only Asch were here, I'm sure he'd love it...

"'A few days before they planned to begin deforestation of the trees, she took one last hike through the forest. Ever since she was a child, she would climb the trees and view the wildlife from up there. Realizing that it may be the last time she would be able to do so, she climbed the highest and oldest of all the trees ever since her childhood for one, final time. She looked for the branch that she would always sit on as a child.'"

"'But after the years, the branch had weakened, and she hadn't taken into consideration that she had grown over the years. As soon as she took a step on the aged branch, it snapped and fell to the ground, along with her.'"

"Oh my.." Natalia seemed shocked at the blunt inclusion to the story.

"'The tree was several yards off the ground. As she fell, she felt every single nick in her flesh from the branches protruding from the trunk of the tree. She never hit the ground, however. Near the bottom were a tangle of branches mixed with the tree's own. There, she was caught inbetween the vines of the oak trees, suspended off the ground, helpless. For days the branches' sharp edges cut into her skin, creating gashes that destroyed the girl's youthful beauty.'"

Luke heard a slight rustle in the wind. He slowly revolved his head around the group, all of them paying attention to Jade's story. This time, he noticed that Tear was slightly shivering, Mieu tucked well under her arms as she hugged him to her chest tightly. Luke worried for a frightening moment that she may squeeze the life out of him.

"'No matter how hard she screamed, no one came to her rescue. Eventually, she died in the embrace of those very branches, having no access to food or water for days. She lived alone, and her parents had long since passed away, so no one noticed the forest girl's sudden disappearance.'"

"'And so, the day came that the Belkend company would come to chop the trees down. They said that the workers felt a sense of entrapment while they were in the forest as they chopped the trees, like the shadows of the large trunks would swallow them whole. The site leader himself layed against an unchopped tree, looking at his progress. He didn't realize the branches growing from the back of the tree. They bent themselves around the stalk, their sharp points growing close to his neck as if they were alive, yet he payed no attention to them'," Jade bent his arms slowly with a snake-like emotion to represent the branches, "'They bent themselves back, slowly, cautiousely, silently, like a slingshot being pulled back more and more for more force. The site director swore he heard a creaking noise. Creaking... Cracking.. Like dead tree wood snapping...Until a super-natural force hit the imaginary rubber band holding back the sharp branches, and then...'"

"STOP!"

Everyone stopped, including Jade's story, and turned to the source of the noise.

Tear stood from her seat, hugging Mieu tightly to her bosom, shaking with an unseen emotion.

The entire team stayed silent for almost an entire minute, shocked at Tear's outburst.

Surprisingly, it was Mieu to break the silence, "T..Tear, you're choking me!..."

Tear gently nudged Mieu to hop out of her arms to the ground. She took a look at the entire party, who were still staring at her in shock. Well, except Jade, who seemed to be glaring straight into her, as if angry about the fact that she interrupted his story.

"This is stupid. We don't need to have some childish superstition on the back of our minds when we invade Eldrant," like a rebellious child, she stomped away from the campsite towards the forest.

"Oh my..." Jade tried to sound shocked, but Anise just stared at him, "Now this is a shocking event. I'm absolutely astounded."

Everyone stared at him with annoyed glares; Jade merely replied, "My story wasn't that scary. Most stories made up at the top of the head aren't, anyway. I have to give props for Anise, though. It was easy to incorporate a story with that title."

Natalia's jaw dropped, "I.. It wasn't true?" she felt like a complete idiot; the princess fully believed that that was a real legend passed down through the ages. Stupid Jade!

"Jade," Luke angrily said, "You don't have to be a jerk about everything. How about some empathy, jeez!" he got up and began to chase off after Tear, "Tear, wait! Don't go into the forest! Dammit!"

The remainder of the party stayed silent for another minute.

"Sh..." Guy spoke up, "..Should we chase after them? The forest is dangerous at night, right?"

Anise sighed again, "Oh c'mon! I'm tired! They'll be alright, they're big kids," she thought for a moment, "...Tear, anyway. It's not fair that we have to risk our lives just because of Tear's little phobia!"

"But if they get attacked by more than a few monsters, I doubt even Luke would be able to handle them..." Guy rubbed the back of his head.

