VAN HAD TO DIE, but that wasn't Tear's main concern right now. Eldrant's defenses were far stronger than she anticipated. She had come alone, intent on ending Van's madness herself, but stealth had failed her and the hundreds of Replica guards patrolling the base had gotten the better of her. They had surrounded her, knocked her out, and thrown her in the dungeon. Slipping out of her cell had been simple enough, but now she had to escape the fortress. As long as she could regroup with Luke and his friends, they would still have a chance.
She was almost free when she stopped. At the end of final corridor, standing there waiting for her, was Tear's mentor-turned-crazed zealot. Legretta stared her down with her arms crossed.
"I'm disappointed you won't be staying as our guest, Tear. Part of me was still hoping you would finally open your eyes. I would have been glad to take you in even if the others think your existence is no longer necessary.
Tear had heard this insane speech on why the world deserved to be destroyed and all life should be replaced with mindless clones dozens of times. She cautiously reached into her skirt and slid her fingers over the set of daggers hidden away in her garter. It was then she noticed the second female figure behind Legretta. The silhouette walked through the shadows, making the sound of pearly high heels clicking against marble floor with each step.
"Your brother was almost ready to create his new world," Legretta continued, "but he still required a Seventh Fonist in order to fully shape it in his vision. He knew your foolish beliefs would keep you from ever joining us, so we created a Seventh Fonist of our own."
The figure finally emerged from the dark and stood at Legretta's side. It was Tear—or rather, an identical clone of Tear—with a subtle, devious smirk on her face. She was carrying a staff and wearing a white and silver dress that looked like a more operatic take on Tear's attire. It was something Tear may have worn herself if she were crazy enough to become one of the generals in Van's New Order.
"She was born shortly after your little assassination plot failed. A small sample is all we needed from you. I supplied your training records to fill in the rest. She's loyal to me in every way you should have been."
Tear swiftly pulled the daggers from her leg and threw them toward Legretta. The Replica protectively jumped in the way and used her staff to swat each projectile out of the air. Tear couldn't do anything without her twin reflecting her every move.
"Impulsive as always." Legretta shook her head at Tear, then turned her attention toward Tear. "Replica, why don't you show her why you're the superior one?"
The doppelganger started to sing. Tear was doomed the moment the first soft, sweet note touched her ears. The enchanted melody started out innocently enough, soothing away Tear's will to fight and putting her mind at ease. But then, slowly and quietly, it started to echo deep in her head. The Replica continued to sing as the echo grew louder and louder. Tear tried to block the sound by squeezing her hands over her ears, but this only caused the painful vibrations to become trapped and grow even louder. Her temples throbbed as banshee magic invaded her mind and folded more and more pressure on her fragile brain. To anyone else in listening distance, the Replica was singing one of the most beautiful songs ever composed. To Tear, it was a screaming cacophonous nightmare.
When the Replica was somewhere in the fourth or fifth legato of her assault, it became too much. Tear's head exploded into a thick crimson pulp. The rest of her body spasmed in rhythm with the bewitching music for a brief second before it crumpled to the ground. The Replica closed on a long, emotional ending note to punctuate her victory.
"Impressive display, Tear," Legretta casually observed. "A bit vulgar, but impressive. Isolating and resonating the fonon frequency of your original until she couldn't hold herself together. I expected you were just going to pierce her heart with one of your knives."
"I wanted to show her what a real Seventh Fonist can do." The new Tear smiled proudly. "Now she'll only be remembered as a pop star."