Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss.
He turned the glass vial over in his hands, the red liquid sloshing against the sides. A minature ocean, created by the life blood of another success. Last time, the blood sample had shown a high concentration of seventh fonons that showed no signs of immediate dissipation. He was hopeful lrhat this next sample would provide the same result. There was no way to tell if the fonons would remain stable in the far future, but so far, his experiments proved promising.
He deposited the vial in a rack of empty ones until later. The testing was a long, tedious process unfortunately, and usually took him all day. Seventh fonons were hard to detect, and one had to know what they were doing to test correctly for them. He sighed. His ability as a doctor did not mean he could do this any faster than the average person, unfortunately.
Those people that called him the necromancer still existed, even after his part in saving Auldrant. He was unable to overcome his previous reputation. He imagined the whispers only grew louder when he left the room. It meant he could work in peace, however, without any curious questioning his latest project. The public would not react favorably to it. Not even Emporer Peony, his long time friend, inquired about it. If anyone knew anything about his work, they hadn't investigated any further. Or perhaps they just didn't care. What was done was done. No one could fix what Jade Balfour's mistakes, if that was indeed what they could be called.
Tear knew he had continued his study in fomicry, at least, as did Guy, Anise, and Natalia. They believed he was continuing his research to help the surviving replicas. That was true, actually, but it had grown into something of a much grander scale. He was helping himself, he knew, fufilling a selfish desire that not left him for two years. The living replicas appeared to have no problems at all, as their originals had perished before them, making the contamination effect null and void. They could likely live long and healthy, if not happy, lives. It would be diffult for them, being copies of othee humans dead loved ones. The crimes that were rising against replicas were well known. What concerned Dr. Balfour was the replica that had perished along with his orginal.
Luke had not come back as he had promised, nor had his troubled orginal, Asch. Jade suspected that the dissapearing seveth fonons from the world accounted for that. Or perhaps neither wanted to return. They had both lived difficult lives, and may have discovered things were easier or more pleasent in... wherever they had gone. Jade wasn't certain wither still existed anywhere. Had they rejoined with Lorelei? That seemed to be Lorelei's intent all along. Not having the answers bothered him more than he liked to admit.
Luke had proven to him what he'd always known. Death came to everyone eventually, amd life was simply not fair. He had sensed something in the boy from the day they had first met, when the red head's snarky comments had first piked his interest. When he spoke, the way he acted, so outspoken and rash, all of it was something so foreign to Jade, and it caused pity to rise in his cold heart, melting the hardened ice that surrounded it. Luke possesed the kind of innocence that couldn't survive in the world. Like a firework, it flared so suddenly, then went out when the darkness of the night sky consumed its light. True innocence was something Jade had never had, and sometimes doubted even existed, but he knew it when he saw it. Poor child, he'd thought to himself. He was in for a rude awakening when he discovered what the world was truly like. Jade wondered what kind of person he would turn into after it was all over. He thought of the possibilities, and most of them made him frown. Innocence and bitterness were two sides of the same coin.
Jade peeled off his medical gloves and threw them in the trash. He would finish his experiments later. He had things to do before the day was over, and the mental list he had made of them was only half done.
The person that inoccent boy had become was stronger than he had expected. His experiences caused him immense emotional stress, yet he still stubbornly survived. Jade saw the faraway look he had in his eyes when he thought the others weren't looking. They would would cloud over, and his memories and fears reflected in them, playing over and over in a terrible loop. Jade could do nothing for him, and so he walked beside him, watching, waiting to see how far this child could go. People could only push themselves so far before breaking. Luke had forced himself forward through sleepless nights, forced himself to kill, to sacrifice his own happiness, and finally, himself. Jafe had walked by his side nearly until the end.
Jade remembered that very last day, at the top of the false city of paradise, the sun shining over them in a mocking cheerfulness as Luke prepared to give his life away. He hadn't wanted them there to witness him disappear. He had sent them all away, and they had gone, cruel as it may sound. Jade understood. There was nothing more they could do, and perhaps they could at least grant him his last wish. A parting gift, of sorts. After all that time, they were finally done. Done with what? Jade wasn't sure. Traveling, fighting? No. Something else, but he couldn't find the words to say what. But as he ran down the steps of Eldrant with the city collapsing around him, he felt relieved. It was a feeling beyond his control, and he saw no reason to be guilty about it. If there was something wrong with it, he suspected the world would punish him later.