The young Guardian went into her own tent that she shared with Natalia and covered herself with a blanket, sticking her hand out of the opening and shaking her wrist around as if to tell everyone to relax, "We'll see them tomorrow. I have a feeling they'll be fine."

Jade walked up to the tent and bent down near the elastic wall, where he saw Anise's silhouette, "And if we don't see them tomorrow, Miss Anise? What then?"

Anise spun her wrist around again, "Not our problem."

The rest of the party chuckled, except for Mieu who looked worried as he stared deep into the heart of the imposing forest.

"My my... Now that I think about it; alone in the middle of nowhere..." Jade sat next to Mieu as he too looked ahead towards the entrance to the woods, "I hope they don't do something they might regre-et..." he told the little blue furball in a sing-song voice.

Guy went into his own tent, but not without a few parting words, "Jade, shut up."

Jade sighed and raised his arms in defeat, "It's always the old man's fault, isn't it? You're lucky I don't call social services for 'Abusive towards the Elderly'!" Anise giggled at his joke. Well, Jade could've been talking about ruthlessly slaughtering rappigs, and she'd still laugh. He'd find a way to make it funny.

Tear couldn't name a single moment of her life that was more embarrassing than what had just happened. And she couldn't name a single moment of her life that was more stupid than going into a liger-ridden forest. Alone, at night.

And she couldn't name a single moment of her life where she wasn't shaking as much as she was now. Everytime she stepped over a tangle of weeds or a dead tree branch, she was afraid that it might reach up and latch around her legs or arms. The very idea was absurd and childish, which made her feel even worse.

She wasn't absolutely sure where she was going; she just needed to be alone somewhere to cool off. Tear was partly angry with Jade, but even more angry with herself. Usually she could restrain herself from just bursting out like that, but... What was wrong with me?... Sometimes, I think I really am a--

"Tear!"

Tear turned around to the origin of the voice, and saw a certain red-headed royal teenager come running towards her. There's Luke to the rescue, again... Actually, now that I think about it, Luke usually does come to people's aids... Though at the worse times...

"Tear, watch where you're going!" he screamed even louder, "Tear!!"

Huh? She thought too soon. No sooner had she taken another step did she let out a yelp.

Her boot stopped at the very tip of a ridge, hanging far above the massive waves of the ocean that slammed into the face of the cliff. The forest apparently ran all the way to the tip of the continent; Tear hadn't expected to go that far. Her uniform's heel scraped against the pebbles that dotted the end of the ridge, some fell and dropped into the waves below.

Regaining her posture and taking a step back, she looked over the ridge. There weren't any sharp, jagged rocks or anything like that beneath the ocean, but she really didn't feel like taking a swim tonight.

"Tear!..." Luke leaned on his legs and began to pant as soon as he caught up with her, "Agh... Damn... Woods... Damn... Pricklers... Probably Poison Ivy... Tear... Please don't run off again..."

Tear rose an eyebrow at his slanted form, "Sorry, Luke. I just had to get away from the Colonel for awhile."

"Ugh... Yeah, me too..." after gaining his breath, Luke stood straight up and leaned against a tree branch, "I'm glad your okay."

"Don't worry, Luke," she brushed off a piece of splinter on his shoulder, "I can take care of myself."

The young aristocrat turned his head away, "Y-yeah... Sorry."

They both turned to the direction of the ocean. The moon was half-full, so there was enough light to glisten off the ocean, with the tree branches and vines around the very edge of their vision.

No words were exchanged for the two for awhile until Luke started, "Tear... Is there something you wanna talk about?"

Tear looked at him, confused, "What?..."

Luke rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, "Well, I mean... Back there, at the campsite..."

Tear looked down at her feet, "Oh. That was nothing. I guess I'm just a little apprehensive about tomorrow."

"No Tear!" Luke suddenly exclaimed, taking her back a bit, "I... I mean.. I've kinda' seen something going on with you lately..."

Tear looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Luke rubbed his chin, looking for the right words, "Whenever we've decided to tell stories around the campfire, you just kinda'... 'zone-out'. What's the problem?"

"There is no 'deal'," Tear sat down on a nearby fallen tree log, "I just don't like horror stories."

