Yo. This is my first Tales of the Abyss fanfic. I decided to go with a one shot. It's based around the fall of Akzeriuth but not near it. Far after. I kept thinking about since I played the game a few years back but I decided just to type it up. It's a bit of a Luke/Tear. Hope ya'll like it.

I'll take the blame

"Daddy...it hurts..."

"Isn't there anything we can do?"

"It was Master Van...He was the one who made me do it!"

"Ever since you lost your memory, you're like a completely different person.

But it was...!

"Don't bother talking to him. He's not worth it."

Master Van! He made me...!!

"If I stay here, I'll just be irritated by some ridiculous ranting."

Listen to me! I'm...

"Luke...Don't make me think any less of you..."

No, wait I...!

"I was stupid for starting to think you had some good in you."

But I...!

"Worthless replica!"

No...Don't leave...Please...I'll take the blame but don't...

"DON'T GO!!!"

Luke quickly woke up. It was that dream again. No. Dreams can come true but this was just the truth. Sure, on the outside, they all seemed like they were past it. But no matter how much he thought that, it kept coming back.

Luke moved from his bed. They were almost there. Just about to fight Van. Why they were bothering to go to someplace on Mt. Roneal with the Devil Arms was beyond him. But then again, so was wearing his bathing suit in the snow too.

Luke went to the sink in his room. He washed his face off. He looked up and saw himself. The tear marks on his face were still there. They would always be there. Just like the blood on his hands. A constant reminder. After Akzeriuth, he worked hard and eventually gained the trust and the friendship of his companions. But still, all of that was only gained by shedding tears and spilling more blood. He took the blame. On the outside, it only seemed logical for him to do so. He blindly followed Master Van. He never bothered asking questions. He destroyed....

Luke forced the bile back down his throat. There was no need to say it. He knew it. The tears only began to flow again.

"I had to take the blame right? I did do the right thing, didn't I?" Luke asked himself out loud.

Yes. Luke would take the blame. Just as he would with Tear's illness. Ion's death. As with...Yeah. That too of course.

It was a burden his friends never meant to put him in but it still happened. It still happened.

Still, it hurt. It hurt more than any battle wound. Even more then death, something Luke knew he would face soon enough.

"You all couldn't do anything to stop it, either! Don't just blame me!

He knew it was foolish but the darkest part of him still believed that. All the blame would be put on him.

"Because it can be, conveniently, put on me. A replica."

"Worthless replica!!"

"No. I'm not worthless. I may be a replica but..."

Luke had thought he'd gotten over but he knew it would probably be with him for as long as he lived. But with her, maybe, just maybe, he could live with it.

"I had to take the blame right?" Luke asked himself woefully.

"No. You didn't." A muffled voice said through his door.

Luke jumped. It was late. Who could it be?

"It's me. Tear. Can we talk?"

"Sure," Luke replied. He wiped his face as quickly as he could and opened the door.

"Tear, what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be asleep?" Luke said as Tear walked in his room.

"So should..." Tear began off but lost the will to finish her retort.

Luke turned around and looked at her. She didn't turn around. She was still not facing him.

"What's wrong, Tear? Are you ok?"

Still not facing him, she asked, "Have you...Have you always felt that way? About us? About it all?"

Luke feigned ignorance. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

Keeping her voice from slipping, but still not facing him, she answered. "I'm sorry."

"Huh? For what?"

"I never knew. I never knew it would effect you that much. I was the one to blame."

Luke looked down. "No. I did those things. Regardless of the situation, I did those things."

"But I...we put the blame on you. Despite it all, we put the blame on you. It was convenient. You were there. Van wasn't. You didn't know any better but we still..." her voice began to slip, waver into sobs. "We just put all the blame on you and thought nothing of it."

Tear, a soldier from upbringing was taught many things. How to have honor. How to fight. How to survive. How to protect. How to kill...Crying, however, was not one of them. Finding comfort in words wasn't either. Many things weren't taught to her. But holding back emotions was. It was her specialty. So why now of all times, and in front of him, was it failing her so much? She knew the answer but...Why couldn't she just say it?

Her sobs were just loud enough for Luke to hear. For once, he did the right thing. He wrapped his arms around her and held her from behind.

"Shh shh...It's okay Tear. There's nothing for you say sorry about. It's alright."

Suddenly Tear turned around, her eyes dripping with tears. "No! Its not alright! You've been hiding this from us! All of this pain! All of this guilt! Oh god...Have we been so blind as to not see this?"

Tear couldn't hold it and broke down, the emotional weight of Luke being too much to bare.

Luke said nothing and kept holding her. Words couldn't help her. How could they? After all, they barely helped him.

---------------

It was early the next morning. Luke had took Tear back to her room before he went back to sleep himself. The sun, shining through the window, woke him up. He got dressed and went to the dining area for breakfast. When he got there, he saw all of them waiting. His friends. They saw him arrive. Each one of them looked at one another, hesitant. Even Jade was subdued.

"Good morning, everyone," Luke said pretending cheerfulness. In truth he was nervous. What was going on with everyone?

"Luke I," Natalia began but words faded from her mouth. She looked down, as if struggling to find the right words for the sentence.

"Luke, did we really do something that horrible to you?" Guy asked. His face was firm but his eyes were racing. Scared? No. Worried. No. Both.

Luke, once again feigning ignorance, replied with his hand behind his head, "What are you talking about Guy?" Smiling, Luke looked at the menu. "C'mon! Let's eat! I'm starving over here!"

No more was said after that. The breakfast went by smoothly enough. Luke knew he would have to talk about it someday but not today. Not for a while. He still needed time to come to terms with it himself. When that day came, he'd give Guy his answer. He'd give all of them answer. They deserved it. Until then, he would take the blame.

And that's the end of that. Sorry its not longer but I still feel pretty good about this. Hope ya'll liked it. R&R