He did not consider his next task work, but he still found himself hesitant to open the door to the spare bedroom in the lab. He had to remind himself nothing would get done if he stalled like this. He had to remind himself everyday. He took a deep breath before turning the lock in the door.
He entered the room still in his lab coat, and a blur of bright red hit him hard in the chest, knocking him into a tight embrace.
"Father!" The boy cried eagerly. He smiled at Jade, flashing a luminous pair of bright green eyes. His hair was a deep red color, and long enough to reach his waist. "Can we spar again today, please? I promise I'll put in extra hours studying."
Jade met his new child's eager eyes reluctantly, and forced a knowing smile onto his face. "You have read through the entire journal as I instructed? You certainly learn fast."
He looked so much like Luke, it was uncanny. He shared some traits with Asch as well, of course. Jade had to use both boys DNA to make a stable replica. But he resembled Luke most of all. His kind eyes, his wild hair, even his smile was a reflection of him, a mirro image that could reach out and embrace him. Jade had truly outdone himself. As miraculous of his creation was, however, he had trouble looking him in the eyes. In those inoccent green eyes, he always saw him. He was never disapproving or pleased, just there, as he was the day he disappeared.
This replica he had created was a ghost of his own memories, reminding him of what had occured. He had known Luke was going to disppear all along. The contamination effect was a universal law. He had done all he could, but nothing could prevent it. One day, Luke would no longer be a part of this world. He could never have prepared himself for the moment the boy realized his fate. That look of hopelessness he had, the reluctant acceptance of his upcoming unwilling sacrifice, was etched into his brain. That burden too, Luke bore alone.
"I read the whole thing," the boy said, holding up the tattered book. "I can't beleive so much happened to me thst I don't remember."
"It's not your fault," Jade replied. "Amnesia is a dreadful thing to live with. I'm sure they will understnad your mental limitations when the time comes." He smirked.
The boy scowled. "I'm not stupid. You can be such a jerk, you know?" He picked up the journal again and flipped to spot near the beggining. "Father, will I meet Tear and the others soon? I was reading stuff over again, and they seem like really great people. They must be worried about me by now. It's been two years, you know?"
"Soon. You have some more training and studying to do first. And haven't I told you beofre? My name is Jade."
"Oops. Sorry, Jade." The redhead gave a goofy smile. A shadow of memory, living and breathing, and he did not even know it.
Was this guilt Jade felt? So now, after all this time, the crushing weight met him. He shook it's icy cold hand like that of an old friend. He had known this day would come, when his memories would return to haunt him, just like they had for Luke. This was his punishment.
He glanced at the sword lying on the bed in it's scabbard. The Key of Lorelei. He had found it in Eldrant, after it had begun to fall. When he picked it up, he knew Luke was already gone. He would never had dropped the sword. It was a he group had debated whether or not ot keep it, and decided to let it be buried under the rubble of the replica land of Hod. Jade had refused, and secretly coveted it to this day. The boy had no idea what it was he had. Jade marveled at the skill the replica had in wielding it. The same skill he had once seen in battle, Luke fighting beside him, had been reborn.
He had given the replica Luke's name. It seemed foolish to call him anything else. He truly was Luke, or at least a piece of him. What a wonderful and cruel thing he had done. When he decided to bring him back to his old life, his friends would never be fooled. He would not have the acceptance he dreamed of.
Fomicry was a dark forbidden thing, as it should be. Jade understood now that you could not cheat death. It always came for everyone in the end. But he was not trying to cheat death this time. He understood that was out of his reach. He could never bring Luke Fon Fabre back, but this, this would have to be enough.
The boy's smile fell from his face. "Is something wrong?" he asked. "You look upset."
Jade wiped the conflicted expression from his face. "No, I am alright. What do you say we get to training?"
"Whatever you say, Jade."
Their voices were each echos of each others.
Honest reviews anyone?