He sat down as well on the same log, looking straight at her, "But.. .It's more than just dislike, isn't it? It seems like you're afraid they'll come true or something. Does the Order think they're bad omens or something?"

Luke... "No... It's just..." she looked away, "I just don't... Well, it's really stupid, but.."

Luke interrupted, "Tear, I can't name a single time you've ever said something stupid."

That's because I don't say anything if it is... Tear quietly thought to herself, "It's..."

She pivoted her body to face Luke, and the two made eye-contact for a few seconds before they both quickly turned around simultaneously.

He's a friend... He deserves to know... "I suppose I could tell you."

Luke's flush had withered when he faced her again, smiling, "Thanks, Tear."

Tear thought for a moment, thinking about how to word it, "Wh.. When I was a little girl, my brother would always go out hunting. Back in Hod, the Gardios family could afford the entire meat market five times over, but Van would always hunt in the nearby greenlands for fresh rappig meat from the herds that passed by occasionally."

"I always loved the food the House Gardios chefs cooked with Van's catches. I remember always begging my mother to go with Van on his hunting trips, but she would have none of it."

"It wasn't until I was around four or five did my brother break down my mother's overprotective barrier. He swore on his life that he'd take care of me in the mean time, and I got to go on my first hunt."

"I never actually killed anything, but Van taught me some things. Like how to spot camouflaged animals, set traps, learn about different types of floral... You know, trivial things like that. I was having so much fun, and I think he was too, that we didn't even realize how long we had been out. We were far from Hod, and the sun was already almost completely gone from the horizon."

"Were you in a forest like this one?" Luke found himself speaking against his own personal thinking.

"Yes," Tear answered him, calmly. She continued the story, her dead-pan voice filling the night air, "Knowing better than to continue the trek home at night, he had begun to set up camp right there in the woods. I was a little scared since I had never been away from home for more than a few hours, but I knew Van would protect me if anything bad happened."

Tear clenched her mother's pendent, holding it close to her chest, "When we were sitting around the fire, my brother began to tell a frightening story. I remember being excited to hear it, but..."

He didn't know why, but Luke suddenly felt a deep hatred form against Van at that moment. Well... Stacked with all the other reasons he could have to hate the man.

" ... The story was cut short when monsters suddenly came up on our campsite. I think they were hungry, since they were growling a lot. I.. I was very afraid. I still feel it even today, when Van grabbed my shoulder and threw me to the ground, placing himself between me and the creatures. I remember when he screamed in pain as one of them clawed at his front. He killed all of them, right infront of me..."

"T-Tear..." Luke looked in shock.

"That was... Probably the first time I ever saw something die. I was coated with it, perhaps with Van's as well," she looked at the ground, "Van held me for hours, trying to hold in my scared sobs as he kept reassuring me everything would be alright," she paused for a moment, "But that's not the reason why I don't like horror stories. I know it's a ridiculous thought, and I know it would never be true... But sometimes... I think that Van might've summoned those monsters himself. As if he knew I was going to fight him when I was older," Tear swallowed a lump in her throat, "It's a silly notion, but I sometimes believe that he wanted to get rid of me when I wasn't a threat... So whenever I listen to horror stories, then yes, I believe their bad omens, in a way."

Her gaze was still focused on the ground, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Luke could barely begin to move his mouth from the shock of the story. It took him a full minute just to begin, "W-wow... Tear... That's... I'm..." Tear nearly had a heart attack when he suddenly shot up from his seat; kicking stones, rocks, and twigs into the ocean below at the same time, "Damn Jade! What the hell was he thinking?! He should know when to shut his damn tra--!"

"Luke!" she yelled, slightly scared from his outburst. She touched his arm, which brought his rage to a halt, "..Calm down. Jade couldn't of known."

"But!... Bu-!" Luke's worried face stared into Tear's strong eyes. That made logic fall right into his brain, like it always did, "...You're right. Sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" Tear questioned simply.

Because Jade!... I..." Luke sighed, realizing he didn't have a good reason to act up, "I don't know. It's my fault. Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Tear told him, though to the aristocrat it sounded more like a command. She then grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him back down to the stump, "Sit down. I don't want you falling off the ridge." Luke was reminded again of the fact that the place they were sitting down was only a few feet from the edge of the forest, which led to the ocean.

Pretty as it was, he, like Tear, would rather not go for a swim that night.

"Thanks, Tear," he absentmindedly spoke.

Tear smiled, "Don't worry, I doubt you would've fallen--"

"Not that," Luke turned his head to face her, "The story. I was stuffing my nose into somewhere it didn't belong, and you went ahead to tell me all that. Thanks."

Tear thanked her lucky stars that it was dark, or else Luke would've seen her rosy cheeks. Even so, she turned her head away from him, "I felt talkative. We're friends, afterall. I think you should've known."

Friends... Luke knew it was true, but he never fully understood the weight behind it. He and Tear were really close, right? Me and Tear... Friends...

He liked how it sounded. Heh. Better try harder Guy; your position's about to be taken..


Guy woke up with a startle. He was having a wonderful dream full of women, cuddling, and fontech. Lots and lots of fontech. Then all of a sudden someone had slapped him in the dream, telling him to 'try harder'.

He sat up on his sleeping mat and reached around in a nearby bag, pulling out a rag to wipe his sweaty face, what just happened?...

He then looked down, and why does it feel like someone just punched me in the chest?..

A raspy voice came from another ten across the campsite, "Certain blonde boys shouldn't stay up pass their bed-time!"

Guy stared through the opening of his tent, his jaw suddenly becoming much heavier, "How does he always know?..."

The two were silent for awhile, with an owl's hoot separating every other moment. Tear turned her head again to face Luke, "One more thing."

Luke turned his head as well, "What?"

"This goes down to the grave."

For a split-second Luke feared the possibility that Tear may kill him just to keep her secret safe, but his common sense helped knock some sense into him that she just wanted him to keep it a secret between them, "Right. I'll try my best."

Tear stood up from the log, "Well... Good enough."

Luke rose an eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

She stretched her back from the amount of time she had been sitting, "Getting ready to sleep."

Luke continued to stare at her, "Aren't you going to go back to the camp?"

".. And let the Colonel insult me with more of his childish jokes? I'd rather jump in the ocean."

She really is scared of that story... Luke rubbed the back of his head.

"You're welcome to stay here, if you want," she offered.

Luke felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, "Th-thanks... I don't feel like dealing with Jade's insults right now, either."

Tear formed a little smile on her face, "Is it because you always get frustrated and lose the battle?"

Luke shot straight up from his seat with an abhorred look on his face. He playfully pushed Tear's side, "Shut up! You can never win, either!"

Tear retaliated and pushed him with a slightly rougher tug, enjoying his reaction, "At least I don't start the arguments. He always drags me into them; you just walk right in through the front door."

Luke starting laughing, shoving her even harder, "Yeah right! I see you get tense every time he talks about the rappig doll!"

Tear's back slammed hard into a tree trunk that was just a few feet behind her. The instant she let out a slight gasp, Luke suddenly felt his body get heavy, Oh God... Shit, what did I just do?! Oh man, oh man, oh man... Tear, I'm so sorry--

Any thoughts of worry vanished when Tear started laughing, her chest moving up and down, "Oh yeah? You push like a girl."

Luke had no time to react when she suddenly slammed her shoulder into his abdomen, tackling him with a force quite unlike a lady. His breath simultaneously left him, but he had time to utter a shock, "W-wait, Tear!.."

He stammered back -- his right leg hit the fallen log they had been using as a bench only a few moments before. From the inertia that Tear had caused, he suddenly lost his balance, and with a gasp from both, they tripped and toppled to the ground.

"Aa-ah!.. L-Luke!..." Tear gave a gasp when they landed.

Her arms rested against the ground on each side of his stomach, while he had been a bit more unlucky and had his head resting against a hard rock, "Ow... Ow... Ouch... Ow..." he reached around the back of his head until he could find the rock and move it from under his cranium, "... Je..Jeez Tear, you should give me some warning before you trample me like that..."

They turned their heads as fast as their eyes had met, both blushing redder than a tomato. Tear would've gotten off him, but all the muscles in her body seemed to turn to jelly.

Okay, this was the most embarrassing moment in her life.

"Wow Tear, you sure don't push like a girl..." Luke gave a forced laugh, "But I'm good at something else.."

His body began to act on its own, his arms already began to move swiftly.

Oh my... Wh-what is he doing?...

What the hell am I doing?...

By the time he finished that thought, his arms were already loosely wrapped around Tear's slender form. The hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up when he realized the impact of what he had just done. He... Hugged Tear. No... I am hugging Tear...

This was the second time he had done so, but it felt different from the last one...

However, if Tear opposed it in any way, she wasn't showing it... Or maybe she was too shocked to speak. That was possible, too.

Of all times to say it, this would be the best -- probably only -- moment. How many times do you get chances like this, anyway?

"T-Tear..." Luke studdered for what seemed to be the upteenth time that day, "I-I... Well, I'm not sure how to say it, but I..."

"How long..." Tear interrupted Luke. He stared at her face confused, which was slightly twisted to look at the spot next to Luke's head He was wondering what she was going to say, "... Have you... Liked me?..." the last part was barely above a whisper, but it was enough for him to hear in the silence of the woods. 'Liked' was easier to say than 'loved'.

Well that makes it a whole lot easier on his part, "I.. I'm not sure. I mean, I thought you were pretty when we first met, but... I think... Well, I really missed you after we defeated Van at the Absorption Gate, and eventually it dawned on me... That..."

Tear rose a single finger and lightly tapped his mouth, "Okay. That's... Good enough.." It took a few moments for the Locrian Seargent to find the words, "Because... I like you too, Luke."

She felt his chest start to move again and his muscles relax, as if he just swallowed a gigantic lump of nervous stress down his throat, "R-really?"

"More than you can imagine," she answered atop his body.

He muttered a single word, "Good..."

How could he have been so blind? She had liked him all this time, and he could only see her as nothing more than a friend. How many clues had they given each other? Were they afraid that the other wouldn't return their feelings, or that they didn't want to risk changing the friendship they had? An overwhelming force of stupidity came over Luke as he remembered all the times their comrades had laughed and giggled silently behind their backs, and how they all probably knew.

Well, he'll show them something.

He tightened his hold around her for what he was about to say, "Tear... I'll protect you from the monsters."

It seemed to fit the moment, cheesy as it was. At least it proved he didn't fall asleep during her story.

Tear didn't even notice the solitary salty droplet that crawled out of her eye and slid down her cheek, falling onto Luke's waiting shirt. Her arms clamped against each side of the redhead's stomach, and she slowly lowered herself down, letting her ear rest against his chest, "Luke... Thank you."

Tear was a soldier, and she was reminded of that fact every time she went into battle. Everything about her - her fighting, her style, her personality - was geared towards protecting herself, and those around her, by killing the opposition. Even her healing hymns served the same purpose; they would keep her comrades alive to kill others themselves.

She always stood behind the chaos of battle, chipping the enemy defenses down to nothing with her spells. If they got close enough, she would end their lives directly. There were other warriors who traveled with her that would accompany defending her; she always had physical protectors like Guy, Anise, Natalia, and even Jade. Even Luke had fended off plenty of soldiers and monsters who would try to get a cheap shot at her. He could save her physical life during battle as many times as one person possibly could, and the situation wouldn't change.

But who was the protector of her mind? In the heat of battle, who would help keep her sane? Contrary to her outer appearance, Tear Grants was occasionally sad. She was sometimes happy, and she was sometimes angry. Who would be there to help steer the balance of her emotions if they ever got out of hand?

Luke. She knew she had fallen in love with him, but she never acted on any of her feelings until tonight. She wasn't completely sure when it started, and she never thought of it as nothing more than a crush. But Luke was something much more important. He was one of her last remaining comrades and friends, after wiping out most of the Oracle Division of Lorelei and betraying Grand Maestro Morse. If they were successful in the raid against Eldrant tomorrow, then she would add Regret and Van to that list.

But more importantly, Luke was her emotional guard. Being close like this... This would calm her in her time of need. They may one day split paths, or go down separate directions in their lives, but for now, in the situation that the entire world is counting on... She would need him. Perhaps he would need her, as well.

The aristocrat had no idea how much of an impact those words had on her. That was the key; he was her protector.

Luke looked up at the night sky, the moon light illuminating between the tree branches as Tear listened to every beat of his heart. They were rather hectic, although his outward appearance seemed much more at peace. Her heart felt the same, which felt like it would pop out of her chest at any given moment.

So this was what it felt like to be with someone close to you... Tear liked the feeling.

It felt... Nice.

But then again.. This could all be playing off the fact that they were young. She hoped it wasn't just hormones; she really liked Luke. She really did... And she was sure he did, too. Being protective bond-brother-and-sister was nice, but being a couple simply felt better... They were a couple now, right?

There was one problem, though... Nothing big. She thought it was silly, infact. But... It was nagging on her mind. This felt fast. Very fast. She didn't want to hurt Luke's feelings..

She wanted this to last forever. Not their current position (Though she heavily enjoyed it), but the new form of their relationship. And all good things take time; she wanted to work her way up.

As much as she wanted to continue laying like that, she knew she had to do something.

"Luke..."

For a second Tear worried that he had fallen asleep, until one eye popped opened and he looked down to her, "Wh-what?.."

"This is going really fast... I just want to say, well..."

Another lump suddenly formed in the pit of Luke's being. Anxiety began to build up in his mind as his rationality started shooting left and right. What if everything was all for naught? What if she was just pretending so she wouldn't hurt his feelings?

"Please... Let's take this one step at a time, okay?... I'm not ready for all of this at once..." she was worried; he was still tense. Did she word it wrong? "Luke?"

"But Tear, I'm going to--" he stopped mid-sentence. She still didn't know. This was all the time he had, he may not get a second chance... But he didn't want to worry her...

"'Going to'... Going to what? Luke?"

But... How much he wanted to be with her... Always near her... He wanted to protect her.

Tear...

Luke...

He wanted what she wanted.

"Alright."

With that word, he loosened one side of his grip on her. Tear slowly slithered out of his embrace to the right, and nearly tinged when her exposed elbow touched the cold dirty ground. Luke, too, felt the harsh, cold absence of her skin.

She started to rotate onto her back, until she was side-to-side with Luke. Her right hand felt around the dirt until she found his, and she made short work of grabbing it, interlocking their fingers. She turned her head to face Luke, who had also turned to gaze at her, "We can do this. Is that enough?" Luke suddenly gave a short, rasp chuckle, confusing Tear, "What?"

He smiled, "We're gonna have to deal with Jade more so than before, now."

The soldier tightened her hand around his, "Yes... But we'll be doing it together, I don't think the Colonel can beat us by himself," she smiled as well, instantly molding Luke's heart into jelly. Those were occurring more frequently, lately.

...Or maybe they were only for him. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world. Luckiest... Replica in the world. No, wait, the first was better. It was a smile only for him. He smiled inwardly at that thought, "Yeah..." he closed his eyes, feeling the developing embrace of sleep envelope his entire form, "We'll figure out tomorrow..."I'll be your protector, Tear... But I doubt you'd need one, anyway. That tackle really did hurt...

Tear turned her head back to the night sky. This would change their entire image and feelings to the group. How exactly would Natalia take it? Would Guy accept her as his best friend's significant other? And Anise?... Thoughts of a demonically-possessed little girl with a threatening dagger going up and down filled her mind.

Better not think about that...

As soon as all of the events of the recent night settled into her mind (and passing up the less-entertaining ones), certain fluffy, lovey-dovey ideas already began to surface in Tear Grant's mind, Me and Luke... Together. I have to admit.. I'm pretty well off... A first since their journey began, Tear empathized with Anise, Luke's rich... He's nice.. Now, anyway.. He comes with a free Mieu, and... He's cute. Both of them.

And he's all mine...

She leaned to the right a little more and lovingly snuggled into his side, enjoying the warmth radiating off his figure, 'Tear fon Fabre'... Not too original... 'Luke Grants'... That's better, Tear giggled, which she was unable to recount the last time that had happened, as she draped a left arm over her boyfriend's exposed tummy; she liked the sound of that.

He was a good protector.

In the wee hours of dawn, the sun began to peek across the horizon of the woods. The cycle of life started as the animals awoke and birds began to chirp their early-morning songs.

"INFERNAL TORMENT!"

Chicken, anyway.

"J-Jade!.." Natalia gasped as she looked at the smoldering remains of a bird. Well, what used to be a bird, "I was enjoying the chirping!"

"Sheesh, Jade..." Guy crawled out of his tent, rubbing the dust out of his eyes, "Killing so early in the morning?"

"Sorry," Jade nonchalantly replied as he reached for his glasses near the fireplace and placed them on the ridge of his nose, "Me and birds don't get along."

What does? Guy sighed as he stood up and began to get the kinks out of his sore back. He couldn't get a good sleep last night; it felt like every time he closed his eyes, someone kicked him in the side.

"Good moorning, everybody!" Anise hopped up and down a tree stump, seemingly unphased by how early it was. She hopped down and skipped to the group, "Did Luke and Tear come back last night?"

"Now that you mention it," Natalia looked around, "I don't see them anywhere. Do you think they're alright?"

"Oh no..." Guy rubbed his temple with a single hand, "I hope they're okay..."

Jade fiddled with his glasses, "I hope they didn't do anything they might... Regret."

"J-Jade!" Natalia scolded him, a faint blush noticeable in her cheeks, "Don't say such stupid things!"

Jade laughed, "Getting jealous, are we? Don't worry, I'm sure Luke can put you somewhere in his harem..."

"That's so... Indecent!..." Natalia fumed.

"Speaking of indecency.." Anise pointed at the entrance of the woods, where two certain people walked side-by-side. She waved her hand, "Hi Tear! Hi Luke! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Thanks, Anise," Luke looked down and smiled at Anise, who giggled and smiled in reply.

Until she noticed something... "Um, guys?... Why are your clothes wet?" Indeed, both the brunette and the redhead were completely drenched, their clothes dripping water to the grass.

"Don't ask," Luke sighed.

"Oh my... I spoke too soon..." Jade placed a hand to his mouth as he gasped in fake shock.

Natalia's jaw fell to the ground, "Jade! How vulgar! Utterly despicable!"

"What? What's vulgar?" Tear oh-so-innocently asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing!" Jade smiled. Not that he ever stopped doing that.

"Noelle's still waiting for us, remember? I think the woods are safe now, so we better leave quickly. If we hurry, we should be there by noon," Tightening a knot on his pack, Guy heaved it over his shoulder and started to trek in the distance.

Jade's inner-self smiled even more than his outer shell. Natalia was too busy yelling at him. Guy was too busy with handling the baggage. Anise... Well, Anise probably saw. Mieu, too.

Saw that Luke and Tear were holding hands.

Jade extended his hand out infront of him, much like how a woman would go to examine her fingernails, Oh, I am good...


Relationship Development: 0, Jade: 1... 3253242314.

He's just that badass.

I always wondered why Tear was afraid of horror stories. I mean, most of the ways she acts is explained in the game, but that part in the Roneal Mountain came out of nowhere to me... So I felt like doing an outtake of it! (With unneeded romance, of course.)

I had to mess with the storyline a bit in order to make this fluffy-as-all-cuddly-hell fiction work. Tear was born in the Qliphoth, so she never actually lived or experienced life in Hod. And Luke found out about his affliction before they fought Largo and Morse/Mohs, not after. But hey, we fanfiction authors have to grab, take down, and bastardize anything we can get our grubby little paws on to make things run our way.

This was also a slightly-new writing style that I used. Usually my writing has all these stupid, 4th wall-breaking pieces that ruin the motion of the fic'. But since this is a bit more serious than my other pieces, I decided to exclude those from the story. It's still fluffy as hell, though.

And as for the wet clothes thing... Hey, their fault they slept so close to the ridge. D:

Since I listen to a lot of music when I write, I think it's only fair that I give a little section dedicated to music that helps inspire me. For this particularely, story, anyway.

-Lilium - Elfen Lied. Never watched the entire anime, but it's one cool opening.

-Lorelei - Styx. BECAUZ LORELIZ IZ IN TEH ABYSSEZ!11!